Search Results: Blavity
Image: Institute for Justice
Hair-braiding is a well-established part of black culture. It is historical. It is us. Black children and adults alike are familiar with having their hair braided whether in someone’s kitchen, on the porch or a salon. We’ll even pay to get our hair laced.
Tennessee is cracking down on that culture. According to Forbes, the Institute for Justice identified dozens of braiders; and over 30 natural hair shops who were fined almost $100,000 since 2009 for braiding without a government license. The institute gathered its info from the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners’ meeting minutes and disciplinary actions report.
The board usually charges a $1,000 “civil penalty” if it comes across an instance of “performing natural hair care services for clients without a license.”
Licensed natural hair stylist Fatou Diouf has been fined $16,000 for employing unlicensed hair braiders.
“I never did any other job but hair braiding my whole life,” Diouf said. “I cannot recall a time when I did not know how.”
Diouf has joined with the Institute for Justice and the Beacon Center to testify for bill HB 1809 and SB 2233, which will eliminate the requirement for a state license.
Image: Institute for Justice
The hope is to instead institute a rule similar to Mississippi’s requirement for hair braiders, which is only a $25 registration fee with the Department of Health. The Tennessee bills are sponsored by Governor Bill Haslam, Representative David Hawk, and Senator Mark Norris. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance is also supporting the bill.
To obtain a natural hair stylist license in Tennessee, one must complete 300 hours of coursework. There are only 3 schools that offer the approved courses and tuition can cost from $1,500 to $5,000.
“We don’t need 300 hours to know how to wash a clip or a comb,” said Diouf who believes the training was “mostly a waste of my time.”
“They’re not going to learn something they already knew,” Diouf added, regarding the unlicensed braiders she employs. “Why would we pay thousands of dollars just to take a test?”
This post was originally published on Blavity.com.
Photographed for Vanity Fair by Annie Leibovitz; Portrait styled by Jessica Diehl
Lena Waithe graced the April 2018 cover of Vanity Fair, and she dripped Black queer magic throughout her interview as she discussed her career, style and LGBTQIA representation with writer Jacqueline Woodson.
Waithe revealed her love of television came from her childhood and joked that she consider the TV her third parent because it kept her out of trouble.
“I was watching a lot of movies I shouldn’t have been watching,” she said. “Like ‘Boyz n the Hood.’ Also a lot of rated-R shit. ‘Jungle Fever.’ But that’s the joy of having a single mom. She was like, I can’t hover over you. Watch what you want. Just don’t repeat what you hear and don’t do what you see.”
The star of “Master of None” and “The Chi” also discussed black and queer representation in Hollywood. Her career was influenced by black female screenwriters like “A Different World’s” Susan Fales-Hill and “Living Single’s” Yvette Lee Bowser.
“They didn’t get their shine,” she said of her predecessors. “They were constantly banging on the doors. I rolled up and all I had to do was tip it and walk through.”
Photograph by Annie Leibovitz; Portrait styled by Jessica Diehl
That influence, along with being mentored by the likes of Ava DuVernay, has inspired Waithe’s own mentorship of young writers.
“I have a ton of mentees. They’re all people of color. Some of them are poor. And I’m just trying to help them learn how to be great writers,” she said. “And for those that have become really good writers, I help them get representation; and those that have representation, I want to help get them jobs. That to me is a form of activism. I was doing this before Time’s Up was created. I am doing it now. Activism is me paying for a writer to go to a television-writing class.”
In addition to writing, Waithe is also a style influencer, and she uses that as a platform for change, as well, by wearing items from black and LGBTQIA designers.
“Being black and gay, having dreadlocks, having a certain kind of swag, and dressing the way I do,” she said. ‘That’s dope, you’re cool.’ I don’t feel validated by that. I don’t want to be white. I don’t want to be straight. I don’t want to blend in. I try to wear queer designers who happen to be brown and makin’ shit.”
While the interview was mostly lighthearted, Waithe eloquently addressed the controversy surrounding her friend and co-star Aziz Ansari. She believes the incident shows society still has a lot to learn about consent.
“I think there are both men and women who are still trying to figure it out,” she said. “We need to be more attuned to each other, pay more attention to each other, in every scenario, and really make sure that, whatever it is we’re doing with someone else, they’re comfortable doing whatever that thing is, and that we’re doing it together. That’s just human kindness and decency.”
Read the full story at Vanity Fair.
This article was originally published on 21Ninety.
Allure magazine gave Lupita Nyong’o and her hairstylist Vernon Francois “total freedom” over the cover look for the magazine’s “Culture of Hair” issue. And what they came up with is nothing short of inspiring, beautiful and impactful.
Vernon Francois is a well-known celebrity hairstylist who we admire (check out our feature on TWAs with him here“> and the styles he created on Lupita for her feature are stunning and truly show the versatility of black hair.
“I like the term ‘kinky.’ Some people don’t like that term, but when I think about my hair, I think of it as African kinky hair.”@Lupita_Nyongo
“We wanted to make them traditional, forward-thinking, and honest, which is exactly what we did,” said @vernonfrancois. “Lupita and I have wanted to create a braid look like this for some time, and having the chance to do it for Allure was a dream come true.”
“Lupita and I wanted to show that coil-y or kinky hair has many strengths and can be worn in lots of different ways, celebrating its beauty and versatil-ity,” said @vernonfrancois. “Loving your true texture is important.”
“Now I love my hair. I love it because I’ve also been able to really embrace the stuff it can do. It’s like clay in the right hands. Clay can be dirt in the wrong hands, but clay can be art in the right hands. Being able to have that kind of playtime with Vernon to create different things has inspired me.” – Lupita Nyong’o
Beyond the stunning braids you see on the cover, there are beautiful pictures of Lupita rocking kinky, coily hair alongside the feature story where Allure’s Editor in Chief Michelle Lee talked to Nyong’o about her hair experiences, stereotypes and her relationship with hair and self-love. Check out the full feature here.
Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, fashion stylist Alex White, hair Vernon François, makeup Nick Barose, manicure Deborah Lippmann for the March 2018 Allure cover story.
This post was originally published on 21Ninety.
“Fine, I’ll do it,” said every black woman who has ever felt the need to step up to the occasion for the lack of everyone else’s effort.
As women, we work tirelessly to build up those around us — our men, our children, our families, our peers. But who works to build us up? Who keeps us grounded while we try to uplift everyone else?
Time and time again, black women have proven to the world that we are the glue that holds it all together. That we are the providers of discipline and delight. That we are the voice of reason when the rest of the world commits treason and turns their backs on our black and brown counterparts.
Black women empower other women. Black women set trends that raise the bar of coolness. Black women are the think tanks behind some of the world’s most powerful revolutions and have no shame of being at the forefront.
The Black Power Movement would encourage us to take pride in our blackness from head to toe and mind, body and soul. Artists, novelists, poets and public speakers alike would eloquently piece together the visuals and lyrics of our struggle and our triumph. A revolution would transpire when our country seemed to have forgotten our significance, causing three black feminists to create the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the midst of it all, we’ve been able to find serenity in the gift that keeps on giving: self-empowerment. We know our value. We know our worth. We know our purpose. Our predecessors paved the way for us to live unapologetically in our paths and create the narrative for our journeys that would help us recognize the greatness within ourselves.
To jump start your own self-empowerment journey, here are 14 quotes from famous black women; whether they may be revolutionaries, entertainment figures, or artists, they’ve all lead us into a movement that will inspire the masses as we profess our magic. Let their words inspire your personal journey for bringing out your inner leader.
This article was written by Simone and originally published on Blavity.
For more articles like this, sign up for their newsletter!
Black History Month is upon us, and if there’s even such a thing as the best time to learn about black people and black culture, it’s during the 28 days of February. People – mostly black people of course – will flood their social media timelines all month with facts about both well-known and little-known black pioneers.
I appreciate the added melanin to my news feeds throughout February, and I never question the genuine desire of those who post to impart knowledge on their peers. But I often question if reading someone’s social post is truly teaching me. The post probably condenses a black hero or heroine’s life into a brief paragraph or minute long, aesthetically pleasing video.
Is being exposed to the major highlights of a black icon’s story enough of an education? No. Will I retain what I read or watch beyond tomorrow or the day after that? I highly doubt it, but I still like my friends’ posts and share my own, too.
Unfortunately, our technological gifts have destroyed our attention spans. We love brevity; we only want to skim; we move on quickly, confident that in glossing over content we gained a general understanding that will get us by.
Is the abbreviated manner in which we absorb content throughout black history month meaningful in more than a symbolic way? Is that manner significantly better than the abbreviated formal education many of us received that almost entirely neglected black history?
We’re Uninformed, Not Hopeless
We complain that the K-12 education system, whether public or private, shortchanged us, and on many fronts, it did. But today, by accepting our social norms, which lull us into a complacency that approves of surface-level understanding, we shortchange ourselves of knowledge, too.
A dab of black history – especially during the shortest month of the year – won’t miraculously make anyone ‘woke’ or capable of realizing how amazing and resilient our people have been – and always will be.
On social media, a few of my friends have challenged others to at least read a book by a black author this month; that’s a step in the right direction. Call me extreme – or a nerd – but that’s only a comfortable, baby step. If we’re really going to celebrate our month, we should do it all out.
If you don’t like reading books, listen to their audio versions or find a collection of short, powerful articles. If you’re a visual learner, you can search for speeches on YouTube, find thought-provoking documentaries or watch impactful movies.
There are few – if any – acceptable excuses for not being a student of black history today other than an acknowledgement that black history just isn’t that important to you.
Building Good Habits
I’m pushing myself to read at least a book a week this month, each by a black author. I’m sharing my personal challenge in an effort to be transparent, not to shame those who don’t try to match or one-up my goal. Reading is an outlet for me, so, by immersing myself in strictly black authors throughout February, I’m trying to reinforce to myself that learning about black history is in fact a priority.
I take the metro to work everyday. I softly play music through my headphones, just loud enough to cancel out noise and take my mind off the train’s funky smells. And whether I’m seated or standing, my face is in a book. For my 30-45 minute ride, I’m mentally in a different world.
If I can, I’ll leave my office for lunch because it allows me to read freely, without thinking about work. When I get on the train to head home in the evening, I’m once again back to reading. And if I’m not too tired late at night, I’ll turn off the TV and my phone to read some more.
Although reading has become a part of my daily life, reading black authors has not, and to be honest, I’ve never seriously considered only reading black authors for an extended period of time. With strict focus on authors that look like me, I wonder what kind of intellectual launchpad black history month could become.
My Black History Month Reads
I started the month by finishing Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy. In the book, Stevenson eloquently explains how our criminal justice system unfairly and inhumanely swallows people of color, the mentally disabled and the poor. Through learning about his herculean efforts and the Equal Justice Initiative, I was motivated to, in some way, play my part in making America a more just place.
Now, I’m roughly halfway through The Mis-education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson. One of my favorite quotes thus far is, “real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly,” because for me, that’s the simplest way to articulate my desire to read, and it also speaks to my hope that we’ll each push ourselves to learn more so that we can do more.
Soon I’ll read Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington. Naturally, I side more with the teachings of W.E.B. Du Bois: like Du Bois, I was born in the North – I wasn’t born a slave – and I have been fortunate to this point in my life. But I shouldn’t write off Washington’s pragmatic philosophy completely; it’s worth learning about.
By Any Means Necessary, a collection of Malcolm X’s speeches and writings post-Nation of Islam, is also on my list simply because The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley had such a profound impact on me.
And lastly, I’ll read The Fifth Season, a science fiction novel by N.K. Jemisin, which won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016 at the 74th World Science Fiction Convention. A friend, who’s not black, raved to me about the book while trying to convince me to read fantasy novels. He insisted that the fantasy genre stimulates creativity better than others. I was skeptical. He then mentioned that the author was black – immediately the book was added to my black history month list.
I know the books I read this month will expand my perspective. At worst, what I learn will be small talk for a random conversation. At best, it will make me a more critical thinker, a more informed decision-maker and a more confident leader in my communities.
This article was written by Doug Spencer and originally published on Blavity. For more articles like this, sign up for their newsletter!
This month the NaturallyCurly Book Club is reading Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad, so if your goal is to read a book by black author then we’d love you to join us.
Then I heard the words pass between her lips, “tender-headed.
She said them with a lot of frustration. I annoyed my hairdressers, too, because I wouldn’t let them manhandle my head in order to achieve the style my mom wanted for me. Surprise, surprise, they also called me tender-headed.
There’s this idea that us tender heads are faking the severity of our pain because people assume we don’t want to get our hair done, or that we are the type who like to whine (which is ridiculous”>. Why would I fake something that seriously hurts? Luckily, I didn’t have many scalp problems throughout my teenage years or my early college days because, for some reason, my then-relaxed and straightened hair had alleviated my issues.
But four years and two big chops later, I abandoned the curly crack and the alluring heat of the flat iron and went natural.
I thought I had it all figured out, but as my hair got longer, my scalp health seemed to worsen. All the coconut, shea and olive oils I piled onto my scalp did nothing to ease the recurring pain, and styling my own hair soon became a nightmare. The dandruff returned along with intense itching and pain so bad I couldn’t so much as touch certain parts of my head. I had no idea what was going on, but I realized that I was tender-headed once more. I had a feeling that my tender head was a result of something more serious, something worthy of a visit to the doctor.
So I finally made an appointment with my local dermatologist because enough was enough.
I explained to her what was going on with my scalp, then nervously parted my hair for her. She chuckled and waived it off like it was the easiest diagnosis in the world. “Oh, that?” She smiled, “You just have seborrheic dermatitis.”
Um…sebo-what?
For those of you who don’t know, seborrheic dermatitis is a condition that produces oily flakes and red patches, itching, burning and stinging despite having good hygiene. Though the cause is unknown, it’s said to be related to a yeast that lies in the oil secretion of the skin, or an inflammatory response related to psoriasis. It’s a lifelong condition that flares up and calms down, and can only be treated because there isn’t a cure. Simply put, it explained a lot.
So all it took was a doctor consultation that lasted two minutes.
You best believe that once I left the dermatologist’s office I raided my local Walgreens and bought all the weird-smelling dandruff shampoo I could carry. My already-too-long hair routine was going to go through a massive overhaul and I wasn’t too enthused about having to use medication for my scalp condition; but whatever would keep my head from hurting I vowed to suck up and do.
In the wake of the growing natural hair movement, I feel that we need to address all aspects of black hair health, including our scalps. The term “tender-headed” is very dismissive of underlying issues that might need to be addressed, such as eczema, psoriasis or even alopecia. It’s a stigma that we need to re-evaluate in order to promote optimal hair health as well as our overall health. Those of us with sensitive scalps should be treated with care, not disdain, because we all want that slay-the-game goddess hair, too.
What are your opinions about the term and how it affects those with sensitive scalps? Were you tender-headed but later realized they had a scalp condition? Leave your comments below!
If you’ve been diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis, here are 5 quick tips for how to care for your scalp.
What does wash day look like when you have this condition? Here is one editor’s wash day regimen.
This article was originally published by Blavity. If you’d like to see more content like this, sign up for their newsletter.
Let’s face it. We’re in the year of “it’s LIT being black”, and still non-black cultures expect us to be ashamed of our natural hair textures.
Not happening.
We’re in a natural hair revolution and the narrative of kinky hair stories has shifted to a new dynamic. We’re unapologetic about it.
#AfrosBreakTheInternet is a collection of glorious natural hair pics from people of color unafraid to rock their hair in its natural state. Twist out goals, growth stories and an all around affirmation of pride.
Ask.
Someone start a #Afrosbreaktheinternet
— pretty brown ting (@Frogawdd_”> June 29, 2016
And ye shall receive.
Some throwback on ya TL #afrosbreaktheinternet pic.twitter.com/gMy4xI7Q5x
— MixWithHenny (@TallGlassofStyL”> June 30, 2016
I'll start #AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/3BiggefmW9
— Lé Cocoapuff (@RespectTheAfro_”> June 30, 2016
The beautiful textures graced our timelines.
Living for this hashtag #AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/TDFd5RvoXw
— Emoney© (@Y_Breezyy”> June 30, 2016
#AfrosBreakTheInternet my little puff head pic.twitter.com/BKFMrzyzO1
— A.Mc (@ayyy_anna”> July 1, 2016
#afrosbreaktheinternet pt 2 I'm done now lol pic.twitter.com/jgimFktW2K
— fairy (@marialashimi”> July 1, 2016
Best hashtag I've ever seen #AfrosBreakTheInterneta href=”https://t.co/G3CvTBmADD”>pic.twitter.com/G3CvTBmADD
— Janay. (@Janay_Patrice”> July 1, 2016
#AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/XR3sr7gZnX
— river euBaetes (@CandyCornball”> July 1, 2016
#AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/OVPBgTD8LH
— Noirte Anti Lanmou (@Keeka__”> July 1, 2016
The hashtag of my dreams #AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/4aKKNbj6FH
— Cora Harrington (@lingerie_addict”> July 1, 2016
rlly late but still my time to shine #afrosbreaktheinternet pic.twitter.com/W0eFv3G5OP
— victoria (@victoriaa_lee_”> July 1, 2016
"How do you get your hair like that?" #afrosbreaktheinternet pic.twitter.com/MPdv2JQUrA
— madison (@m4dison”> July 1, 2016
Yes, we celebrate natural hair anniversaries.
One year natural tomorrow! #AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/bvRoez4fvY
— The Unorthodox Duck (@GeauxGabby”> July 1, 2016
Coming through with the shrinkage receipts.
#AfrosBreakTheInternet reminder to check yo self before you call a girl with an Afro bald-headedpic.twitter.com/jb652DWxxo
— #BLACKLIVESMATTER (@ephrizzy”> July 1, 2016
Equal opportunity to shine for men as well.
im here for this #AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/4BBH28HVhQ
— adrian (@naruglo”> July 1, 2016
Y'all know I been waitin' for this one. #AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/NyfT8nUKN2
— Brotha B (@BlakeDontCrack”> July 1, 2016
How it feels scrolling through the hashtag.
#AfrosBreakTheInternet pic.twitter.com/IZgtFXoxtx
— Chanel Ceray (@_ceray_”> July 1, 2016
But don’t inquire about how we arrived at this point.
#AfrosBreakTheInternet When they ask.."what do you put in your hair to MAKE it like that??" pic.twitter.com/gVW2lbUyYO
— Celine Thompson (@_Awkward_Panda”> July 1, 2016
Pardon me guys, I’m having some serious fro envy right now. This is beauty.
This article was written by Tyler Young for Blavity. If you’d like to see more content like this, sign up for their newsletter.
Whether you’re boooked for a fresh lock twist or a new install, when you step into the beauty shop, styling is only a fraction of what you can expect. Brace yourself on any given salon visit to meet at least a few of the following cast of interesting characters:
1. The Gossip
She’s always at the shop, she know everybody’s business, and what she doesn’t know, she’s happy to fill in. We aren’t sure if she even gets her hair done, but best believe she’ll be making her rounds from station to station, serving up that freshly brewed premium tea.
2. Deaconess First Lady-Elect
Oh, you thought she came in for that fresh set and curl for Sunday Service? No ma’am, she came here to judge. Ain’t none of y’all living right up in here.
3. The Insta Model
She has all-access passes to every event, a body that refuses to quit and an IG following of 75K. You can catch her in the chair taking duck lip selfies of that fresh install.
4. Hustle Man
You hungry? Hustle man is here with them hot fish plates. Need that new designer-like bag? Hustle man got you. Don’t sleep on the hustle. He got dresses, blu-ray discs and dental plans for the low-low.
5. The Introvert
There are a lot of strong personalities in here. The volume stays on 10. If you’re not paying attention, you might not even notice my girl under the dryer minding her magical black business.
6. The Intern
Baby girl just graduated from beauty college and she came to work, work, work, work, work, work! Her energy is awe-inspiring. They won’t let her touch the hot tools yet, but she sweeps, runs errands and hooks up all the pre-sew-in cornrows.
7. The Don
His hands are gifted and his book stays full. There is absolutely no style, color or technique he can’t slay! If you’re privileged to have your scalp graced by his touch, prepare to have your entire life politely gathered, folded and neatly tucked away.
8. The BAWSE
The salon owner is super chill and down to earth and 100 percent about her business. If you’re working in her shop, your rent will be paid on time, your clients will be set as scheduled and the petty drama will not be tolerated.
9. The Bougie Chick
All designer everything. You can find my girl under the dryer, giving head-to-toe brand check and looking generally annoyed. If you can’t elevate her status, save your friendly salon chat. She can’t be bothered.
10. The Woke One
She comes through bearing homemade butter for her natural client list. Find her at the shampoo bowl kicking knowledge on everything from chemtrails to yoni eggs. Hustle man packs his special organic quinoa and black bean salad just for her. Her aura is always on point.
This article was written by Ebony Flake for Blavity. If you’d like to see more content like this, sign up for their newsletter.
