Coils & Curls Blog

Friends,
On November 1, 2007, I will be facilitating a book club discussion on the following book:

Caucasia (by Danzy Senna)
Amazon.com Review: A young girl learns some difficult lessons in Danzy Senna’s debut novel Caucasia. Growing up in a biracial family in 1970s Boston, Birdie has seen her family disintegrate due to the increasing racial tensions. Her father and older sister move to Brazil, where they hope to find true racial equality, while Birdie and her mother drift through the country, eventually adopting new identities (Sheila and Jesse Goldman) and settling in a small New Hampshire town.
Birdie/Jesse tries to find her niche in this new world of eye shadow and gossip and boys, but she also wants to remain true to herself and find a common ground between her white and black heritage. She sets out to find her sister and reconnect with that part of her that has been lost for so long; the search takes her far from the settled, safe life she had in New Hampshire to a far more ambiguous, and unsettled, existence, one in which her own definitions of herself become muddled, and her search for her sister leads ultimately to a search for her own true identity.

I was asked by the YWCA of Boulder, CO to come in as a guest facilitator and help discussion around this book club read in the theme of “Race in America”. The goal of the YWCA is to help end all racism in America and a diverse book club is one of the steps that they are taking to open eyes and opinions. The group is made up of predominately white women, which is understandable because that is the primary population of Boulder, CO. So, I am glad they are making these steps and I am happy to support the effort.

I doubt, however, that they are ready for what I am bringing to the table. ☺

After discussion with a few of the board members, the language about the primary biracial character in this book is around her black DNA… not her white DNA. So, I am bringing the fullness of her background to the forefront … with passion!

What are your thoughts?

For those of you in CO, please come and support the effort.
Details: Thursday, November 1st from 5:30 - 7:00 pm at the Boulder Public Library Arapahoe meeting room. Food will be provided.

Many of you many have heard about this… but let’s start the discussion:

Please view this newscast and then let me know what you think about the term “nappy-head” being used this way.

I am on the Oprah Show e-list, which means, every morning I receive an email about her upcoming shows. The other morning, I opened my email to find the attached show announcement:

“10/12/07 FRIDAY’S SHOW: Transgender Families
Meet transgender individuals who had the courage to say “this is who I am.” Find out what happens in a family when dad becomes a woman. A discussion with the new American family Oprah wanted to meet.”

The reason why this hit me so strongly is due to recent events with my company. As many of you know, Coils & Curls just put on a most AMAZING Natural Hair Celebration! (More on that in another post.) The purpose of this event was to embrace what God gave us… nappy, kinky hair. (See where I am going with this.)

We, in the natural hair movement believe that God made NO mistake when he created us with kinky-textured hair. But after watching the Oprah show, I am left with a question: can we, in one breath say, “Yes, I agree with you, in all of the universe and in the nature on this planet, God made a mistake and you were suppose to be a different sex.” Then in the next breath say, “But God DID NOT make a mistake when it comes to something as external as your nappy hair. You don’t need to perm it and make it something its not. Embrace your natural texture!”

Now, I know that one change costs over $150,000, where as the other change can cost only $35 bucks at your local grocery store. But the core of both issues is succinct. What is the truth? Can God make a mistake on his creation?

Here’s another example: I know of a child who was born black and when she was 5, she said she wished she had been born white. Now, at 15 she says she is a white woman trapped in a black woman’s body. I immediately blamed her parents for not empowering her to be who she is; but where is the Oprah show for her? (Tyra did a show on it.) Maybe I should be looking at it differently. If nature can make a mistake in gender, why couldn’t nature make a mistake in race? If we embrace the belief for one, don’t we have to embrace it for all? My desire is to be consistent.

Now, I know this post is full of bias and you probably already know my opinion on the matter. But I want to hear your thoughts.
Talk to me.

Family & Friends, As you know, I am putting on a natural hair show today.
What you don’t know is that I have received negative press in the black community over this flyer:

Just yesterday, someone called me to say, “I run a Nautral Hair group and we are boycotting your event because you have a white girl all hugged up on that brotha in your flier.”
When I told her that it was ME on the flyer and I am multi-ethnic, she said, “Well, why are you trying to show off that you look white? Why not show off your hair?”
When I told her that was MY HAIR in the background of the flyer, she said. “It doesn’t matter. Why are you all hugged up on him? Who is he to you because we don’t need white women all over our men!”
I then told her again that I am multi-ethnic, he is a personal friend of ours, its MY event and my husband took the picture.
She replied, “From a marketing perspective, you are hurting the black women of CO!”

This is straight ugliness and its similar to a few other negative calls we’ve received about this show.
Please pray for us, and the positive impact this event is going to have on our community!

Title of the group: Exploring & Embracing Beauty of Our Natural Hair
Discription: Meet with local black women who choose to wear their hair natural. Gather to commune and support one another in your quest for chemical-free hair! Discuss hair care, maintenance, and the politics of having natural hair. Open to multi-ethnic families who have African heritage children, women & men with ethnic hair, and those who are interested in learning more.

I am hoping to grow the network with ALL TYPES of natural hair. We need more support… and this is one of many ideas!
Tell your friends!

Group: http://naturalhair.meetup.com/40/?gj=sj6

Oprah just had a TOWN MEETING on her show today around the fallout of the “Imus Comment”. She said she wanted to do more shows to talk about “what next”.
I think we need to remind her that honoring natural hair MUST be a part of the change we make in our perception of beauty for black women.
Please go to the Oprah & Tyra Campaign! post and send your note today.
The more often you can send them, the better.
NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THIS CHANGE!
Thanks in advance.

YIPPIE!!! It has happened! I am the feature Consultant in the latest Sisterlocks Journal!
The Journals are only $7.50 each. Feel free to order them through this website.
Thanks to all of you for your support!

Years ago, when I decided to work with natural hair full time, I made a business decision around the “telephone in the salon.” Many of us, who came out of traditional salons were sick of the hairstylist doing your hair with one hand and holding the phone talking about the latest social events with the other hand. You know the experience. For me, it became almost comical. By the time my perm was laid in, I knew who she was dating and who was givin’ her a hard time about it. That was my experience, again and again - and it made an impact on me. As a result, I made it a policy that I would not answer the phone while I had a client in the chair.

Well, it has been several years of honoring that commitment and re-evaluating that commitment as the business has grown over the years. The only reason for my policy was to show the utmost of customer service to my current client; in essence, fighting the stereo-type around the experience I have already mentioned. Some of you are adamant about this policy and have been very appreciative to me for enforcing it over the years. But customer service extends beyond the chair and I need to consider the experience of the client who is calling to reach me for an appointment. Moreover, as my cliental continues to grow out-of-state, this is becoming an even grater consideration.

With that said, in an effort to make ALL areas of my business more exceptional to my clients, I am adopting a new practice. Answering the phone for the sole purpose of setting an appointment should only take around 30 seconds. If you are in my chair when the business line rings, please help me with your understanding around what that quick 30 seconds can mean to a person looking to set an appointment. And if you are calling to set an appointment, please be understanding around the time we spend on the phone.

As you know, my focus is on making your locking experience exceptional; both in and out of the chair.

The young lady who directed the documentary “A Girl Like Me,” has been nominated to win a scholarship from Cosmo girl.
Thanks to my Blog-Buddy Chosen Vessel, here is the link we need to help get the natural hair message out: http://www.cosmogirl.com/entertainment/film-contest

Please cast your vote today!

Read this Article on BoingBong… Have you ever heard of this?

Thursday, March 22, 2007
Memphis barber cuts hair with fire
For years here in Memphis, there is a man who has cut people’s hair with a butane torch. A friend of mine got a few pictures of him doing his work: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djcollinator/421997829/in/photostream/