White adoptive parents learn how to care for their black children�s hair

"People are judged by the way they look," said Julien Drouet, a white father of Lily, 3, and 10-month-old Victor, whom he adopted with his partner, Brandon Walt. "I don't agree, but if we want to help our kids, we need to know how to do this."

Drouet was up early on a recent Saturday morning to immerse himself in the merits of braids versus twists, rake versus rattail combs and relaxers versus going natural. The class, believed to be the only one in the Chicago area, is about more than good grooming. It illuminates the crumbling of one of society's last barriers and the gradual acceptance of transracial families into America's melting pot, experts say.

Read more: ChicagoTribune

In the News: Black Hair

This article starts out:

Carol Crouch �14 has natural hair. She wears it in a big Afro. And people at Yale are constantly commenting on it. �Wow, it�s crazy,� they say. �It�s like a jungle in there.� They ask if they can pet it, poke it, stick their fingers in it. They ask questions. �Can you comb it?� �Do you wash it?�

You have to keep reading right? The author goes on to address the situations a young woman just starting college experienced. One problem I had with the article is that did seem to be filled with a lot of stereotypes (a lot of them true...but still). The article was very interesting but I believe that an individual can have a problem with acceptance in any setting and the content in the article isn't really unique. These situations happen with our families, friend, and social circles.

Read more: Black Hair

In the News: Mother sues teacher after she 'posted mocking Facebook snap of young girl's candy hairstyle

It seems that lately there have been quite a few stories surfacing where school officials are making a big deal over the hair choices of children. Sometimes I can agree with the point the school is making, other times - like this one- I am in awe at the behavior of an adult towards a child.

The mother of a seven-year-old girl whose candy-style hair was mocked on Facebook is suing the teacher who allegedly posted the photo. Ukailya Lofton turned up to school at Overton Elementary School in Chicago on picture day with Jolly Rancher candies tied to her braids after seeing the style in a magazine. Lucinda Williams claims �emotional distress� was inflicted on her daughter after the teacher posted two pictures with the comment: �And y'all thought I was joking!�

Read more: Mother sues teacher after she 'posted mocking Facebook snap of young girl's candy hairstyle'

Thoughts?

 

In The News: The First Bald Beauty Queen

I thought this was a lovely story and that it also reinforces the notion of "I am not my hair." It can be so easy to get wrapped up in a hair regimen and finding the perfect hair style/length that we forget about that it is what we have on the inside that really matters. 

[source]

When she was 25 years old, Sandra Dubose-Gibson  was diagnosed with alopecia and as a result lost all of her hair. Sandra  states: "I am here to help them see the beautiful human beings they truly are and boldly celebrate that beauty and strength from the inside out." (source)

Sandra's Blog: My Alopecia Experience

No matter what's on your head, you can do and be what you desire!

Read more:
First Bald Beauty Queen Crowned in North Carolina

Find out more about Alopecia:
Alopecia
Alopecia areata
Scientists identify gene that may be responsible for hair loss

In The News: "What, no shampoo?"

Since the first time I that came across hair care methods on natural blogs and YouTube channels a common trend among them has been the one of co-washing/no-poo in place of using shampoo. Recently, I came across this article that discusses such a regimen and how it is still taboo to some individuals to go without shampooing.

For me, some interesting points in this article included the no-shampoo detox period and the how the concept of why we "have to" shampoo.

Check out the [Canadian] article here:
Calgary Hearld - What, No shampoo?

In The News: Hair is too wild for class?

[source]

The 10 year old girl pictured above was removed from her 5th grade classroom because the school said that her hair was too wild for class and distracting other students. The young lady's mom is an hairdresser and decided to do her daughter's hair in this style.

Read more here: Eyewitness News ABC11



Now, to be fair and before anyone pulls the race card check out the young man below. He was suspended from school because of his pink mohawk. This young man dyed his hair pink in support of his aunt who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
Read more here: SunHearld.com

[source]

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Where should the line be drawn? Should there be limits on how far a parent should allow their own child to go when it comes to expressing themselves? What if its for a good cause?

Sound off. What are  your thoughts?

Miss Nappturality Pageant Seeks "America's Next Natural Model"

"America's Next Natural Model"

The goal of the competition is to take natural hair styles beyond acceptance of the corporate world and show the beauty and fashion industry an unexplored universe of hair and styles that they miss out on. 
A panel of judges shares their professional opinion but users also have a final say in who will win this online pageant. Registered users can vote for their favorite model and leave comments in a social network environment. [source]


For more information about the competition, sponsorship opportunities or becoming a model, email miss-np@going-natural.com or call 718-395-2537.


For more info:
Going Natural
Black News

In The New: Many ways to straighten your locks

With the humidity decreasing, many naturally curly/kinky hair individuals may be looking to straighten out their tresses for the first time in a while. If this is something you choose to do, be sure to take the proper precautions so not to damage your hair with heat and/or suffer a setback. Here is an article I read recently that talks about some natural ways to straighten your hair:

Hair Straightening the Natural Way

Lil Kim opens a hair salon in North Carolina

I'm NC born and breed...so this is entertaining to me:


"Lil Kim and her cousin Katrise Jones have opened a new hair salon in Charlotte, North Carolina...."


Read more: HipHopWired

I wonder what creations will walk out of those doors?

How Does Castor Oil Help Hair Loss?

I mentioned a few days ago that wanted to incorporate the use of more oils throughout my hair regimen. My hair seems to respond well to oils so curiosity led me to research more about the various oils I plan to use. I found this information on Castor oil very interesting:

Stimulates Hair Growth

Massaging castor oil into the scalp helps hair loss in two different ways. First, the massaging action stimulates the hair follicles, encouraging new and faster growth. Second, the castor oil soaks in to the root of the hair, where it interacts with the follicles and encourages them to grow additional hair.

Conditions Scalp

Castor oil also conditions the scalp and existing hair, making it healthier and improving its appearance. Even though initially a person may have the same amount of hair, that hair will appear thicker because it is healthier. Healthy hair strands appear thicker than unhealthy hair strands.

Strengthens Hair

The application of castor oil also helps strengthen each hair strand, preventing breakage and hair loss. The hair stays in the follicle longer, and the hair itself doesn't break as easily. Broken hair strands can make hair appear thinner.

Read more: How Does Castor Oil Help Hair Loss? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4741189_castor-oil-help-hair-loss.html#ixzz10SRhMvsg

Here we go again: Hair Discrimination

Va Company Accused Of Rasta-Hair Discrimination

WAYNESBORO, Va. (AP) ? A Roanoke-based moving company is at odds with a Rastafarian who says he was denied a job because he declined to cut his long, dreadlocked hair because of his religious beliefs.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Lawrence Transportation Systems on behalf of Christopher Woodson, who grows his hair as a Rastafarian religious expression. Woodson claimed the company denied him a job as a loader at its Waynesboro facility in May 2008.

In a written statement Thursday to The News-Virginian, Lawrence Transportation said that the issue centered around Woodson's appearance violating company policy, and didn't stem from religious discrimination.

___

Information from: The News-Virginian, http://www.newsvirginian.com

Do you think society will ever increase its level of tolerance?

Eeeeee-Funk!!!!

HBCU Rankings

WTW?!: Lindsay Lohan allowed to keep hair extensions in jail; officials say it's not special treatment

If you watch "Meet the Browns" then you know Brown always says "What The What?" I have adopted his phrase, LOL.

I had to say WTW when I say this:

Lindsay Lohan allowed to keep hair extensions in jail; officials say it's not special treatment

Typically when I see Lindsay Lohan news I go "Why is this news?" I only read this article because is has to do with something hair related, LOL.

Lohan's hair extensions were not removed by L.A. County jail staff when she entered the Lynwood detention center because they are essentially sewn in near her scalp, officials said.

Since Lohan entered the Century Regional Detention Center, some released inmates have complained in the media that Lohan still had extensions when other inmates were force to remove them.

Steve Whitmore, a sheriff's spokesman, said extensions are removed when they are detachable from the inmate's hair. In Lohan's case, her hair extensions were not removed because they were bonded into her hair, Whitmore said.

I don't even know what to say about this one. Seems like special treatment to me, what do you think?

Lauryn Hill breaks her silence

See the story here: CNN

In The News: Rastafarian Inmate Refuses to Cut Hair

Kendall Gibson has spent 23 hours a day locked in a cell no bigger than a gas station bathroom. He is allowed to come out three times a week for a 20 minute shower, and five times a week he gets an hour of recreation. Still, the inmate chooses to remain isolated, because he believes cutting his hair would be a sin against his Rastafarian god, Jah.

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Although Gibson does not seem as menacing as the other inmates whose crimes merit isolation, he has been denied parole 12 times for the same reason -- the serious nature of his crime -- but he knows his refusal to bow to the grooming policy likely played a role in that.

Read the rest: Rastafarian Inmate Refuses to Cut Hair, Spends Ten Years in Isolation

In The News: Stereotyping and Style Choices

Locked' up: Hair style can indicate social, religious or fashion choice

It appears this article came about from inspiration from an American Idol contestant, Crystal Bowersox (I haven't watched AI since the first season). The article talks about how dreadlocks are highly misunderstood and that people with them are frequently subjected to stereotyping.

From drug users to homeless or a gang-banger, will the stereotyping ever end?

"It's not dreadful. It's clean and beautiful," Michelle Robinson of Naturally Yours Salon in Oakland, CA.

Some history from the article:

Bob Marley and Whoopi Goldberg didn't invent dreadlocks. The hairstyle has been around for thousands of years. Here's a brief run through history:

ALONG THE NILE: The first known examples of dreadlocks date back to ancient Egypt, where images of the hairstyle appeared on various artifacts. It has been said that, when he died, King Tutankhamun was wearing dreadlocks.

RELIGIOUS PERSUASIONS: Several ascetic groups within major religions have embraced the hairstyle through the years, including the Nazarites of Judaism, the Sadhus of Hinduism and the Coptic monks of Christianity. The tresses that provided Sampson with all that strength? Dreadlocks.

THE RASTAFARI: For a Rasta, dreadlocks are an expression of inner spirituality and an effort to live in accordance with the laws of nature. According to a Rastafarian proverb, "A man who cuts his hair is like a tree without leaves."

SLAVERY: Shackled slaves grew dreadlocks during the long trip from Africa to America. According to author Jeffery Bradley ("Don't Worry, Be Nappy"), the slave trader cut them off because they considered them "dreadful." Many blacks today wear the hairstyle as an expression of individuality and racial pride.

Sources include: "Dreads" by Francesco Mastalia and Alfonse Pagano; "Don't Worry, Be Nappy" by Jeffery Bradley; "Dreadlocks or Dreadfully Locked?" by Monica Arac de Nyeko.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/26/1903387/locked-up-hair-style-can-indicate.html#ixzz0mKQRZHKi

In The News:

Suit claims �natural� hair growth product really has minoxidil

A dozen Chicago area residents and patrons of the institute filed a consumer fraud suit alleging that while the company claims the products are natural and chemical-free, testing on those same products showed evidence of minoxidil � an active ingredient in Rogaine and other hair re-growth products.

American Hair Growth Centers

To read the entire story click the title above.

"Far Away" - Lecrae (Haiti Relief)

From Youtube:

Help raise awareness and money for relief work in Haiti. Buy this single on iTunes here: http://bit.ly/a1sxJg or buy the video here: http://bit.ly/bjymoY

Donations go to helping rebuild the church in Haiti through Churches Helping Churches.

Produced by Desiring God in partnership with ReachLife, Lampmode, and Reach Records

The Truth About Haiti Relief

I really get annoyed when people makeup rumors or abuse people's willingness to help during bad situations. I looked up some of the things I have been hearing and this is what I found.

Check out: Snopes for more detailed information about rumors and truths.

Praying for Haiti

When I first heard about the natural disaster that Haiti suffered, I was speechless. I love that so many people are ready and willing to help and I remember that country in my prayers daily. It was touching to hear that people were in the streets praising God. I would have been doing the same thing. Also with this situation we should all keep in mind that no one is promised tomorrow and we should all live each day to the fullest and worship God like it's our last chance. This song has been on my heart every since the news of the Earthquake broke:

For those of you that have loved ones in Haiti, you are also in my prayers. Losing or close to losing loved ones is a pain that only God can heal.

Complete list of ways to help:

Impact Your World