powerful art

Rachel is a North Carolina-based artist with some powerful, amazing artwork.. and amazing hair to match.

First off, I was like, BLOWN AWAY, SERIOUSLY by this piece she did:



Juxtaposing our current weaved up/light skinned/straight hair obsession against the mammy doll/Aunt Jemima stereotype of slavery/segregation days makes me ask myself (and, mind you, this is what this whole blog is about): when will we as women and as black people take control of our image — hair included — and stop doing/being what people tell us to do/be?!

Man, that's a post in and of itself, so I'm going to stop here and put Rachel's hair photos in another post.
To browse through/purchase Rachel's artwork. Check out her site here.

naturals from around the world: carole in FRANCE!

hi, my name is carole. i just found your page and i got to say that i love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i went natural on august, the 6th of 2008, and for a newbie like me, it is giving me a lot of motivation to keep going natural. i am glad that people still love BLACK HAIR and do go natural because it is part of our identity and heritage and not a kind of trend that everybody must follow. that's great. i would love to be interviewed in your page. anyway, keep doing it, you all are the bomb. big kisses from france.
L says~thanks carole ;)


Carole relaxed

Chateau de Versailles

The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime.

BGLH: Where are you from?
CAROLE: Hi, I am Carole and I am 26. I am a native from France. I live in Versailles, not far away from the well known Louis 14’s castle, the Chateau de Versailles. L says~That's so cool!

BGLH: What's interesting about the place where you live?
CAROLE: France is interesting because there are a lot places and monuments to visit such as the Champs Elysee Avenue, the Arc of Triumph, the Eiffel tower… It is also a place where fashion is very important, you have all kind of trends and styles up in here. That’s very cool. There are also a lot of good restaurants, my favorite is “Moussa l’africain” where you eat African meals!!!!!!!!

BGLH: What is the climate/weather like?
CAROLE: That is one of the things that is not so great in France!!!! It is always changing and you never know what it is going to be despite the established season. Right now, the sun is shining whereas it was raining yesterday and it might rain again tomorrow!!!

BGLH: What is the natural hair scene like?
CAROLE: Most black women relax their hair in France. But a change can be noticed since the 2 or 3 past years. I have seen a lot of young women big chopping to keep their hair natural, creating blogs and websites about natural hair and haircare products. But there’s also an increase of the use of wig and lace fronts too.

I went natural on August, the sixth of 2008. L says~Wow! You got a lot of hair for a recent 'big chopper.' I still remember that day when I went to the hairstylist and big chopped. When I first saw my head with very short hair (6 months of transition) I almost cried and I asked myself why??????? Am I crazy????????? It took me about an entire week to accept my new haircut and my new face. But now, it’s like I’ve always looked that way, I love my fro and the way I look. I just can’t wait my hair to grow bigger and longer.

BGLH: Where do you buy your hair products?
CAROLE: I buy my hair products in the chemist’s, in hypermarkets. There are more products for natural hair in these stores than there were 2 years ago. I think that the big firms have understood that the market of black hair is very important and that they need to study our hair to be able to create products that we can use and that keep our hair healthy. I use a lot of essentials oils and shea butter.

BGLH: Are there natural hair 'meetups' in your country?
CAROLE: There are some very interesting such as a BOUCLE D’EBENE which is the most popular over here. (www.myspace.com/bouclesdebene)

BGLH: What do you like about being natural in your country?
CAROLE: I like it because it is a different me. I like that old school look where I am wearing street wear outfits or kind of elegant and sensual face that I have when I wear short curls. People tend to believe that black hair does not grow up and does not look good. Let me tell these people one thing: THAT IS NOT TRUE. That reminds me of a girl that I met in the train and asked me where I got my wig because she wanted a short haircut that looked natural. I was like what are you talking about???? It made me proud of my hair because it meant my hair looked good that day.

BGLH: What would you like to see in your country in terms of natural hair care?
CAROLE: I would like to have more choices in hair products because even if that’s better in France, we are still limited. I want black people to stop considering black hair as a problem but as one of the most beautiful heritage that our ancestors could have given us.

formal style (natural bride alternative) #5 for april giveaway: dana

I was attending a surprise birthday dinner my boyfriend planned for me. It was what would be considered a "fancy" restaurant and I was told to look my best...I considered flat ironing my hair, however, I didn't want to get into the habit of going straight every time an event like this came up. I finally came up with the idea for this style from a rockeresque style I saw on highlytextured.blogspot.com, however with that style, the blogger had straightened her hair. I decided to try it out on curly hair and somehow it worked!
Dana's blog is here.

question for J: are some castor oils bad for your hair?

Question for J from Eliss:
Greetings!! This is Eliss, and I'm sending this email in hopes of attaining some information. I'm starting to use castor oil on my hair, but while doing my mini research, I've been noticing people saying there is a difference in castor oil and that some castor oils (the ones used as laxatives) aren't good for your hair; instead you should use other brands (i.e. Jamaican Black Castor Oil).
So is this true? Is there a difference in the types of castor oils?
Thanks!
-E

Jenteel's response: well, the castor bean itself is poisonous (12 beans can be fatal to a human!), but the castor oil extracted from the bean is antifungal, anti-inflammatory, has anti-dandruff properties and is useful for skin conditions/ailments including eczema, moles and calluses. castor oil makes a great massage oil for ailing joints, helps in inducing labor/after birth, and has been used for cancer patients to prevent lumps and cysts. you can also make castor oil packs for severe abdominal and back pain (when you rub it between your hands it heats up). this makes it a wonderful oil to use in deep conditioning treatments.

any pure castor oil can be used as a laxative, but should only be used for 10 days at the most. i would suggest you always purchase "cold pressed" castor oil. using heat yields more oil, but degrades the flavor, nutritional value and color of the oil. cold pressed is a more expensive process extracting the oil at a lower temperature. you can get cold pressed castor oil at health food stores, "the vitamin shoppe" or online. i would keep away from the castor oils in pharmacies. some of them are overly refined for human consumption. the "black" castor oil is unrefined, i believe it retains the most nutrients. i get my black castor oil from haiti, but most people order the jamaican one online. but as long as you're using cold pressed clear you should be ok. :)

~j~

monday style icon: MimiCuteLips

We profile our fair share of long styles on BGLH. But sometimes the better option, stylewise, is to go short rather than long. Mimi's gorgeous cut is a reminder of that. Check out her fotki album here.





Longer Styles



BGLH: Do you prefer your hair short or long?
MIMICUTELIPS: I don’t have a preference, I like change, and I love both.

BGLH: How many times have you cut it since you went natural? What usually triggers your decision to cut?
MIMICUTELIPS: I have cut my hair *counting on fingers* 3 times I believe. I would get frustrated with my hair and perm it then regret it. I would keep a perm 7 days or so and then shave it all off.

BGLH: Why do you like the short look?
MIMICUTELIPS: It shows off my beautiful bone structure *falling out in laughter* its quick and easy.

BGLH: Your style is hot! but do people ever think you're crazy because you're not stressing over having long hair?
MIMICUTELIPS: The people around me know and love my crazy drastic actions with my hair. A lot of them love it long, but I get more compliments from strangers when its short. I hear a lot of “you have the face for short hair not everyone can rock that”. I don’t believe this one bit. The only people who are hung up on length are those that think the length of your hair somehow defines one's beauty. I am me short hair or long hair and I rock either of them out. Once you become comfortable in your own skin, hair is simply an accessory.

BGLH: What is your regimen for your short style?
MIMICUTELIPS: I actually don’t have a regimen with any length of hair. I normally rinse my hair in the morning, sometimes I just rock it out like that. Other times I put curly pudding in it to define my curls... This time I’ve been keeping it short, so I randomly call the barber when I’m ready for a cut, again no schedule. I don’t think my personality will permit me to stick to a regimen. lol

***
Wow Mimi! Your style is fierce, and my cheekbones wish they could be like yours. Thanks for sharing :)
And dopeness in the blogosphere: Jc over at The Natural Haven has a discussion entitled "Will you always be natural?" going on at her blog. It was sparked by a 10-year natural veteran who is considering a relaxer. Definitely check it out here.

sunday retrospective: the protective styling dilemma

Jaybaby's box braid style as featured on Nov. 14, 2008

So, one day, I am hanging out with a friend of mine, and her college friend.
“Did you know that L blogs about natural hair?,” my friend says.
“Really?” her college friend replies. “I’m natural.”
“Yeh,” I say, looking sideways at college friend’s hair. “I do. It’s interesting.”
College friend's hair is straight, maybe 3 or 4 inches long, with straw-like texture.
College friend asks for hair advice. Says she wants to stop flat ironing it every morning, but doesn't know which other styles to try.
“Oh man," I think to myself. ”She should definitely check out the Monday Style Icon section, there are tons of ide--"
“Except that I don’t like how twists look on me. Or box braids. Or cornrows. Really, I don't like anything except a fro,” says college friend.
[insert L's blank stare]
"Oh okay," says L. "Just make sure it's well-moisturized."

***

Accepting protective styling is tough for a lot of women. And I wanted to talk about it because Erin mentioned in her 'natural hair breakdown' video that she didn't wear twists in public, and probably never would. (She later retracted this decision.)

Protective styling to many women, means revisting styles (like cornrows, box braids, twists) that are viewed as childish, unprofessional or plain stupid-looking.

But are they really?

an inside look at the struggle to stay natural, pt 2

So, I could hear a pin drop on BGLH yesterday after I posted the transcription of Erin's video where she's on the verge of going back to a relaxer. And with good reason -- the shit was gut wrenching.

Well, Erin made a decision to pull through and remain natural. She's currently starting out a set of locs, and as you can see in the third picture, they look like they're coming along very nicely. And, ERIN NOW WORKS AT OYIN'S FLAGSHIP STORE! It's so funny because when I recently interviewed Oyin creator Jamyla Bennu, she mentioned hiring a new Oyin "Honey Bee." Guess she was talking about Erin :)

Also, Monday's style icon will be our first deliberately short haired style icon. I hope it will be style inspiration for those of you in the early stages of being natural ... and some of you veterans who fantasize about doing the big chop again ;)




BGLH: Describe what you were going through when you posted the videos hinting that you were on the verge of getting a relaxer.
ERIN: Oh goodness! When I created the videos I was beyond frustrated. I was annoyed, jealous, just dumbfounded. I felt like I was about to hit my rock bottom. I had a package of relaxer sitting right beside me.

BGLH: What was the main thing you were struggling with hairwise, and why?
ERIN: My hair was so dry, the shrinkage was driving me insane, I was sick of seeing the same small-ish, afro and twist outs took forever! It didn't appear that my hair was growing at all. Plus I had a bit of hot-comb heat damage in the back of my hair. I wasn't investing the appropriate amount of time into my hair. I was looking at all of the new techniques that women were using to make relaxers less damaging, how they were stretching relaxers. I figured that maybe I could finally get relaxed hair to work for me. It was just a mess.

BGLH: Do you think there is enough discussion about the difficulties of transitioning/going natural/having natural hair?
ERIN: Yes and no. If you are a member of hair forums and whatnot, you'll see these issues over and over. But out and about, when you see women (and men) with beautiful fros, twists, twistouts, bantus, etc., you probably have no clue. Before I began my transition, I had no idea how difficult it could be. I had good days and bad days, but I can definitely look back and say that there were many, many good days. It all takes time, trial and error, and positive energy.

BGLH: So how did you recoup and go forward with your natural journey? What were the regimen and emotional adjustments you had to make?
ERIN: I had SO much positive feedback from the video, which helped me a lot. Had I not been given that support, who knows what would have happened. I had to really analyze the situation, and there were many "aha" moments! The more I played with my hair, touched it, finger combed it, the more that I would find teeny hairs on the floor. So, I realized that the less that I manipulated my hair, the better off it would be. This is when I decided to wear twists for a week or two, then a twist out for a week. L says~This is very significant! In her video, Erin said she never wore twists out in public, and probably never would. When it was time to co-wash and style again, I realized I was retaining more length.

Also, I realized that it was in my best interest to use more natural products for my natural hair! What was the sense of using products packed with chemicals, fillers and additives? I slowly but surely phased out 90% of those products. I then began to dabble in products from various brands like Giovanni, Carol's Daughter, Trader Joe's, etc. I then realized that Oyin Handmade was the absolute BEST brand of products for my hair. I used Honey Hemp Condish to co-wash, Shine and Define for twists and twist outs, Whipped Pudding for moisture, and I have a slew of other products that I want to try! Seriously, I love the company so much, I work for them!

BGLH: What is your word to naturals who are struggling?
ERIN: I recently did a video on this! I would highly advise any struggling natural to invest in wigs, hats, scarves...anything that will divert your attention from the drama your natural hair is giving you. Your natural hair has the potential to be so strong, so real, so unique! I wouldn't trade that and be a relaxed girl. I don't miss the relaxers, the burning, the scabs, the chemicals, the sizzling Marcel irons and blow dryers! I'm a proud member of Long Hair Care Forum, I learned SO much from the members there, practices and techniques that I otherwise may not have found. Since I am working on my locs right now, I am more active at Nappturality as well. Also, Youtube can be a vital asset to your journey, you can find how-to's, tutorials, reviews and things of the like!!

You can find Erin at her website www.scandalousbeautyonline.com, and her blog www.naturallyscandalous.blogspot.com. Her YouTube videos are www.youtube.com/scandalousbeauty and www.youtube.com/naturallyscandalous.

this just in: Oprah is natural and has the photo to prove it

Oprah, and her natural hair, in the morning
(photo courtesy of the Huffington Post)

So apparently Oprah is on twitter, and a lot of her 'tweeple' have been complimenting her on her weave. At the end of her show Friday, she set the record straight:

"This is not a weave, this is my hair. This what my hair look like... This is me before it gets pressed and curled in the morning."

The audience squealed/roared after she said it. I'm not sure if it was shock, horror, delight or guffaws.

Then Gayle said, "Yowzer."

!?

I don't see how this warrants a "Yowzer", Gayle, except "Yowzer Oprah, the shit looks FABULOUS!" How many of you would like to have hair that thick and long (...and surprisingly healthy given that it's regularly subjected to a curling iron)?

I know my hand just went up...

***update @ 1:05 p.m. ... Jai (commenter) raised a very valid point. Just because her hair is NOT weave doesn't mean that it IS natural. So... just something to consider. Either way, her hair has lovely volume and I am DEFINITELY not here to hate on it.***

an inside look at the struggle to stay natural...

A lot of you are familiar with Erin's fabulous blog, Scandalous Beauty. Well I was browsing one day and came across a candid video of Erin in June 2008, experiencing a 'natural hair breakdown' of sorts because after 2 years, her hair was damaged and not growing.

I transcribed the video (rather than post it) because I think it's powerful if you read through it. I have been here before, and I know a lot of you have.

The video is 8 minutes and 27 seconds, and I bolded certain sections for emphasis. The bolded text DOES NOT mean Erin spoke louder or more emphatically.

Tomorrow I will post my interview about what Erin eventually decided to do about her hair - so stay tuned!

ERIN: Good morning everybody.

It's about 10:20 a.m. and, I just had to vent.

I was sleeping on this topic because I didn't want to make any rash decisions by just writing about it so quickly on YouTube. I noticed that there are a lot of people that do watch my hair videos. I get a big response on the hair videos versus the makeup videos so.

As you all know I'm a natural. My last relaxer was like June.. Jul..., like summer of 2006 and I went natural because I wanted to see my hair at its longest and its thickest, and that was my main goal. And it has been about two years now since I stopped getting relaxers, and frankly I can't lie that I am not impressed with my personal hair growth.

And I don't know that it's just because I'm natural. I don't know what it really is. And in the last video I said I think it's because of my, um, the bands, the headbands that I wear. But even at the crown of my head, you know, that is not affected by that Goody headband. That headband is out here. But even here [points to crown of head] my hair is not growing.

And, and I don't know about the manipulation of, you know, the way that I wash it or, you know, style it, I... All I know is I'm not happy with my natural hair. So I mean this video was not made just for the natural girls or just for the relaxed girls, or for anyone transitioning.

Because a lot of people... You know, I, I was going to try this out. I said at least give it a year see how it goes and after a year I was, I was pretty okay with it, and then it just dawned on me last night when I looked at comparison pictures of myself noticing that my puff looked literally the same as it did this time last year when I had just felt comfortable enough to wear my hair out. Like, in twelve months, to me, my hair should not be the same length as it was.

I've had one trim? Two trims, two trims in one year. And they not significant trims. She didn't cut off, you know, hack my hair off. She did about, I don't know, half an inch each time because my ends were shot. And looking at my hair, my hair is not growing the way I want it to be.

And I'm, you know, a lot of people told me, you know, look, I got a lot of private messages and emails too so I'm not like singling certain people out. But I'm gonna be honest with you about my hair, I'm not a technical person, you know, I'll try things every once in a while and I believe that prospective styling will help.

But I'm at that point where I want to wear my hair and do things with my hair. And I miss wearing my sleek styles. I miss my roller sets and I miss my updos and things like that. And it's not that you can't get those things with natural hair, but that is not how I prefer for them to look.

So, you know, my whole goal, too, was to wear my hair pressed at all times. I never wanted to wear afro or what not. But because of everyone, you know, and because of the singeing and the burning and all that, that's stuff that I didn't deal with as a relaxed girl. I mean, granted, you're using chemicals to straighten your hair, so yeh there is gonna be a sense of damage. There is gonna be damage to your hair one way or the other. But with that relaxer, yes it would break that texture bond and what not, but that's all the heat that I would use on my hair. So, I don't know. I just am I'm slightly like, fed up.

I don't wanna have to hold a ruler and see that I've grown, you know, my hair two millimeters in the last month. I wanna be able to take a twist like this and pull it down. And if this is not at my nose, like this, [pulls a twists down onto her forehead] I'm not getting growth. These twists have been between my eyes for ever. You know, since I can remember. Ever since I started doing twists to do twists outs, the twists have been between my eyes. And that's not.. It needs to progress. It needs to progress.

Like I should be able to see, 'Oh I did twists, like, two months ago and I remember it was up here, now it's not.' You know I take pictures, a lot of the pictures I don't put up. I don't always post them but I monitor my progress.

I know that by now I should have hair that at least is touching something in this area. [points to shoulder] It's been, like, two years, I just don't understand it. So I trimed my hair and I dyed it a darker color - a color that wasn't as damaging - and I still moisturize all the time. My hair always still feels soft. But I'm not getting the results that I was looking for.

So this is just a heads up to any of y'all. If you all see me one day and my hair happens to be sleek and straight, and it looks like that consistently, I did get a relaxer.

And my two year run was awesome and I did learn so much about natural hair, and I'm glad that I did it. Cause I would have been wondering forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. And so many naturals have success. Like, I mean, I don't really read people that have stories like I just explained. But that's just me.

I don't like wearing twists on a daily basis. I don't like the way twists look on me. I have twists in my hair right now and I will not take this scarf off for anybody to see them. That's just my personal thing. A lot of people wear twists every day, I just don't like that on me. So I'm just throwing that out there.

I did buy that wig and I showed y'all that wig. And I don't wanna feel confined. I'm confined by a wig. Come on now. I have a head of hair on my own and I don't want to wear that anymore. I wore that, I wore wigs for a year straight, wigs and braids, and it's time for me to open up. So, it's nothing against wigs. I spent $40 on that wig but I just don't wanna do that.

I don't know. So that's my frustration and hopefully I haven't disappointed any of you. And I really, I mean, that's the biggest struggle I have, and you should worry about yourself truly, but one of my biggest things I'm tackling is the fact that I don't want to disappoint anyone by relaxing, but, I was relaxed for 18 years and then I went natural. So I will say I tried it and it was a fun ride.

So, I don't know what's going to happen. I dont' know when. I don't know how. But yeh, that's just my venting.

So feel free to leave a comment. A lot of y'all might be pissed off. I felt like I'm gonna have a lot of messages telling me how relaxers are terrible for your hair and how they do whatever, whatever. But I was pretty pleased with my relaxed hair until I got color in it and it started to break off. But before I ever had color in it I was pretty content with it.

So, that's it. Sorry for all this but I just woke up and I had to vent. I slept on it. I wrote a letter last night to the girls on Long Hair Care Forum and they were tryna help me out and I had to sleep on it and think about if this was really something I wanted to do. So, I decided to make this YouTube tutorial.

If you are transitioning, this does not mean the same thing is going to happen to you. Like, I've said, billions of naturals have huge success. Maybe it is something I'm doing wrong. But it's been two years and I really don't feel like trying to prolong this, so. I just want to have the hair that I want.

I don't know.
***
The link to the video is here.

rock solid regimen: alicia

BGLH: where are you from? where you reppin?
ALICIA: I was born and raised in Arkansas and I've been migrating between here and Texas over the years. But I'm back in Arkansas..for now..lol.

BGLH: when did you go natural and why?
ALICIA: Well I went natural in '03 after transitioning 5.5 mos [was originally gonna be 2 years but I got impatient and frustrated with the textures at WAR!]. It was kinda like a happy accident how it actually was put into action. I got laid off from this job and kinda fell on hard times which lead to me not being able to purchase another relaxer! So funny! I've been wanting to go natural forever but I was too afraid. I was helping my friend with her transition at the time and she gave me a wealth of info and encouragement. At the time I was already frustrated because one perm [trying a new brand] gave me horrible baldspots with oozing scabs, thining and severe shedding. I switched back to the perm I used for years, but THEN my hair started rebelling! After the first shampoos it was like I needed another perm, I was so frustrated and fed up!!! So when I went so long without the perm, which was like three months, it was NOW or never for me. So I'm glad I made the transition. :D I don't regret it for nothing! I used to always look at pix of my family and be in AWE of the whole 70's era. They were known for their fros!

BGLH: what products/ingredients do you use? why?
ALICIA: Right now I use whatever works for me and my hair! So I guess I'm not a fully converted natural yet...I'm gonna really work my way to get there though..when i get my money right..lol!

But I can name some of my FAVS: [a] WATER! A must needed ingredient! [b] Parnevu T-Tree Leave-in. [c] Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil Hair Treatment. It smells so good and makes my hair soft and shiny! [d] I also have a shower comb i just bought and [e] a boar brush...gotta keep the edges smooth! lol

BGLH: what products/ingredients do you stay away from? why?
ALICIA: Too much oil and grease. Fine toothed combs. I haven't used heat on my hair in years! And scissors when I'm not in a good mood! lol Also rubberbands that are too small or have metal clamps on them..BIGGGG no-no!

BGLH: what mistakes have you made in your natural journey that you've learned from?
ALICIA: Worry TOO MUCH about what other people think about my hair! Too much heat [ESPECIALLY the first year]. Going color crazy. Combing too much or not enough especially with the lack of moisture. Lack of protective styles. Being too obsessed with length and texture [my hair is multi-textured I think due to relaxers but I love it now because that's what makes me unique]. Being afraid to try new things including extensions/pieces [yeah I know..lol].
Don't be afraid of that! It's not like you're neglecting who you are! Sometimes your hair and scalp needs a break plus it's convenient...STILL keep them maintained underneath..dig?!

BGLH: what techniques do you use for combing and washing your hair?
ALICIA: I always comb my hair when it's wet. Sometimes I do a co-wash first. Also when I shampoo my hair, I plait it in sections before then scrub my scalp and bring the shampoo down the shaft of my hair. Afterwards I rinse and repeat if necessary. I condition/detangle or wait til I take the sections down to detangle when I apply my leave in and oils, keeping a water bottle handy. Last, twist or plait in sections in various sizes depending on my energy level! lol...


L says~Oh Lord! That is a beautiful sight.
At nite 99% of the time I have a cap on it and 89% of the time I twist it or plait it in large sections before bed. I also keep it moisturized, not greasy. And if it feels gross...off to the shampoo I go. And i keep my ends trimmed. I don't have a set time, but when those ends feel bad I know it's time. So don't keep the length just to say you have it if it's a HOT MESS!

BGLH: are you more a style person or a free-standing hair person?
ALICIA: Whatever I'm feeling at the moment. But I mostly style because I like trying different things.

BGLH: how is your growth?
ALICIA: Well my hair naturally grows fast! It runs in the family. :D At first I was impatient when I first went natural, but after the 2nd big chop I was cool and actually appreciated my shorter hair..plus it was so cute. I never really got the chance to celebrate my shorter hair during the 1st big chop because I was so obsessed with length and trying to 'grow' it. But now I just care for my hair and let it do wat it do! :D And the longer it gets the more you have to change up your regimen so that definitely takes alot of patience as you have to try new things. The main thing to stay patient is just to know why are you natural. Not to try to impress no one with the length. The compliments are nice though..but lately I been thinking about a 3rd big chop..dun dun dun...ha! Well maybe not too much this time, maybe half..I don't know..well maybe not! *sweating*

BGLH: what's the best thing about being natural?
ALICIA: Being natural is the BEST thing I've ever done for myself and YES I did it for me inspite of all of the naysayers and opposers and funny looks, even from my own family! It's versatile..pretty much whatever I wanna do to it I CAN! Plus I LOVE BIG HAIR! I always have. It's fuller and fluffier, much softer and bodyFULL. Most of all, it's uniquely ME!

People always ask about going natural and they have their conceptions but I always give it to them straight! This is a journey, it takes work and patience. And it takes more maintanance and care than people think. So if anyone is reading this article and is thinking about going natural or is in transition...be patient, set goals, know your motives, get the facts, do your research. There's many options and supportive sites on the net, especially if you don't have support like I didn't. But if you know this is what you want to do, you won't regret it so don't let anyone make your step down on your decision. :D

alicia's photos






Whoa... that was a dope interview. And Alicia isn't just a hair icon, she's a singer, songwriter, beatmaker, and self-described fashionista.
I checked out her MySpace page, and chick can sing! Go over and take a look if you're interested. Her voice is simply beautiful.
For more photos of Alicia's hair (and other things) check out these sites:
hair: http://public.fotki.com/ButtaFlyBaby/
music: http://www.myspace.com/buttaflybaby
personal/fashion: www.myspace.com/alicia_verne
vlog: http://www.youtube.com/user/herFLYness79

the science of combing

Nicole sent these articles to me, and I found them fascinating. It's kind of a dense read, but it breaks down the physics of combing and its effects on the hair.
The research was done by a C. Robbins, and these are summaries of the full experiments.

Impact loading and hair breakage
During combing of hair, short fiber fragmentation (less than 2.5 cm) and longer segment breaks occur by different pathways. Longer fiber breaks most likely occur principally by impact loading. Impact loading causes hair breakage at lower loads than tensile loading, with essentially no increase in strain versus normal tensile testing, which produces large strain increases. L says~"Impact loading" is applied stress on the strands over time, "Tensile loading" is stress/strain that challenges the fundamental strength of the strand (example, pulling a strand from the root). Strain rates in impact loading are more similar to combing rates than rates of extension in tensile loading, and the looped and crossed hair formations in snags fit impact-load breakage better than simple extension of straight/non-crossed hairs in tensile testing. Extension or impacting hair fibers with flaws or damaged hair sections such as damaged wrapped ends produces short fiber fragmentation, while longer segment breaks may be produced in fibers with natural flaws such as fiber twists, cracks, or badly abraded or chemically weakened hair or even knots.

Pathways of breakage
Hair breakage during combing was evaluated by combing tresses and examining photographs of snags of hair fibers in combs. The resultant hair fiber arrangements suggest that breakage likely involves hair-on-hair interactions, and broken fragment size suggests that breakage occurs primarily at or near the hair-comb interface. Compression forces during combing were also measured, and impact loading of a hair fiber over another hair versus a hair fiber over a comb tooth shows that compression and abrasion are important to breakage during combing and that impact loading of one hair fiber over another during snagging is a probable and important pathway for hair breakage.

Brushing and combing hair
During combing of hair, longer fiber breaks (>2.5 cm) occur principally by impact loading of looped crossover hairs, while short segment breaks (<2.5 cm) occur primarily by end wrapping. Brushing provides breakage similarly but with a higher ratio of long-to-short segment breaks, and the ratio of long-to-short segment breaks (L/S) is a good way to follow these two pathways of breakage under different conditions. For example, bleaching hair, a longer comb stroke, increasing fiber curvature, wet combing versus dry combing, and brushing versus combing all provide for an increase in long segment breaks and this ratio, with the largest effect produced by brushing.

The effects of bleaching and conditioning on short and long segment breakage by wet and dry combing of tresses
A recent publication (1), provided evidence for two types of hair breakage during combing, short segment breakage (approximately less than 1.27 cm) and longer segment breakage. We have confirmed these results and refined the separation distance between short and long segment breakage at about 2.54 cm. Furthermore, chemical bleaching increased both short and long segment breakage while a commercial hair conditioner decreased both types of breakage. Whether the hair is chemically bleached or conditioned, for dry combing, short segment breakage increases with increasing comb strokes, that is, short segment breakage increases as combing damages the ends of the hair, however, long segment breakage does not increase with increasing comb strokes. Wet combing provided a decrease in short segment breakage and an increase in long segment breaks, but no increase in breakage with increasing comb strokes. Mechanical combing of tresses shows similar results qualitatively, however the variance was too large and adjustments need to be made to provide for a larger number of broken hairs to bring the mechanical and hand combing results in line. For dry combing, as the comb descends through the hair, hairs above it are made parallel and those beneath are either made parallel or knot by hairs looping around other hairs or hairs looping around comb teeth and other hairs several cm between the comb and the hair tips. As the comb advances through the looped/knotted hairs long breaks occur or as the comb descends near the tips wrapped ends can result. End wrapping by inertia & possibly static charge produces short segment breaks which are more severe if the hair is cut at 90 degrees versus a tapered cut. For wet combing, clumping of hairs by a capillary action produces fewer short segment breaks, by reducing end wrapping: however, crossed hair interactions occur & because of higher friction more severe snags arise higher up in the tress, and lower hair breaking load due to plasticization by water, producing a larger number of long segment breaks. The very best practical way to evaluate hair strength is by counting the actual number of short and long segment breaks and by considering both wet and dry combing.

Interesting stuff.... All the scientists/science students out there, feel free to jump in!

formal style (natural bride alternative) #4 for april giveaway: shalilac!

Upping the ante for our April giveaway is Shalilac (web name) who wore this style to church. (Check out her blog here and her fotki album here.)






***update April 23 @ 12:20 a.m... So, in response to your requests for a tutorial, I contacted Shalilac and she doesn't quite remember how she put this style together, lol. She is going to try to come up with a tutorial anyway. If she writes one, I'll post it in May since we're currently in the midst of a competition and I want to be fair... Aiiight? Peaz.***

***update April 23 @ 10:05 p.m. .... Got a tutorial! Will post it in May. Stay Tuned!***

BGLH in the press

Well, uh, this is new.
BGLH was mentioned in Clutch Magazine and on afrobella.com recently. Both great websites!
Laquita, a BGLH regular, wrote the Clutch article. Thanks girl! You can check out Laquita's blog here...

Also, J WILL BE BACK IN MAY! My beloved co-blogger has been up in the lab, working on a dope new BGLH series. I'm really excited about it... so stay tuned to see what it is ;)

naturals from around the world: cherry lola in LONDON!

Hi Ladies, I write to you from London, England. I am still a newbie- I went Natural in January, but have been researching, taking classes and product testing like crazy. I started a blog at the same time I went natural to talk about going natural in the UK because there didn't seem to be a blog about it- at least I haven't found it. I also am the organizer for the London Natural Hair and Sisterlocks Meet Up group, of which there are 150 members.


Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London. The nickname is often also used to refer to the clock and the clock tower. This is the world's largest four-faced, chiming clock and the third largest free-standing clock tower in the world. It celebrates its 150th birthday in 2009.

BGLH: Where are you from?
CHERRYLOLA: I'm originally form Toronto Canada. I currently live in London, England.

BGLH: What's interesting about the place where you live?
CHERRYLOLA: Gosh, London is a wild place. All the little boroughs in London used to actually be villages, which ended up growing into each other to create this huge city, so each section of London varies wildly from the next. You never know what you going to find walking street to street. Also, about 6 million people live in London, but as a major tourist and business destination, about 11 million people pass through London on any given day. So you never know who you're going to meet.

BGLH: What is the climate/weather like?
CHERRYLOLA: Mostly grey. And rain. That rumour about London is true. Mild winters, Mild summers.

BGLH: What is the natural hair scene like?
CHERRYLOLA: It's definitely growing. I am the organiser of a Natural hair meet-up group and everyday at least 1 new person joins. Overall, my experience [being natural] has been great!

BGLH: Where do you buy your hair products?
CHERRYLOLA: At the moment, mostly at the local drugstore or chemist, such at Boots or Superdrug. Sometimes you will find me in a Black beauty supply store. Once in a while Sally’s. Plus I've been mixing my own conditioner, so I pick up ingredients online, as well as Anita Grant products.

BGLH: What do you like about being natural in your country?
CHERRYLOLA: Standing out. Although natural hair is catching on, there are far more weaves and wigs on female heads

BGLH: What would you like to see in your country in terms of natural haircare?
CHERRYLOLA: I would like to see more healthy hair. I'd love for everyone to be natural, but mostly I just want to see Black and mixed race girls with healthy heads. Fewer bad weaves. Fewer bald spots. Less broken hair. Fewer hair salons that do us more damage then good. This is going to have to start with educating ourselves about what hair care means. It also means speaking up. I am trying to learn as much as I can, and putting what I learn online. Blogs like yours are great resources!

I would like to see the death of the relaxer. I'd like it to die quickly, but if there was legislation put into effect that required proper training and a license before using such harsh chemicals, then I'd be happy with that too. Prohibition of using relaxers on children under 16 might be a good idea. L says~I never thought of that before... so interesting! I read recently about a mother relaxing hair 5 year old daughters hair. Things like that have to stop.

I'd also like to see two changes in the Black Beauty Supply Stores.
1. More natural products in stock.
2. Owned by more black and mixed race women who know about hair. At the moment I've yet to find one owned by someone who has hair like me

I want us all to keep talking. The more of us talking about natural hair, the more likely it is to spread. I found the natural hair “movement” through a YouTube video. Some found out about it through blogs. Others, on forums. The more in your face about it we are the more it likely it will spread.

The words of a true visionary. Thank you Cherry Lola!

bust out the incense... this moment of depth brought to you by BGLH

So, I was surfing the 'net, and found this quote in an article by Canadian writer Cheryl Thompson

"Too many black women can’t remember what it’s like to feel their natural hair... I have sat in hair salons with women who spend more money on their hair than their education."

mm mm MM.... the ish is DEEP!
But in all seriousness, how did we get here?!

***disclaimer... I am fully aware this quote is NOT TRUE of ALL relaxed women.***

I guess Oprah's not feelin' the nappy look

I saw this on MSN today... A chick named Datrice appeared on Oprah for a makeover. And this is what they did to her:


Here's the caption under the photo: Datrice's hair is styled to perfection with newly defined curls and a brighter color.

Okay, maybe her 'before' photo was kinda rough. But all it needed was to be shaped better, maybe trimmed, a little moisture, maybe some 'rows' for flair. Let napps (or kinks or coils, or whatever you want to call them) have their time in the spotlight gotdamnit!

I mean, why (aside from the obvious improvement in shape and neatness) is the second picture a step up from the first? Her head looks like a mushroom (no offense Datrice.. it's not your fault.)

color treated natural #4 for april giveaway: MSJAIM!

L says~The color treated naturals are KILLIN this competition... natural brides, this giveaway is for you too! You have 10 more days to submit your photos!

BGLH: What color would you call your hair?
MSJAIM: I would call my color a reddish cinnamon-y brown. I tend to gravitate towards warm red colors because I was born with this orange-y red hair that stayed that color until about kindergarten, then it turned this sandy dusty brown , then just to a dusty brown as I got even more older older..lol

BGLH: What hair dye do you use?
MSJAIM: I used Textures & Tone flaming desire & red hot red

BGLH: How do you keep your hair moisturized, and the color looking fabulous?
MSJAIM: Well I'm a moisturizing maniac. My main focus is keeping my hair as moisturized and as strong as possible... I mix (with my stick blender) Giovanni leave in direct with Sheamoisture leave in and add a few miscellaneous oils or another cool leave in, and I always put my hair in fat twists & cover them at night, sealing the ends with either sheabutter mixed with oils or Qhemets olive heavy cream . The Giovanni has a lil protein in it & the Sheamoisture adds to the moisture part.. I try to keep it as balanced as possible. I also don't use drying shampoos. When I feel the need to shampoo I use Dr Bronner shikakai shampoo in lemongrass lime.. I love that stuff !! When I co-wash I use Yes to Cucumbers ( this has greeeeeat slip & leave my hair pretty damn soft) & deep conditioner with Aubrey Organics Honey Suckle Rose.

As far as up keep goes, I'm not one of those who dislikes the contrast with my natural, kind of dusty brown shade. I color every now & then, maybe every 3-6 months depending on how I feel, but I like to layer henna over the died hair as a refresher because the thing about red tones is they can get kind of "washed out " looking after a while, and the henna gives me a nice chocolate cherry tone that I dig.

sunday retrospective: burying the other "n-word"?

Thousands gathered in Detroit, Michigan to participate in the NAACP’s funeral and burial for the “N” word. A horse drawn carriage carried a wooden coffin that adorned black roses and a ribbon with the word “n*gga” displayed.

So I'm debating whether I should do a Jesse Jackson and bury the word 'nappy'.
You'll recall Jesse Jackson and the NAACP held a funeral for the word 'n*gga' in 2007... (Jesse later miraculously resurrected the word to refer to Barack Obama in 2008.)

In any case... I'll admit, the word 'nappy' isn't great sounding, phonologically speaking... but our other alternative 'kinky' isn't super great either, in my opinion, seeing that it's a double entendre for freaky sexual activity, lol.
I guess you could describe nappy hair as "highly textured", but I dunno... it's not catchy.

I mean, honestly, I've been calling myself nappy since I went natural, and I didn't really think anything of it. But I've been hearing more naturals object to the word... and maybe there's something to that. The word has a derogatory history — but I've always felt that words can change meaning over time depending on how they're used.

Check out this AP article I found on the history of the word 'nappy'. (it originally appeared on MSNBC.) I want to hear your thoughts: do you use the word nappy? Why or why not? Does the word's negative history render it 'unusable' today?

NEW YORK - Call it “the other N-word.”
updated 9:03 a.m. CT, Fri., April 13, 2007

Since slavery times, “nappy” has been used to malign the natural hair texture of many people of African descent: dense, dark and tightly curled. So when Don Imus referred to the women of the Rutgers basketball team as “nappy-headed hos” — a widely condemned remark that got him fired Thursday — it cut deeper than many who are unfamiliar with the term might realize.

Even today, with natural black hair in full bloom throughout pop culture, “nappy hair” remains a sensitive issue — especially, as with the original N-word used so casually by many blacks, when a white person uses it.

“When Imus says ’these nappy-headed hos,’ his first flaw is he’s using an in-group term that’s loaded,” said Lanita Jacobs-Huey, associate professor of anthropology and American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

“When I hear it from someone who doesn’t understand the depth of pain, they just don’t have the right to say it,” Jacobs-Huey said.

The pain goes back to slavery. Whites saw blacks’ natural hair as a negative attribute, a contrast to the European standard of “ideal” beauty. As a result, even blacks started to look down on their own natural features.

“If your hair wasn’t straight, it was called nappy. Nappy hair meant you weren’t beautiful or desirable,” said Nsenga Burton, professor of communications and media studies at Goucher College in Baltimore. “Even within the community, nappy hair for a long time was seen as a bad thing.”

‘The ideal of beauty didn't fit them’
There are accounts of African slaves attempting to change their hair using axle grease or dirty dishwater with oil, said Neal Lester, chairman of the English department at Arizona State University. “Slaves knew the ideal of beauty didn’t fit them,” he said.

More sophisticated methods of altering hair emerged later. Madame C.J. Walker, the first black woman to become a millionaire, made her fortune in the early 20th century on hair-straightening products.

Carla Lynne Hall used similar products until she decided to let her hair grow naturally. And then she met resistance from her own family — especially her hairdresser aunt.

“She hated it,” said Hall, a 39-year-old singer from Harlem. “For women from my aunt’s generation, that’s the worst thing you could do.”Even a month before her aunt died, when Hall had worn her hair in long dreadlocks for more than a decade, she told Hall that “with a hairstyle like this I would never get a man.”

But attitudes toward hair have changed, especially with the advent of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, when the afro became popular. Today other styles like braids, locks and everything in between have become accepted as alternatives to chemical straightening, which is still popular as well.

The irony of Imus’ comment is that many of the Rutgers players have straightened hair — and at their news conference Wednesday, it seemed nary a straightened hair was out of place.

“None of them fit the cultural description of what nappy is,” Jacobs-Huey said. “Don is telling us something about himself.”

Making matters worse was Imus’ use of the word “hos,” a hip-hop slang synonym of “whore” or “slut” heard in many rap songs. “That is one of the lowest things you can call a woman,” Burton said.

Women’s groups have condemned Imus for his remarks, although most of the outrage has come from the black community, which was first to speak out.

In the final analysis, the phrase that torpedoed Imus’ legendary radio career was a perfect storm of volatile words with deep and hurtful meanings.

“It’s both racist and misogynist,” said Hall. “It has nothing to do with (the players’) accomplishments, with who they are.”

© 2009 The Associated Press.

new to the natural movement: MILAN!

Milan: Hey Ladies! I'm a natural newbie and would like to be featured on your blog! ... Take care and keep blogging great topics! L says~Thanks Milan!




BGLH: Where are you from? where you reppin?
MILAN: I lived in Pittsburgh till I was 10 and then my family moved to Rochester, NY. I now live in NYC but I rep for Rochester. LOL.

BGLH: When did you go natural and why?
MILAN: I went natural simply because I was over getting relaxers. I took great care of my hair but relaxers were thinning my hair. I had thought about going natural for about 3 years but finally got the nerve to go for it last year. I've always preferred curly hair anyway and did many curly styles on my relaxed hair to give it more body. I kept seeing all the beautiful naturals on Fotki so I studied their regimens and hair styles and figured if they can do it, so can I!

BGLH: What mistakes have you made in your natural journey that you've learned from?
MILAN: When you first BC, it's not uncommon to want to follow your inspirations' regimens and products used to a tee so you can get the same lovely hair. I learned very quickly, that you have to do you. I had to try many different things, regimens and techniques before I finalized a regimen that works for my hair. I also learned that your journey is just your journey and that's what you should focus on. Don't get into comparing yours with someone else's or you will set yourself up for disappointment if things don't come out exactly like someone else's.

BGLH: What products/ingredients do you use? Why?
MILAN: I don't use very many commercial products. I'm a budding mixtress. But any products I do buy are usually from small businesses. I really go out of my way to avoid any synthetic ingredients or unnatural preservatives. I like making my own things because I know exactly what's in them and how each ingredient will benefit my hair.

I use Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle conditioner for practically everything and just mix different things with it for different effects like add a lil baking soda for a cleansing co-wash or whatever oils are on hand, honey, and aloe vera gel to detangle, deep condition, and/or leave in. I also mix up other deep conditioning treatments like coconut cream treatment, sour cream and lemon juice treatment, and henna glosses.

I wash my hair with a castile soap mix and I moisturize with a moisturizing mist that make myself (water, aloe vera juice, honeyquat, a lil oil). I seal with oils. My favorites are castor, extra virgin olive oil, jojoba, avocado, and sweet almond.

When I do mini-twists or wash n go's I like to use Afro Veda PUR Whipped Gelly or a homemade gel. L says~Wow Milan. You better email me about doing some product reviews!

BGLH: What length are you aiming for? Do you want to keep the short look? Or do you want it longer?
MILAN: My goal length is shoulder length curls. I prefer myself with medium length hair. I don't want to keep it short because I like to have styling options. But my hair is getting longer now and I'm starting to be able to do more with it. :o)

BGLH: Is there a blog/webpage/fotki where we can check your progress?
MILAN: There sure is! Blog: http://agrlcanmac.blogspot.com Fotki: http://members.fotki.com/vivacious1083

BGLH: What is your one burning question for natural veterans?
MILAN: How many have successfully washed their hair in a set of twists? If you have, tips please! L says~I'm actually curious about this too, so I'll co-sign on this question!!!

interview with jamyla bennu, CREATOR OF THE OYIN LINE!

jamyla, pierre and their little dude

I'm so excited that Jamyla was enthusiastic about being featured on BGLH! She and her husband, Pierre Bennu, are the creators of Oyin Handmade Products. The company was started in winter 2001, and is now one of the most successful natural haircare companies in the U.S. (and probably the world)! They've been featured by the Associated Press, and I'm so humbled that these "heavy hitters" agreed to be on BGLH!

You'll recall that I was sorta intimidated when I interviewed South African natural hair scientist Nonhlanhla Khumalo. (And she gave me NO reason to feel this way... She was super sweet!) Well, I resolved to push my personal inhibitions to the side, and ask Jamyla all the things I was dying to know. I was pleasantly surprised when she answered ALL my questions AND was SUPER SWEET on top of it!!!

All the more reason for us to support Oyin products, which ALWAYS get rave reviews on BGLH.

BGLH: Why did you decide to start creating natural hair products? And on what scale did you start? Was it initially just for family and friends?
JAMYLA: initially, i was just playing with my hair, learning my fro again after four years of locs, and looking for *that* product. plus, i was broke. ok, to borrow a phrase from my husband's self-help/affirmation book, (BS or Fertilizer) 'my money was tied up in other investments' at the time. ;o) so like many natural honeys, i tinkered around in my own kitchen with healthy ingredients, trying out recipes, trying through trial and error to find out what my hair needed. when i found stuff that worked, i was so excited i wanted to share! first with friends and family, then at local craft fairs, and then we built the website to share with the world.

BGLH: How did you learn to do this? Do either one of you have a background in science? Or are your products based on your experiences caring for natural hair?
JAMYLA: my hair has been natural for almost all of my life, and i've had lots of time to try out different things. i have a background in general craftiness - i've made my own clothing, designed and built my own websites since the dial-up era; pierre is an indie filmmaker and all-around artist - we are very DIY (do-it-yourself). the products were developed little by little, through research, study, and trial and error.

BGLH: Don't want you to give away the secrets in the Oyin vault, lol, but how do you pick your ingredients? (You use some really creative ones...)
JAMYLA: it's a very intuitive and nonscientific process. i've learned a lot about ingredients over the past six or seven years - the properties of oils, emulsifiers, herbs, etc, are all rattling around in my head. so, sometimes when ordering ingredients something new will catch my eye and i'll pick it up, thinking 'ooh, THIS might blend well with THAT..." and start mixing around with it to see if i can make something new. i should probably stop doing that; i have boxes and boxes of ingredients that i'm collecting for potential future products.

BGLH: What is the greatest mistake black women make when looking for hair products?
JAMYLA: hmm. the greatest thing i did that helped me find products that worked for me, was to educate myself about ingredients. there's so much info out there now! take the time to learn about 'cones, about the nutritive benefits of different oils... when something works for you, read the ingredients, try and figure out WHY it works for you. then you'll be better positioned to find something else that works, too!

BGLH: Have you been surprised at the success of your company?
JAMYLA: i have. probably since i began it as a personal use/hobby situation, it continually surprises me how much it's grown. pierre is not surprised. between the two of us, i am the lalala, stumble along through life one, and he is the visionary and the planner. he has seen the potential of oyin for years, and worked tirelessly to help it achieve its potential. without him, i can't say the company would exist anymore, let alone be as successful as it is.

BGLH: What bumps in the road have you faced in getting your company off the ground?
JAMYLA: it's been a challenge at times to keep up with the pace of the growth, and the demand for the products. we're thankful - what a wonderful problem to have! - and we are constantly working to figure out ways to not only keep up, but anticipate and lead the company to its next stage of growth.

BGLH: What are your plans for expansion? (I hear you guys are setting up a shop in Baltimore...) Do you ship overseas (Alot of BGLH blog followers are from other countries...)
JAMYLA: yes, we do ship overseas, and we opened up a shop in baltimore in feb 09. we've also just hired two new Oyin HoneyBees to help us mix and bottle, and our plans are to open up a few more relationships with retailers in different parts of the country, so that more people can shop locally for their Oyin goodies.

BGLH: What is your best selling product?
JAMYLA: i believe juices & berries and whipped pudding are about neck and neck.

BGLH: Have you gotten the kind of exposure you want? Have your products broken into other ethnic markets?
JAMYLA: yes, and yes. we have been very lucky to have had great word of mouth for years, and have gotten press as varied as naturally you magazine and vegetarian times. we were featured in an AP article last year which was huge national exposure for us. and we have found a huge response among health-conscious folks across ethnicities to the Funk Butter in particular, an aluminum free deodorant. even if new customers come to us for the FB and don't think the hair products will
be a good fit, we find they stay for the soaps or other body care products.

BGLH: On a personal level, where are you guys from?
JAMYLA: we're new yorkers; we met and married in brooklyn.

BGLH: Your website has a cool, laid back vibe, who are your favorite musical artists/public figures?
JAMYLA: pierre is a DJ, and probably has nine million favorite musical artists, LOL. you can hear some of his mixes at http://exittheapple.com/notradio. i listen to what he plays, like an eclectic radio station, LOL - but when left to my own devices i listen to folks like raphael saadiq, koop, mr scruff, bobby mcferrin, keziah jones. i grew up on a great children's album called 'free to be, you and me!" which is a really fun antisexism project by marlo thomas & friends. i plan to similarly indoctrinate our child, mwa haha.
public figures? ossie davis and ruby dee. barack & michelle obama. bert & ernie.

BGLH: Jamyla, what is your favorite way to wear your hair?
JAMYLA: favorite: out and big and wild. most often? low afro puff or fuzzy bun with a center part. it's so simple! and it's out of the way when i'm mixing.

BGLH: Both of you: how do you manage a new baby (congrats!), a booming business, and your relationship? (I think it's beautiful that you work together...)
JAMYLA: thank you so much! ;o) to tell the truth, it's hard sometimes. we miss each other, sometimes even when we've spent the day together, because we've been so busy. but we are SO glad that we get to run together. working together has always been one of our goals; before oyin became our 24/7 job, we worked together making films, publishing books, teaching media or writing workshops, etc. it's been wonderful and we are thankful both that we want to, and to have been able to. after ten years, we have worked out a great working rhythm.

the new baby is an upstart, LOL - but he fits in wonderfully. we are a family-run business and since we are the bosses, we have been able to craft things to fit our life - in each of our production spaces we have made sure there is an in-house kitted out nursery/childcare space, and HoneyBaby comes to work with us.

BGLH: What do you hope to see in American and global culture in regards to natural hair?
JAMYLA: i would love to see natural hair so accepted and normal that it's no longer a political statement or a big deal. what if it really WAS, "just hair?" what kind of cultural, social, emotional factors would have to change for that to be the case... what kind of freedom would we exercise if it was?

i would love to see the whole good hair/bad hair matrix die a short and painful death. it is so tired. while we're at it, the light skin / dark skin stuff can go jump off a cliff as well.

i would love to see generations of black girls (and boys) grow up with a confidence in and appreciation for natural hair, the knowledge of how to care for it, and the feeling that their hair is a natural facet of their beauty.

This is the TRUTH! Jamyla THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
The new Oyin shop is located at 2103 N. Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218, and it is open every saturday from noon to 7pm.The shop also features independently produced and alternative books, music, film, and art, so if you're in the MD be sure to check it out!
Also check out the Oyin website here, and the Oyin blog/podcasts here.

friday afternoon fun: workplace hair

so... for the past several months i've been protecting styling religiously. but i'll be phasing it out soon (hopefully!), and i've been thinking about versatile styles for work. you know; styles that are pretty and big, but still somewhat contained. i stumbled across bellemuse's fotki album a while back (you'll hear more from her, she's doing a 'rock solid regimen' interview) and found some great inspiration. these styles aren't strictly corporate, but they have aesthetic elements i'd like to incorporate into my own workplace look.







and speaking of workplace hair, i've been thinking about something...
so, i have a 'natural haired professional' wishlist that consists of a.) a truly non-bogus natural hair stylist, b.) more natural hair scientists, c.) michelle obama (or the next black female president/first lady)... and now i've added a 4th one — a natural hair consultant.

let me explain.

so, it is generally known when straight hair looks bogus.
exhibit a:

exhibit b:

exhibit c:


but there isn't a general knowledge of when natural hair (or black hair generally) is bogus, and when it isn't

for example, some employers can't tell the difference between this:



and this:


hell, they might even be more willing to accept this, just cuz the shit looks familiar:


i remember when carol mosley-braun (first black female U.S. senator) wore cornrows on the senate floor, and her colleagues said it was a sign of disrespect for her job. what?! that's why we need a consultant. someone to travel from workplace to workplace to educate people on which natural work styles are kosher, and which aren't.

what do you think? could you do with a natural hair consultant at your job? (i know i could!)