Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents an article excerpt about "nappy hair" and documents the use of the term "nappy hair" as a general referent for Black people in The Fugees' 1994 Hip Hop song "Happy Heads" and as a self-descriptor in Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall's 2016 dance challenge record "JuJu On The Beat (TZ Anthem)".
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all the composers of this music and these poems.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/07/childrens-rhymes-that-mention-people.html the related pancocojams post entitled "Children's Rhymes That Mention People With A Bald Head Or People With Nappy Hair"
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ARTICLE EXCERPT ABOUT NAPPY HAIR
From https://www.curlcentric.com/natural-hair-movement/ by Kenneth [No date for this article is given, but comments are posted dating April 21, 2011.]
The natural hair movement is focused on encouraging women with African ancestry to celebrate and enjoy the natural characteristics of their kinky, curly, hair texture.
..."The Term Nappy is Often Considered a Pejorative
“Nappy” is a term that’s been used to describe natural hair since the days of slave trading.
When used to emphasize the difference between natural hair and European hair, it took on a derogatory meaning. Today many African American women are reclaiming the word.
There are some women who identify themselves proudly as “nappy girls” and have given up relaxers and other extreme treatments in favor of growing their hair out in its natural state.
The potential hairstyles available to naturals range from the very simple TWA to more sophisticated styles like bantu knots.
Braids (e.g., box braids and crochet braids), hair twists (e.g., Senegalese twists) and dreadlocks are also common styles.
As you can see opting for natural hair doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning cute hairstyles or even flat ironing your hair.
There is no hard-and-fast rule about which products and styling habits are “natural” and which aren’t natural.
Historical Perspective on Natural Hair
It’s useful to examine the complex relationship between women of African heritage and their hair in a retrospective way, working in reverse chronological order.
2005 saw the promotion of an underground, independent documentary titled “My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage”.
The film won many awards on the independent film circuit and played widely at colleges.
The documentary used years of research to uncover the deeper meaning of the term “nappy.”
Covering more than 400 years of history, My Nappy Roots culled the highlights from 200 hours of footage to paint a realistic portrait of Afro hair culture and its journey from Africa to the Americas via the slave trade.
The film’s thorough and unflinching look at the way black hair was manipulated (both literally and metaphorically) made it the definitive work on the subject.
According to tradition, the source of the word “nappy” is tied intimately to the production of cotton on slave plantations.
The tuft of cotton which forms on the plant prior to harvesting is called a nap. The term was adapted to described textured hair because of the supposed similarity to the tuft of cotton.
Due to the power disparity between the slave’s culture and that of their masters, straight “white” hair was cast as desirable while natural hair was demeaned.
This labeling of “good” and “bad” hair grew particularly divisive as mixed-race children became more common. Natural “nappy” hair was firmly cast as unacceptable.
My Nappy Roots, despite its underground popularity, was never released commercially.
The introduction of film on a similar topic (Chris Rock’s 2009 release “Good Hair”) sparked a very well-known lawsuit and finally brought the debate about nappy hair and chemical straighteners into the public spotlight.
[...]
As with earlier trends in textured hair, the natural hair movement has gained momentum today thanks to its adoption by some notable celebrities.
Examples include Erykah Badu, Lupita Nyong’o, Janelle Monáe, Solange Knowles, Tracee Ellis-Ross and Viola Davis.
Now that “going natural” has turned into a popular trend, manufacturers, and retailers of hair products are seeing sales of harsh hair-straightening chemicals (i.e. relaxers) rapidly decline.
From an all-time high of more than $750 million in sales, the amount of hair relaxers sold has dropped by more than 25 percent in the last five years.
Some future projections estimate that sales will be only 45 percent of their historic high by 2019. Though this particular type of product has fallen out of favor, women who prefer natural hair are spending more on hair care than ever before.
Suppliers and marketers have certainly not let this fact escape their marketing plans. Consumers with natural hair make up a lucrative market for hair products."...
-snip-
I believe that the use of the term nappy hair as a self-descriptor in the Fugees' 1994 song "Nappy Head" and Zay Hilfigerrr's & Zayion McCall's song "JuJu On The Beat" can be largely attributed to the influence of the natural hair movement in the United States and throughout the world.
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REFERENCE TO "NAPPY HAIR" IN THE 1994 HIP HOP DANCE SONG "NAPPY HEADS" BY THE FUGEES
WARNING: The Fugees' song "Nappy Heads" contains profanity & sexually explicit references and therefore may not be appropriate for children. The excerpt of that song that is provided in this post don't have lyrics with profanity or sexually explicit references.
Information about this record:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nappy_Heads
" "Nappy Heads" is a song performed by Fugees, issued as the second single from the group's debut album Blunted on Reality. The song was co-produced by Pras and Wyclef Jean and written by Lauryn Hill.[4] Recorded in 1992 but not released until 1994,[3] the song became the group's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 49.[5] The song also reached #1 on the Billboard dance chart.[5]”…
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
Since pancocojams is a family centered blog, I chose not to include a video or sound file of the Fugees' Nappy Head record because some of its lyrics may not be appropriate for children.
****
Lyric excerpt:
[Hook: Wyclef Jean]
Yo Mona Lisa, could I get a date on Friday?
And if you're busy, I wouldn't mind taking
Saturday-ay-ay, ay-ay-ay
Round up de posse, Fugee comin' around the way
(Wyclef) Yo, hey nappy head
(Lauryn) Yo whashup?
(Wyclef) What you got there?
(Lauryn) Hah, I got some of that lyrical cheeba cheeba
(Wyclef) Worrrrrd?
A cheeba cheeba y'all, well I'm a Libra y'all
A cheeba cheeba y'all, well I'm a Libra y'allcerpt from Fugees’ song “Nappy Heads”
[...]
[Wyclef:]
(I got the slang to make the chitty-bang-bang
A-rid-dang-de-dang, the nappy head bang)
[Lauryn:]
No I, got the slang to make the chitty-bang-bang
A-rid-dang-de-dang, the nappy heads reign!
[...]
[Hook]
Nappy heads in the zone and we're not goin' home!
[...]
(Yo some nappy heads need to check they necks for red)"...
-snip-
Lyrics source: https://genius.com/Fugees-nappy-heads-remix-lyrics. Here's some information about that record from that same source:
"About Nappy Heads (Remix)
2nd single from ‘Blunted on Reality’
The beat samples: ‘Santa’s Birthday’ by The Caroleer Singers and Orchestra
Also interpolates ‘I’ll Fly Away’ by The Humbard Family, ‘The Hump’ by Buster Williams and ‘Sunglasses at Night’ by Corey Hart
Intro inspired by ‘Smokin Cheeba-Cheeba’ by Harlem Underground Band (1976)"
-snip-
Information about the term "cheeba cheeba"
From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cheeba%20cheeba
cheeba cheeba
Synonym for Marijuana used in Harlem/Bronx in the 1970's
You got that good Cheeba Cheeba?
by Glory128 January 06, 2016
-snip-
"Cheeba Cheeba" - the title of a 1989 Hip Hop record by Tone Loc
-snip-
I believe that the term "nappy heads" in the Fugees' record with that title is a general colloquial, positive referent for "Black people", substituting for "the n word" (as in Hey, my "n word" - with that word fully spoken) without racist intent). That term is accepted by those it is addressed to, in contrast to its historical use by African Americans as an insult.
I believe that the line "Yo some nappy heads need to check they necks for red" means that some Black people don't accept the current Black street trends, and therefore are suspected of acting like "rednecks" (i.e. White people).
****
REFERENCE TO "NAPPY HAIR" IN THE 2016 HIP HOP DANCE SONG "JUJU ON THE BEAT (TZ ANTHEM)"
Pancocojams Editor: While "JuJu On The Beat" (TZ Anthem) is technically considered Hip Hop/Trap music, it may be more accurately categorized as a dance trend song with Hip Hop lyrics.
Information about this record
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juju_on_That_Beat_(TZ_Anthem)
""Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem)" (also known simply as "Juju on That Beat",[1] "Juju on the Beat"[2] and "Juju on dat Beat"[3]) is a song by American hip hop duo Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall. The song was originally posted to McCall's YouTube channel on July 8, 2016, as a track from his mixtape Why So Serious?, where it received over 18,000 views.[4] It was posted to his channel again on August 11, 2016, where it received over 45 million views.[5] The song became a viral dance challenge.[6] The entire song is a freestyle over the beat of the song "Knuck If You Buck" by Atlanta hip hop group Crime Mob featuring Lil' Scrappy.[7]
The single charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 5.[8]
Music video
On November 2, 2016, the music video for Juju on That Beat was uploaded to Zay and Zayion's YouTube channel, The ZayNetwork, where it received over 290 million views.[10] The video is potentially based on the film Neighbors... The video won the 2017 Kids Choice Award for Favorite Music Video.[11]"...
-snip-
The "nappy hairstyle" that Zay Hilfiger wore in the video is multiple short braids with small red beads (or small white beads). Based on my direct experience mostly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and based on my online and off-line reading and viewing, while a small number of Black American males (regardless of their age) wore and still wear their hair in multiple short braids, it was and still is rare for beads or any other adornment to be added to males' braided hair. Beaded braids are usually considered a young Black girl's hairstyle*. That said, a young Black male has two beaded braids in his natural (afro) hair in Ayo & Teo's hit 2017 dance tread video "Rolex" and one of those rappers has his hair in unadorned braids (dyed red) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwk5OUII9Vc. I've also come across one 2019 video of a young adult Black rapper with small braids wearing beads or small clips at the end of those braids. There are probably other examples of Black teenage and young adult men with that beaded hair style, but I don't think that hairstyle is that common.
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania anyway, but I think throughout the United States, wearing short or long braids with beads is a very popular hairstyle for Black girls up to around eight years old. I've noticed that after around age eight years old, Black girls stop wearing beads in their hair, and instead have their braids adorned with tiny colored plastic clips, or very narrow gold or silver colored string, or small imitation cowrie shells.
*This custom of only young girls wearing beaded braids is different from the 1970s & 1980s when wearing beads at the end of long braids was a (mostly Black) hairstyle for females from young girls to young women. It was rare for males to wear beads in their braids. Stevie Wonder and Rick James are the males who I can think of who wore that hairstyle.
(Additions and corrections about these hair styles are welcome.)
**
Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall – Juju On That Beat (Official Music Video)
Zay Hilfiger, Published on Nov 2, 2016
Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion Mccall’s official music video for their viral dance challenge “Juju On That Beat”
-snip-
Statistics as of July 14, 2019
total views -399,455,359 views
total likes- 2.9M
total dislikes - 210K
total comments-
****
Lyric excerpt:
"[Intro: Two Girls]
Girl 1: Oh my god, oh my god. Girl ain't that Zay and Zayion?
Girl 2: Yas
Girl 1: Don't both of 'em got a girlfriend?
Girl 2: Girl I don't care
Girl 1: I don't care girl, he still cute
Girl 2: Oh yes, he is!"
[Verse 1: Zay Hilfiger]
Walked in this party
And these girls lookin' at me
Skinny jeans on and you know my hair nappy
Hey, hey, hey"...
Source: https://genius.com/Zay-hilfigerrr-juju-on-that-beat-tz-anthem-lyrics
-snip-
This is the only use of the term "nappy hair" and the only references to the rappers' appearances in this song.
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juju_on_That_Beat_(TZ_Anthem) for information about the song "JuJu On The Beat (TZ Anthem)".
-snip-
"Skinny jeans" are currently in style as are natural hair styles. I consider the inclusion of "nappy hair" in a Black man's self-description to be a positive departure from the ways that African Americans have previously used that term as an insult directed at other Black people.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label Black natural hair movement in the United States. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black natural hair movement in the United States. Show all posts
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Hairstyles Worn By Members Of Historically Black Sororities- Sigma Gamma Rho. Inc)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases hair styles worn by some members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc chapters as documented in seven YouTube videos from various Sigma Gamma Rho chapters throughout the United States (from 2015-2017).
This is the fourth post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.
Click the "Black sororities hair styles" tag below for those posts.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.
I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but after happening upon a video of another historically Black Greek letter sorority in which a number of steppers wore their hair in natural styles, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.
*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
The first post in this series includes selected comments from this 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
[Pancocojams Editor's Note:
After watching fourteen YouTube Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. videos, I decided to showcase these seven videos from various Sigma Gamma Rho chapters throughout the United States. I selected these videos because of the diversity of the hair styles as well as the different performance activities documented in these videos.
Most of these videos had at least one comment in their discussion threads, but no comments about hairstyles.
Example #1:Sigma Gamma Rho Step
De Shaun, Published on Jan 19, 2012
The Alpha Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Incorporated at Virginia State University stepping!!!
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Example #2: Alabama A&M University Sigma Gamma Rho Founders Day Stroll Off
DayswithClint, Published on Nov 14, 2014
****
Example #3: Duke 2015 Stroll Off Sigma Gamma Rho Round 1
nakita vincent Published on Sep 14, 2015
****
Example #4: Gamma Nu Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho - NSU 2015 Homecoming Alumni Stroll off
Ariel Foreman, Published on Nov 10, 2015
****
Example #5: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc - Alpha Phi Chapter Neophyte Presentation Spring 2016
Tyshana Richard Published on Apr 7, 2016
Alpha Phi chapter, Howard University, March 31, 2016
****
Example #6: EZ Sigma Gamma Rho Alumni Greek Weekend Stroll Off VCU
Epsilon Zeta (VCU Sgrhos), Published on Aug 31, 2016
The Oh So Elegant Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. during Alumni Greek Weekend at VCU with some of our alumni sorors from Spring '09 to Spring '16!
***
Example #7: Alpha Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Probate
Shamir Tyner, Published on Jun 14, 2017
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This pancocojams post showcases hair styles worn by some members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc chapters as documented in seven YouTube videos from various Sigma Gamma Rho chapters throughout the United States (from 2015-2017).
This is the fourth post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.
Click the "Black sororities hair styles" tag below for those posts.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.
I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but after happening upon a video of another historically Black Greek letter sorority in which a number of steppers wore their hair in natural styles, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.
*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
The first post in this series includes selected comments from this 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
[Pancocojams Editor's Note:
After watching fourteen YouTube Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. videos, I decided to showcase these seven videos from various Sigma Gamma Rho chapters throughout the United States. I selected these videos because of the diversity of the hair styles as well as the different performance activities documented in these videos.
Most of these videos had at least one comment in their discussion threads, but no comments about hairstyles.
Example #1:Sigma Gamma Rho Step
De Shaun, Published on Jan 19, 2012
The Alpha Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Incorporated at Virginia State University stepping!!!
****
Example #2: Alabama A&M University Sigma Gamma Rho Founders Day Stroll Off
DayswithClint, Published on Nov 14, 2014
****
Example #3: Duke 2015 Stroll Off Sigma Gamma Rho Round 1
nakita vincent Published on Sep 14, 2015
****
Example #4: Gamma Nu Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho - NSU 2015 Homecoming Alumni Stroll off
Ariel Foreman, Published on Nov 10, 2015
****
Example #5: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc - Alpha Phi Chapter Neophyte Presentation Spring 2016
Tyshana Richard Published on Apr 7, 2016
Alpha Phi chapter, Howard University, March 31, 2016
****
Example #6: EZ Sigma Gamma Rho Alumni Greek Weekend Stroll Off VCU
Epsilon Zeta (VCU Sgrhos), Published on Aug 31, 2016
The Oh So Elegant Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. during Alumni Greek Weekend at VCU with some of our alumni sorors from Spring '09 to Spring '16!
***
Example #7: Alpha Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Probate
Shamir Tyner, Published on Jun 14, 2017
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Hairstyles Worn By Members Of Historically Black Sororities - Zeta Phi Beta Sorority
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases hair styles worn by some members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc chapters as documented in seven YouTube videos from various Zeta chapters throughout the United States (from 2010-2017).
This is the third post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.
Click the "Black sorority hair styles" tag below for those posts.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.
I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but after happening upon a video of another historically Black Greek letter sorority in which a number of steppers wore their hair in natural styles, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.
*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
The first post in this series includes selected comments from this 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
[Pancocojams Editor's Note:
After watching twelve YouTube Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. videos, I decided to showcase these seven videos from various Zeta Phi Beta chapters throughout the United States. I selected these videos because of the diversity of the hair styles as well as the different performance activities documented in these videos.
Most of these videos had at least one comment in their discussion threads. However, none of the discussion threads had any comments about hair.]
Example #1: Every beat of my heart - Pi Mu Chapter Zeta Phi Beta
jmarce1971 Published on Dec 1, 2010
Ladies of Zeta Phi Beta singing
****
Example #2: Carolina Greek Explosion Stroll off - Zeta Phi Beta
MagicVideos Published on Jul 31, 2013
The Lethal Lamda Mu chapter performing at the #CGE2013 Carolina Greek Picnic in Charlotte, North Carolina July 27th.
****
Example #3: CAU’s “Prolific” Psi Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta - Founder's Day Yard Show [Clark Atlanta University]
emmanuel11246 Published on Jan 18, 2015
-snip-
6:10 of this video showcases a steppin performance by members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the brothers of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
****
Example #4: Blue and White BBQ: Zeta Phi Beta. Mama Jama UCF 2015
RAKCM Productions, Published on Apr 16, 2015
University of Central Florida
****
Example #5: Zeta Phi Beta WINS 2016 Atlanta Greek Picnic stroll off (Official Video) #AGP2016
Atlanta Greek Picnic Published on Jun 13, 2016
The Ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc WIN the 2016 Atlanta Greek Picnic Stroll off. Saturday June 11th, Morris Brown College.
****
Example #6: Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Chapter - Howard 2016 Step Show
Kaelan Laurence Published on Oct 25, 2016
The winners of the 2016 Howard HC step show
****
Example #7: ZETA PHI BETA GAMMA CHAPTER FALL 2016
Chinedu Nwokeafor Published on Nov 3, 2016 (Morgan State University)
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This pancocojams post showcases hair styles worn by some members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc chapters as documented in seven YouTube videos from various Zeta chapters throughout the United States (from 2010-2017).
This is the third post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.
Click the "Black sorority hair styles" tag below for those posts.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.
I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but after happening upon a video of another historically Black Greek letter sorority in which a number of steppers wore their hair in natural styles, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.
*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
The first post in this series includes selected comments from this 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
[Pancocojams Editor's Note:
After watching twelve YouTube Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. videos, I decided to showcase these seven videos from various Zeta Phi Beta chapters throughout the United States. I selected these videos because of the diversity of the hair styles as well as the different performance activities documented in these videos.
Most of these videos had at least one comment in their discussion threads. However, none of the discussion threads had any comments about hair.]
Example #1: Every beat of my heart - Pi Mu Chapter Zeta Phi Beta
jmarce1971 Published on Dec 1, 2010
Ladies of Zeta Phi Beta singing
****
Example #2: Carolina Greek Explosion Stroll off - Zeta Phi Beta
MagicVideos Published on Jul 31, 2013
The Lethal Lamda Mu chapter performing at the #CGE2013 Carolina Greek Picnic in Charlotte, North Carolina July 27th.
****
Example #3: CAU’s “Prolific” Psi Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta - Founder's Day Yard Show [Clark Atlanta University]
emmanuel11246 Published on Jan 18, 2015
-snip-
6:10 of this video showcases a steppin performance by members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the brothers of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
****
Example #4: Blue and White BBQ: Zeta Phi Beta. Mama Jama UCF 2015
RAKCM Productions, Published on Apr 16, 2015
University of Central Florida
****
Example #5: Zeta Phi Beta WINS 2016 Atlanta Greek Picnic stroll off (Official Video) #AGP2016
Atlanta Greek Picnic Published on Jun 13, 2016
The Ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc WIN the 2016 Atlanta Greek Picnic Stroll off. Saturday June 11th, Morris Brown College.
****
Example #6: Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Chapter - Howard 2016 Step Show
Kaelan Laurence Published on Oct 25, 2016
The winners of the 2016 Howard HC step show
****
Example #7: ZETA PHI BETA GAMMA CHAPTER FALL 2016
Chinedu Nwokeafor Published on Nov 3, 2016 (Morgan State University)
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Hairstyles Worn By Members Of Historically Black Sororities - Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Inc.
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post documents the hair styles worn by some members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc's "Sweet" Mu Pi chapter at Spelman College as documented in three YouTube videos from 2014 and 2015.
This is the second post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.
This series also documents selected discussion thread comments that viewers (particularly Black viewers) made about the hair styles that are worn in these videos.
Click the "Black sorority hair styles" tag below for those posts.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.
I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but after happening upon a video of another historically Black Greek letter sorority in which a number of steppers wore their hair in natural styles, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.
*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
The first post in this series includes selected comments from this 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
[Pancocojams Editor's Note:
I chose to focus on these three videos of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc's "Sweet" Mu Pi chapter at Spelman College, in large part, because of the comments about hair that are found in those videos' discussion thread.
With the exception of a few comments in Video #1 and Video #3 that asks for an explanation of what is going on in the video, and response to those questions, all of these selected comments that are quoted in this post focus on hair.]
Example #1: Sweet Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
FlicsNsh&t*, Published on Apr 23, 2014
Sweet Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Official Footage from the Spring 2014 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sweet Mu Pi Chapter probate.
-snip-
*An amended spelling of this word is used on this blog.
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread (Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only)
1. Jay Cee, 2014
"Can somebody please explain what this is all about??!!"
**
Reply
2. LuckiiCharmz85, 2014
"Alpha Kappa Alpha is the 1st Black Greek Letter Org for African-American women (sorority), and this is the new member presentation for the chapter at Spelman College. Go to Google if you want to learn more and visit the national website"
**
Reply
3. BritBrat011, 2015
"http://www.aka1908.com/"
**
Reply
4. MrsTruthTeller, 2015
"The girls are crossing the burning sands. It means that this is the first day that they are being introduced to society as members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc."
-snip-
"crossing the sands" = marks or refers to a person's membership in a historically Black Greek letter fraternity or in a historically Black Greek letter sorority
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/01/black-fraternities-sororities-chants_16.html
"Black Fraternities & Sororities Chants That Mention Crossing The Burning Sands"
**
5. Your Majesty,2015
"Why can't they have natural hair?"
**
Reply
6. ♥BlkandBeautifulDee♥, 2015
"+Nicole A Exactly, I don't get that either. I wanted to join that sorority but I see that they all straighten their hair. Nevermind lol"
**
Reply
7. Sincerely, Elle, 2015
"+Nicole A +tdianddp4life This is actually my line and I have natural hair. A lot of my line sisters also have natural hair. For the probate we stand as one and act as a solitary line, so EVERYTHING we do is the same, from hair to what earrings we wore, to the type of eye liner we put on. So in this we all straightened our hair. But it is absolutely not a requirement to have straight hair to be in the organization at all! Just wanted to say that lol."
-snip-
"Probate" = a term that refers to a formal program that is the first time new members of the organization are introduced to the public
**
Reply
8. Tierini mitchell
"Who gives a damn if they have natural hair or not damn... Black people always have to find something negative to say about each other"
**
Reply
9. Your Majesty, 2015
"+Tierini mitchell like how rude and rachet you are? Don't use black people like we are unified, like all the black lives matter BS black lives don't matter, natural or not, so go [sexually explicit words deleted]"
**
Reply
10. Tierini mitchell, 2015
"Do you know the definition of ratchet? Apparently not because, what did I say that sounds ratchet? That disgusting comment you made a bout [sexually explicit words deleted] is ratchet...And blacks are not a unified race because the Ignorant comments that you, other blacks, and whites love to make "their hair isn't natural because they wanna be white"... That really drives me.. All you had to say you girls look great but no some idiot have to always make some rude comment.. And wtf did I say black lives don't matter.... Something isn't right about you... You're a few fries short of a happy meal.."
**
Reply
11. ♥BlkandBeautifulDee♥, 2015
"+Tierini mitchell I was just curious to know if that was a requirement or not because I wanted to join AKA if I attended Spelman. I thought they had perms. That worried me because if I joined I wouldn't want to perm my hair but seeing that the poster above said their hair is just straightened with a flat iron I wouldn't mind doing that. That's all. Sorry if I sounded rude."
**
Reply
12. Your Majesty, 2015
"+Tierini mitchell I never said they want to look white [derogatory words deleted] , I was only commenting that their hair looked the same. Having straight hair will never make someone look white, not when they have dark nasty skin"
**
Reply
13. Tierini mitchell, 2015
"+tdianddp4life oh no you didn't sound rude at all.... I was really replying to the no class having other thing.. But, no some wear their hair curly or they flat iron it.."
**
Reply
14. Tashuna Ray, 2016
"What do you think is considered natural hair? Natural...meaning the hair they were born with. Majority of the girls in this video are wearing their own hair... no weave. Trust me...weave doesn't bounce like that. Another thing....every black person doesn't have the same hair texture. Some have curly hair, some have wavy, and fewer have straight. However... why does it matter? These are all beautiful and obviously ambitious women. Not to mention the countless amounts of Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian women who don't wear their "natural" hair. They perm, color, and weave their hair as well as...so let's not pretend. Hope that helps some."
**
Reply
15. Blasian Princess, 2017
"Tashuna Ray my weave bounces a lot but when I had real hair it was sooooo flowy"
**
Reply
16. Blasian Princess, 2017
"♥BlkandBeautifulDee♥ actually I've seen some that don't straighten their hair, and just bc they straighten it so what"
**
Reply
17. Badgurlbeauty, 2017
"unless all of the naturals got a press"
**
18. Natasha Coleman, 2015
"beautiful! I do wonder if the sisters all use the same hair dresser. every AKA line up I see theres the same wonderful flow lol"
**
Reply
19. louise, 2016
"Yes...silky"
****
Example #2: AKA Step Show "Sweet Mu Pi"
vaughn filmore, Published on Oct 21, 2014
Spelhouse Homecoming Step Show Winners 2014
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread (Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only)
1. queenbeethatme100, 2015
"OK.. What has happened to my sorority? What is with the white girl hair tossing? we used to be more real and we used to line with our canes, old school baby, we brought the house down with TRUE STEPPING (with foot moves not jumping jack shit)
And we did not wear weaves (weren't invented back then, heh heh) We ran our yard and this pinkie sh&t* and white girl weave tossing stuff did NOT happen.
I don't know, we have truly changed from our hey day in the 1970s!! (when I pledged)
I just hope when you ladies look back 20 years from now at this stuff, you do not cringe and wonder what in the world you were all thinking.
We used to "sang" the best and we were the prettiest and most desired but we did not do stupid stuff when we said who we were and we did not hair toss or pinky wave or look up to the sky like we did not know where we were.
I am not going to simply diss... just that I do not understand this weird way of being the best anymore, it is STRANGE especially that squeaky way of saying incorporated and that pinky up stuff.
Makes AKAs look insipid and vapid. When I was in college, "They all ran hard but AKA ran the yard" Now? it looks like WTF city."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
**
Reply
2. mwhytwokay, 2016
"+queenbeethatme100 EXACTLY!!!"
**
Reply
3. MsMo08, 2016
"+mwhytwokay ...it is disheartening to say that least, and that is for ANY organization. They need OLD SCHOOL sisters like you'll to TEACH THEM THE WAY!"
**
Reply
4. BinkTwoTimes, 2016
"just to make this clear. no one is wearing weave in this video.... lol"
**
5. Kelli Daniels, 2016
"20 years from now we will be thinking about how we won our show and the other shows we competed in after this! We'll be thinking about how amazingly we represented our chapter on that stage. We'll be thinking about how we KILLED our show from the beginning to the end with REAL steps, stunts and dances. We'll be thinking about how sharp we were and how much fun we had! We'll be thinking about how we kept some traditions and add new school stepping to our show. Yeah we won't cringe at all, honestly!!! Thanks for sharing your memories, but do not try to belittle us for not doing it the way you wanted us too.VERY unsisterly. Also, we STILL run the yard. Forever will :)"
****
Example #3: Alpha Kappa Alpha "Sweet" Mu Pi Spelman College Fall 15 Presentation
Jason Perry Published on Jan 22, 2016
Alpha Kappa Alpha "Sweet" Mu Pi Spelman College Fall 15 Presentation
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread (Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only)
1. Virgie, 2016
"I guess natural hair is frowned upon in this chapter."
**
Reply
2. BinkTwoTimes, 2016
"+Virgie not at all but not everyone is natural and its all about uniformity and being together on probate day"
**
Reply
3. Sandy F, 2016
"Confused!? Not all my Sorors have weave. Is that what you're referencing?"
-snip-
"Sorors" = sisters (members of a historically Black Greek letter sorority); This referent is used for and among all historically Black Greek letter sororities.
**
Reply
4. LexyJHM, 2017
"thought it was obvious Virgie was pointing out that all of them have permed/flattened hair. No natural hair, natural curls, afros, dreads, buntu knots, etc. anywhere. All straightened out hair."
**
Reply
5. Febiza919, 2017
"LexyJHM no none of them have dreads on this line but for the sake of the presentation uniformity (and for the hair flipping to look effective) they always have them press it out for performances. Many of them wear their hair natural on campus."
**
Reply
6. Tissan Young, 2017
"Nah. Spelman greatly encourages wearing their natural hair. This is just for show."
**
7. shalee1, 2016
"can someone explain to me whats going on here?? I live in England so i have no idea haha"
**
Reply
8. Afroblu Atlanta, 2016
"shalee Nothing. just another group of black Sorority chicks introducing their newest members to the campus. this bunch believes they are the pretty girls, so they carry on in this manner. SMH."
**
Reply
9. msgeorgiabama, 2017
"You need to take several seats, sweetheart. Probate shows don't define us; this is an entertaining way for a chapter to introduce themselves to the campus. Don't get it twisted. I'm on my way to a homeless shelter to volunteer...what are you up to today?
Pfft, "this bunch". Girl bye"
-snip-
Traditionally, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. chants and stepping routines have promoted the image of its members being "pretty girls". That's one reason why its members mime holding up a mirror and fixing their hair, and twirling their hair. However, "bobbing their head" as shown in these videos is a new performance movement. I'm not sure when that began. I've seen comments that this movement comes from a traditional Ethiopian head dance [?], but I think that might be a back story for a movement that emphasizes the flowing hair that AKAs' are known for.
**
10. Troy Brooks, 2017
"NOT ONE PIECE OF WEAVE on this line... thank god! Go Mu Pi"
**
Reply
11. Anon w, 2017
"Troy Brooks nothing wrong with weave"
**
Reply
12. Mike Boykins, 2017
"Troy Brooks I agree"
**
13. Carlos Bright, 2017
"Wow, look at all the weaves. You're not white women with naturally long hair. Go natural."
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This pancocojams post documents the hair styles worn by some members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc's "Sweet" Mu Pi chapter at Spelman College as documented in three YouTube videos from 2014 and 2015.
This is the second post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.
This series also documents selected discussion thread comments that viewers (particularly Black viewers) made about the hair styles that are worn in these videos.
Click the "Black sorority hair styles" tag below for those posts.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.
I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but after happening upon a video of another historically Black Greek letter sorority in which a number of steppers wore their hair in natural styles, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.
*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
The first post in this series includes selected comments from this 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
[Pancocojams Editor's Note:
I chose to focus on these three videos of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc's "Sweet" Mu Pi chapter at Spelman College, in large part, because of the comments about hair that are found in those videos' discussion thread.
With the exception of a few comments in Video #1 and Video #3 that asks for an explanation of what is going on in the video, and response to those questions, all of these selected comments that are quoted in this post focus on hair.]
Example #1: Sweet Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
FlicsNsh&t*, Published on Apr 23, 2014
Sweet Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Official Footage from the Spring 2014 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sweet Mu Pi Chapter probate.
-snip-
*An amended spelling of this word is used on this blog.
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread (Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only)
1. Jay Cee, 2014
"Can somebody please explain what this is all about??!!"
**
Reply
2. LuckiiCharmz85, 2014
"Alpha Kappa Alpha is the 1st Black Greek Letter Org for African-American women (sorority), and this is the new member presentation for the chapter at Spelman College. Go to Google if you want to learn more and visit the national website"
**
Reply
3. BritBrat011, 2015
"http://www.aka1908.com/"
**
Reply
4. MrsTruthTeller, 2015
"The girls are crossing the burning sands. It means that this is the first day that they are being introduced to society as members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc."
-snip-
"crossing the sands" = marks or refers to a person's membership in a historically Black Greek letter fraternity or in a historically Black Greek letter sorority
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/01/black-fraternities-sororities-chants_16.html
"Black Fraternities & Sororities Chants That Mention Crossing The Burning Sands"
**
5. Your Majesty,2015
"Why can't they have natural hair?"
**
Reply
6. ♥BlkandBeautifulDee♥, 2015
"+Nicole A Exactly, I don't get that either. I wanted to join that sorority but I see that they all straighten their hair. Nevermind lol"
**
Reply
7. Sincerely, Elle, 2015
"+Nicole A +tdianddp4life This is actually my line and I have natural hair. A lot of my line sisters also have natural hair. For the probate we stand as one and act as a solitary line, so EVERYTHING we do is the same, from hair to what earrings we wore, to the type of eye liner we put on. So in this we all straightened our hair. But it is absolutely not a requirement to have straight hair to be in the organization at all! Just wanted to say that lol."
-snip-
"Probate" = a term that refers to a formal program that is the first time new members of the organization are introduced to the public
**
Reply
8. Tierini mitchell
"Who gives a damn if they have natural hair or not damn... Black people always have to find something negative to say about each other"
**
Reply
9. Your Majesty, 2015
"+Tierini mitchell like how rude and rachet you are? Don't use black people like we are unified, like all the black lives matter BS black lives don't matter, natural or not, so go [sexually explicit words deleted]"
**
Reply
10. Tierini mitchell, 2015
"Do you know the definition of ratchet? Apparently not because, what did I say that sounds ratchet? That disgusting comment you made a bout [sexually explicit words deleted] is ratchet...And blacks are not a unified race because the Ignorant comments that you, other blacks, and whites love to make "their hair isn't natural because they wanna be white"... That really drives me.. All you had to say you girls look great but no some idiot have to always make some rude comment.. And wtf did I say black lives don't matter.... Something isn't right about you... You're a few fries short of a happy meal.."
**
Reply
11. ♥BlkandBeautifulDee♥, 2015
"+Tierini mitchell I was just curious to know if that was a requirement or not because I wanted to join AKA if I attended Spelman. I thought they had perms. That worried me because if I joined I wouldn't want to perm my hair but seeing that the poster above said their hair is just straightened with a flat iron I wouldn't mind doing that. That's all. Sorry if I sounded rude."
**
Reply
12. Your Majesty, 2015
"+Tierini mitchell I never said they want to look white [derogatory words deleted] , I was only commenting that their hair looked the same. Having straight hair will never make someone look white, not when they have dark nasty skin"
**
Reply
13. Tierini mitchell, 2015
"+tdianddp4life oh no you didn't sound rude at all.... I was really replying to the no class having other thing.. But, no some wear their hair curly or they flat iron it.."
**
Reply
14. Tashuna Ray, 2016
"What do you think is considered natural hair? Natural...meaning the hair they were born with. Majority of the girls in this video are wearing their own hair... no weave. Trust me...weave doesn't bounce like that. Another thing....every black person doesn't have the same hair texture. Some have curly hair, some have wavy, and fewer have straight. However... why does it matter? These are all beautiful and obviously ambitious women. Not to mention the countless amounts of Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian women who don't wear their "natural" hair. They perm, color, and weave their hair as well as...so let's not pretend. Hope that helps some."
**
Reply
15. Blasian Princess, 2017
"Tashuna Ray my weave bounces a lot but when I had real hair it was sooooo flowy"
**
Reply
16. Blasian Princess, 2017
"♥BlkandBeautifulDee♥ actually I've seen some that don't straighten their hair, and just bc they straighten it so what"
**
Reply
17. Badgurlbeauty, 2017
"unless all of the naturals got a press"
**
18. Natasha Coleman, 2015
"beautiful! I do wonder if the sisters all use the same hair dresser. every AKA line up I see theres the same wonderful flow lol"
**
Reply
19. louise, 2016
"Yes...silky"
****
Example #2: AKA Step Show "Sweet Mu Pi"
vaughn filmore, Published on Oct 21, 2014
Spelhouse Homecoming Step Show Winners 2014
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread (Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only)
1. queenbeethatme100, 2015
"OK.. What has happened to my sorority? What is with the white girl hair tossing? we used to be more real and we used to line with our canes, old school baby, we brought the house down with TRUE STEPPING (with foot moves not jumping jack shit)
And we did not wear weaves (weren't invented back then, heh heh) We ran our yard and this pinkie sh&t* and white girl weave tossing stuff did NOT happen.
I don't know, we have truly changed from our hey day in the 1970s!! (when I pledged)
I just hope when you ladies look back 20 years from now at this stuff, you do not cringe and wonder what in the world you were all thinking.
We used to "sang" the best and we were the prettiest and most desired but we did not do stupid stuff when we said who we were and we did not hair toss or pinky wave or look up to the sky like we did not know where we were.
I am not going to simply diss... just that I do not understand this weird way of being the best anymore, it is STRANGE especially that squeaky way of saying incorporated and that pinky up stuff.
Makes AKAs look insipid and vapid. When I was in college, "They all ran hard but AKA ran the yard" Now? it looks like WTF city."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
**
Reply
2. mwhytwokay, 2016
"+queenbeethatme100 EXACTLY!!!"
**
Reply
3. MsMo08, 2016
"+mwhytwokay ...it is disheartening to say that least, and that is for ANY organization. They need OLD SCHOOL sisters like you'll to TEACH THEM THE WAY!"
**
Reply
4. BinkTwoTimes, 2016
"just to make this clear. no one is wearing weave in this video.... lol"
**
5. Kelli Daniels, 2016
"20 years from now we will be thinking about how we won our show and the other shows we competed in after this! We'll be thinking about how amazingly we represented our chapter on that stage. We'll be thinking about how we KILLED our show from the beginning to the end with REAL steps, stunts and dances. We'll be thinking about how sharp we were and how much fun we had! We'll be thinking about how we kept some traditions and add new school stepping to our show. Yeah we won't cringe at all, honestly!!! Thanks for sharing your memories, but do not try to belittle us for not doing it the way you wanted us too.VERY unsisterly. Also, we STILL run the yard. Forever will :)"
****
Example #3: Alpha Kappa Alpha "Sweet" Mu Pi Spelman College Fall 15 Presentation
Jason Perry Published on Jan 22, 2016
Alpha Kappa Alpha "Sweet" Mu Pi Spelman College Fall 15 Presentation
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread (Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only)
1. Virgie, 2016
"I guess natural hair is frowned upon in this chapter."
**
Reply
2. BinkTwoTimes, 2016
"+Virgie not at all but not everyone is natural and its all about uniformity and being together on probate day"
**
Reply
3. Sandy F, 2016
"Confused!? Not all my Sorors have weave. Is that what you're referencing?"
-snip-
"Sorors" = sisters (members of a historically Black Greek letter sorority); This referent is used for and among all historically Black Greek letter sororities.
**
Reply
4. LexyJHM, 2017
"thought it was obvious Virgie was pointing out that all of them have permed/flattened hair. No natural hair, natural curls, afros, dreads, buntu knots, etc. anywhere. All straightened out hair."
**
Reply
5. Febiza919, 2017
"LexyJHM no none of them have dreads on this line but for the sake of the presentation uniformity (and for the hair flipping to look effective) they always have them press it out for performances. Many of them wear their hair natural on campus."
**
Reply
6. Tissan Young, 2017
"Nah. Spelman greatly encourages wearing their natural hair. This is just for show."
**
7. shalee1, 2016
"can someone explain to me whats going on here?? I live in England so i have no idea haha"
**
Reply
8. Afroblu Atlanta, 2016
"shalee Nothing. just another group of black Sorority chicks introducing their newest members to the campus. this bunch believes they are the pretty girls, so they carry on in this manner. SMH."
**
Reply
9. msgeorgiabama, 2017
"You need to take several seats, sweetheart. Probate shows don't define us; this is an entertaining way for a chapter to introduce themselves to the campus. Don't get it twisted. I'm on my way to a homeless shelter to volunteer...what are you up to today?
Pfft, "this bunch". Girl bye"
-snip-
Traditionally, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. chants and stepping routines have promoted the image of its members being "pretty girls". That's one reason why its members mime holding up a mirror and fixing their hair, and twirling their hair. However, "bobbing their head" as shown in these videos is a new performance movement. I'm not sure when that began. I've seen comments that this movement comes from a traditional Ethiopian head dance [?], but I think that might be a back story for a movement that emphasizes the flowing hair that AKAs' are known for.
**
10. Troy Brooks, 2017
"NOT ONE PIECE OF WEAVE on this line... thank god! Go Mu Pi"
**
Reply
11. Anon w, 2017
"Troy Brooks nothing wrong with weave"
**
Reply
12. Mike Boykins, 2017
"Troy Brooks I agree"
**
13. Carlos Bright, 2017
"Wow, look at all the weaves. You're not white women with naturally long hair. Go natural."
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Hairstyles Worn By Members Of Historically Black Sororities - Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. (University of Maryland College Park)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post documents the variety of hair styles worn by some members of the Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.'s Kappa Phi chapter at University of Maryland College Park during their stepping performances at their annual Block Shows (2012-2017).
This is the first post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.
This series also documents selected discussion thread comments that viewers (particularly Black viewers) made about the hair styles that are worn in these videos.
Click the "Black sorority hair styles" tag below for those posts.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to Shegaw Mekonen, the publisher of these videos.
art series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I came across the 2016 video of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. chapter at University of Maryland College Park Block Show while surfing YouTube in search of videos about the inclusion of body patting (pattin juba, hamboning) in historically Black Greek letter fraternities' and sororities' step show routines. Watching that video, I was struck with the images of so many members -or actually any member- of a HBCU (Historically Black Greek Letter Organization) wearing their tightly curled (nappy) hair in braided extensions, or in any natural style. And watching other Block Show videos of Deltas from UMCP I was also surprised to see some women wearing their natural or straight/straightened hair in short hair styles. (Also, in at least one or two videos I was surprised to see a woman stepping wearing eye glasses).
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of another historically Black Greek letter sorority (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.
I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but I've watched a number of YouTube step show videos since I started this cultural blog in 2014, and I don't recall noticing so many sorority members wearing their hair in natural styles. As a result of happening upon the 2016 video that is presented below, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.
The videos that are featured in this particular post show members of this sorority's chapter wearing their hair in a diversity of styles- except very closely cropped or bald. I applaud this diversity.
These featured videos are presented without comments except for those that mention the hair styles worn by a woman, or women in that video.
*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
****
FIVE SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE'S DISCUSSION THREAD
As some background to the videos featured in this post, here are five selected comments from a 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural:
From http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla, Oct. 2, 2013
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: These comments are given in no particular order and are all dated October 2013. Numbers have been assigned for referencing purposes only.]
1. tiffany, Los Angeles
"I know Dante DeBlasio*'s afro makes this a timely piece, but natural hair styles, including the afro is a "trend" about 20 years in the making.
For many in the academic and Afro-centric communities, and low-maintenance women like my auntie, it never really died. But this most recent resurgence began in the mid-to-late 1990s -- about the same time weird rappers and neo-soul became a thing. I was definitely not the only black woman in DC wearing a teeny weeny afro in 1994.
Even if it's not acknowledged as such, this natural hair movement is really is an outgrowth of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Those earlier movements did the hard cultural work of shifting beauty norms. Gen X and those behind us get to wear the hair without the same kinds of assumptions about militancy."
-snip-
Dante De Blasio is the mixed race (Black/White) son of Bill De Blasio, the current mayor of New York City.
**
2. Melanie Columbus, Ohio
"I wear my hair natural, and so does my 11 year-old daughter because it's easy and inexpensive to maintain. We can swim and sweat from exercise with no worries about ruining expensive, elaborate styles. We straighten our hair occasionally, just for a change now and then, but most days it's natural; and I get compliments from everyone (Black, White, male, female) almost daily when I don't wear it straight."
**
3. Marcos, New York City
"Whether it is the writer of this article, and/or some the kids sporting them, it is naive to think that a large afro is no longer read as a political and social statement. Wear a big afro outside of a big city and analyze the reaction.
It is also interesting to hear commentators chastising black women for straightening or weaving their hair, but no such statements about white women dying, curling and straightening their hair.
**
4. Felice, California
"I am SO sick and tired of the conversation about Black women and our hair!!! I AM NOT MY HAIR. WE ARE NOT OUR HAIR. We are so beautiful, sexy, intelligent, versatile, and nuanced! Why in the heck do people keep reducing us to hair? Non-Black women do whatever they want with their hair, and no one complains generally. The way to liberate Black women is not by publically criticizing them for their hairstyle choices. Acceptance is the key. Some women look fabulous with natural hair, fantastic in braids, and beautiful in weave. It really doesn’t matter at the end of the day? And, no, wearing weaves or extensions is not always evidence of low self-esteem. Sometimes, those options are just easier, sassier, and more fun!! I happen to choose what is easiest for me. On the East Coast, that has been wearing a weave at times due to the weather and the lack of salon services available for Black women (ahem . . .Boston). Caring for natural hair is no walk in the park. It requires dedication, patience, and money to keep buying the best products (natural or not). It boils down to this: allow Black women to do what they want with their hair. There are so many societal problems today that we cannot afford to be preoccupied with hair. Let’s feed some folks, keep folks employed, educate our youth, learn how to manage money, erase racism, and make sure all people have access to medical care.
Let’s celebrate all Black beauty, and move on to more important matters!
**
5. antoinette, brooklyn
"awesome article! i love the interactive feature of women talking about their own relationship to their hairstyles!
i am african-american and my mom put a relaxer in my hair when i was five to make styling easier. (and because that's what she had/thought was acceptable at the time). i let it grow out when i was in high school opting for afros and braids and then shaved my head for the final year of HS and into college. then i grew out my first set of dreds for seven years and am currently working on my second set. it seems to be the easiest style for now: the traditional femininity of long hair (that some get from a weave) mixed with the strength and clear presentation of my natural self.
also: the politics will never not be a part of the conversation, but i'm glad that the mainstreaming of weaves has de-politicized the issue for many women (especially younger generations who seem fine to sport an afro one week and a beyonce-type weave the next).
and lastly: i would have loved the inclusion of a bald/cropped hair black woman in the interactive feature though, because i think it's one style (that a large minority of black women consistently wear) that pushes against not only perceived notions of race, but also of gender/femininity."
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
The only comments from these videos' discussion threads that are included in this post are those that mention hair styles. I've added brief explanatory notes after a few of these comments.
Example #1: 2012 UMD Block Show: Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen Published on May 9, 2012
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the University of Maryland College Park Block Show
****
Example #2: 2013 UMD Block Show: Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen Published on May 9, 2013
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the University of Maryland College Park Block Show
-snip-
Here's a comment from that video's discussion thread:
bigprice93, 2013
"But nah tho, she kille dit with that knee brace; dese ni&&as* wont hold me back!!!
*ANd her locks likes dats."
-snip-
*This word was fully spelled out in this comment
“locks” = dreadlocks
****
Example #3: 2014 UMD Block Show: Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen Published on May 8, 2014
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the University of Maryland College Park Block Show
****
Example #4: 2015 UMD Block Show - Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen, Published on May 21, 2015
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the 2015 University of Maryland College Park Block Show
****
Example #5: 2016 UMD Block Show - Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen Published on May 27, 2016
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the 2016 University of Maryland College Park Block Show
-snip-
selected comments from that video's discussion thread:
Comments:
hiitsmeeeeeeeeeee, 2016
"hair was poppin"
**
Reply
Mad Marsz, 2016
"That's what I was thinking woow. So diverse! I love the deltas."
**
3Marron, 2016
"but their hair though: luscious and bomb! i was totally distracted by all the beautiful textures on display"
****
Example #6: 2017 UMD Block Show - Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen, Published on May 21, 2017
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the 2017 University of Maryland College Park Block Show
-snip-
This particular Block Show included a Probate (the first time new members of a sorority are introduced to the public).
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This pancocojams post documents the variety of hair styles worn by some members of the Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.'s Kappa Phi chapter at University of Maryland College Park during their stepping performances at their annual Block Shows (2012-2017).
This is the first post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.
This series also documents selected discussion thread comments that viewers (particularly Black viewers) made about the hair styles that are worn in these videos.
Click the "Black sorority hair styles" tag below for those posts.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to Shegaw Mekonen, the publisher of these videos.
art series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I came across the 2016 video of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. chapter at University of Maryland College Park Block Show while surfing YouTube in search of videos about the inclusion of body patting (pattin juba, hamboning) in historically Black Greek letter fraternities' and sororities' step show routines. Watching that video, I was struck with the images of so many members -or actually any member- of a HBCU (Historically Black Greek Letter Organization) wearing their tightly curled (nappy) hair in braided extensions, or in any natural style. And watching other Block Show videos of Deltas from UMCP I was also surprised to see some women wearing their natural or straight/straightened hair in short hair styles. (Also, in at least one or two videos I was surprised to see a woman stepping wearing eye glasses).
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of another historically Black Greek letter sorority (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.
I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but I've watched a number of YouTube step show videos since I started this cultural blog in 2014, and I don't recall noticing so many sorority members wearing their hair in natural styles. As a result of happening upon the 2016 video that is presented below, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.
The videos that are featured in this particular post show members of this sorority's chapter wearing their hair in a diversity of styles- except very closely cropped or bald. I applaud this diversity.
These featured videos are presented without comments except for those that mention the hair styles worn by a woman, or women in that video.
*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...
Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Delta Sigma Theta
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
****
FIVE SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE'S DISCUSSION THREAD
As some background to the videos featured in this post, here are five selected comments from a 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural:
From http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla, Oct. 2, 2013
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: These comments are given in no particular order and are all dated October 2013. Numbers have been assigned for referencing purposes only.]
1. tiffany, Los Angeles
"I know Dante DeBlasio*'s afro makes this a timely piece, but natural hair styles, including the afro is a "trend" about 20 years in the making.
For many in the academic and Afro-centric communities, and low-maintenance women like my auntie, it never really died. But this most recent resurgence began in the mid-to-late 1990s -- about the same time weird rappers and neo-soul became a thing. I was definitely not the only black woman in DC wearing a teeny weeny afro in 1994.
Even if it's not acknowledged as such, this natural hair movement is really is an outgrowth of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Those earlier movements did the hard cultural work of shifting beauty norms. Gen X and those behind us get to wear the hair without the same kinds of assumptions about militancy."
-snip-
Dante De Blasio is the mixed race (Black/White) son of Bill De Blasio, the current mayor of New York City.
**
2. Melanie Columbus, Ohio
"I wear my hair natural, and so does my 11 year-old daughter because it's easy and inexpensive to maintain. We can swim and sweat from exercise with no worries about ruining expensive, elaborate styles. We straighten our hair occasionally, just for a change now and then, but most days it's natural; and I get compliments from everyone (Black, White, male, female) almost daily when I don't wear it straight."
**
3. Marcos, New York City
"Whether it is the writer of this article, and/or some the kids sporting them, it is naive to think that a large afro is no longer read as a political and social statement. Wear a big afro outside of a big city and analyze the reaction.
It is also interesting to hear commentators chastising black women for straightening or weaving their hair, but no such statements about white women dying, curling and straightening their hair.
**
4. Felice, California
"I am SO sick and tired of the conversation about Black women and our hair!!! I AM NOT MY HAIR. WE ARE NOT OUR HAIR. We are so beautiful, sexy, intelligent, versatile, and nuanced! Why in the heck do people keep reducing us to hair? Non-Black women do whatever they want with their hair, and no one complains generally. The way to liberate Black women is not by publically criticizing them for their hairstyle choices. Acceptance is the key. Some women look fabulous with natural hair, fantastic in braids, and beautiful in weave. It really doesn’t matter at the end of the day? And, no, wearing weaves or extensions is not always evidence of low self-esteem. Sometimes, those options are just easier, sassier, and more fun!! I happen to choose what is easiest for me. On the East Coast, that has been wearing a weave at times due to the weather and the lack of salon services available for Black women (ahem . . .Boston). Caring for natural hair is no walk in the park. It requires dedication, patience, and money to keep buying the best products (natural or not). It boils down to this: allow Black women to do what they want with their hair. There are so many societal problems today that we cannot afford to be preoccupied with hair. Let’s feed some folks, keep folks employed, educate our youth, learn how to manage money, erase racism, and make sure all people have access to medical care.
Let’s celebrate all Black beauty, and move on to more important matters!
**
5. antoinette, brooklyn
"awesome article! i love the interactive feature of women talking about their own relationship to their hairstyles!
i am african-american and my mom put a relaxer in my hair when i was five to make styling easier. (and because that's what she had/thought was acceptable at the time). i let it grow out when i was in high school opting for afros and braids and then shaved my head for the final year of HS and into college. then i grew out my first set of dreds for seven years and am currently working on my second set. it seems to be the easiest style for now: the traditional femininity of long hair (that some get from a weave) mixed with the strength and clear presentation of my natural self.
also: the politics will never not be a part of the conversation, but i'm glad that the mainstreaming of weaves has de-politicized the issue for many women (especially younger generations who seem fine to sport an afro one week and a beyonce-type weave the next).
and lastly: i would have loved the inclusion of a bald/cropped hair black woman in the interactive feature though, because i think it's one style (that a large minority of black women consistently wear) that pushes against not only perceived notions of race, but also of gender/femininity."
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
The only comments from these videos' discussion threads that are included in this post are those that mention hair styles. I've added brief explanatory notes after a few of these comments.
Example #1: 2012 UMD Block Show: Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen Published on May 9, 2012
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the University of Maryland College Park Block Show
****
Example #2: 2013 UMD Block Show: Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen Published on May 9, 2013
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the University of Maryland College Park Block Show
-snip-
Here's a comment from that video's discussion thread:
bigprice93, 2013
"But nah tho, she kille dit with that knee brace; dese ni&&as* wont hold me back!!!
*ANd her locks likes dats."
-snip-
*This word was fully spelled out in this comment
“locks” = dreadlocks
****
Example #3: 2014 UMD Block Show: Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen Published on May 8, 2014
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the University of Maryland College Park Block Show
****
Example #4: 2015 UMD Block Show - Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen, Published on May 21, 2015
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the 2015 University of Maryland College Park Block Show
****
Example #5: 2016 UMD Block Show - Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen Published on May 27, 2016
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the 2016 University of Maryland College Park Block Show
-snip-
selected comments from that video's discussion thread:
Comments:
hiitsmeeeeeeeeeee, 2016
"hair was poppin"
**
Reply
Mad Marsz, 2016
"That's what I was thinking woow. So diverse! I love the deltas."
**
3Marron, 2016
"but their hair though: luscious and bomb! i was totally distracted by all the beautiful textures on display"
****
Example #6: 2017 UMD Block Show - Delta Sigma Theta
Shegaw Mekonen, Published on May 21, 2017
The sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's Kappa Phi chapter perform at the 2017 University of Maryland College Park Block Show
-snip-
This particular Block Show included a Probate (the first time new members of a sorority are introduced to the public).
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Hip Hop Group Nappy Roots' Song "Po' Folks"' & That Group's Definitions Of The Word "Nappy"
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy". Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/changing-attitudes-among-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, and Brazil. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/videos-of-black-natural-hairstyles-in.html for Part III of this series. Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
Thanks to Nappy Roots for their musical legacy. Thanks to all who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this showcased video.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE HIP HOP GROUP "NAPPY ROOTS"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nappy_Roots
"Nappy Roots is an American alternative Southern rap quartet that originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995. They are best known for their hit singles "Po' Folks", "Awnaw", "Roun' The Globe" and "Good Day". They were the best selling hip hop group of 2002.[1] The group consists of Milledgeville, Georgia native Fish Scales and Kentucky natives Skinny DeVille, B. Stille and Ron Clutch.
In 2006, Oakland, California native R. Prophet left the group, and in 2012 Kentucky native Big V aka Vito Banga also left. Both former members are pursuing solo careers.[2][3]
Biography
The group formed when the members were students at Western Kentucky University.[4] Nappy Roots' debut independent album Country Fried Cess was released in 1998, which led to the group being signed by Atlantic Records. Their first album on Atlantic Records was 2002's best selling hip-hop album, "Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz". The multi-platinum album featured the hit-singles "Headz Up", "Awnaw", and "Po' Folks". The "Awnaw (Remix)" featuring Marcos of P.O.D. appeared on Madden 2003. In their home state, Paul E. Patton the governor of Kentucky, sanctioned September 16 as "Nappy Roots Day".[5]...
Nappy Roots kicked off 2010 with their highly anticipated new album, "The Pursuit of Nappyness", released June 15, 2010.
In 2011, Nappy has teamed up with hip hop producers Organized Noize to create "Nappy Dot Org". The first single "Congratulations" made its way into cyberspace on July 13, 2011 by way of XXL Magazine and 2DopeBoyz. On October 11, 2011 Nappy Roots released their new album "Nappy Dot Org" that was entirely produced by Organized Noize.
The "Nappy Roots Presents Sh!ts Beautiful"* album/mixtape that was released on June 27, 2012 through AllHipHop.[10]"...
-snip-
*This is the spelling of that word that is given in that article.
One website that I found whose name I can't recall indicates that the name of the Hip Hop group "Nappy Roots" is "slang for hair".
It would be more accurate say that one American English definition of the word "nappy" is "a referent for afro-textured, tightly curled, kinky hair". Furthermore, the statement that the name of the Hip Hop group "Nappy Roots" only refers to hair is incomplete. The words "nappy roots" in that Hip Hop group's name also refer to being "for real", being natural, being true to yourself, and remaining true to your country [rural, down home] upbringing.
For more on this subject, read the information section below and particularly note the sentences that are given in italics.
****
Note that "Nappy Roots" isn't the same group as the Hip Hop group "The Roots" that is the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The group "Nappy Roots" also shouldn't be confused with the Hip Hop group "Nappy Headz" or the Fugees' song "Nappy Heads".
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NAPPY ROOTS ALBUM "WATERMELON, CHICKEN & GRITZ" AND THE SONG "PO' FOLKS"
From http://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/nappy-roots
..."The title they chose for the album ["Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz"] reflected these ideas. "That's what our music is," DeVille told Rolling Stone in January of 2002. "It's refreshing, it's food for thought and it's going to stick to you for a while."*
MTV.com noted that the band's cause was helped when the record company "began touting them as the south's answer to New York's Wu-Tang Clan."Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz" was certified gold (for sales of 500,000 copies) only seven weeks after its release. It went platinum (with sales of 1,000,000 copies) on the success of the singles "Awnaw" and "Po' Folks." (with sales of 1,000,000 copies) on the success of the singles "Awnaw" and "Po' Folks." MTV. com called the album "[o]ne of the better records to emerge from the new wave of southern rap."
Discussing the meaning of "Po' Folks," R. Prophet told MTV.com that the lyrics did not only speak of being poor as an economic issue. "[I]t's a state of mind. It's not so bad being poor when you've got your family and God in your life and you have different values that, when it comes down to it, matter. A lot of other things really don't matter when God is knocking at your door. That's basically keeping it Nappy."
-snip-
*Given that watermelon, (fried) chicken, and grits are often negatively considered stereotypical Southern (and in particular Black Southern) foods, the Nappy Roots' choice of that title further reflects the homage that the group pays to their Southern roots. That album title -like the group's name- is another example of the group turning what some consider to be negative into something positive.
****
From http://globalgrind.com/1731589/nappy-roots/ Nappy Roots: “To This Day, Kentucky Has Never Gotten Over What We Brought…” by Brittany Lewis, published 2011
..."How has being from Kentucky affected the band’s music?
B. Stille: I think that it was a conscious effort because we didn’t want to be looked at as ‘they’re trying to be somebody from Atlanta or they’re trying to be like somebody from New Orleans.’ We had to establish our own identity. It came natural. We had our own swag. When you’re looking at Nappy Roots, it was thirty deep when I first came to college. I couldn’t even tell you how many people were in Nappy Roots. We were just the rappers, the frontmen of it. We started a cult following. To this day, Kentucky has not gotten over what we brought to the campus.We just took that and translated that to our music and now our whole thing about just doing you and being yourself … you don’t have to fake a front. I think that’s what our whole goal is – to spread that message.
Vito: We’re very proud of Kentucky and that really shows in our music. It’s what we do. We’ve maintained our identity and our culture is the sole reason why we’re still here right now.
...How did you come up with the name Nappy Roots?
It started with me and Clutch walking to class one day in our Goodie Mob phase, it just came out. It was very real, organic music. When we came up with the idea to do Nappy Roots, not the name, but the group, me and Clutch started writing and writing. We had our own record store founded by Black college students and we put Nappy Roots on some shirts first. As we began selling music, we sold Nappy Roots shirts in the front."...
-snip-
I added italics to highlight those sentences.
****
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po%27_Folks
" "Po' Folks" (featuring Anthony Hamilton) is the three time grammy-nominated second hit single by the Kentucky rap group Nappy Roots. The beat was produced by Trackboyz. The song's signature concept, verse, and chorus was written by R. Prophet, a prolific member of Nappy Roots. Discussing the meaning of "Po' Folks," Prophet told MTV.com that the lyrics did not only speak of being poor as an economic issue. "It's a state of mind. It's not so bad being poor when you've got your family and God in your life and you have different values that, when it comes down to it, matter. A lot of other things really don't matter when God is knocking at your door." Po' Folks was released in 2002 and taken from Nappy Roots's debut album, Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz. It peaked at number 21 in the U.S. and features vocals by Anthony Hamilton who sung the soulful hook.
Anthony Hamilton's performance, as well as the success of the song, is credited for launching Anthony Hamilton's career in mainstream music .[1][2]"
****
PARTIAL LYRICS FOR THE SONG "PO' FOLKS"
(R. Prophet; Nappy Roots)
Awwww....
Mmmmm, awww..
[Chorus]
All my life been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay
All my life been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, "okay
[Big V]
We came in the game, plain ya see
Average man when the rest was ashamed to be
Nappy head and all, ain't no changin me
Ooooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh...
So rough it was, downright wrong I tell ya
Nobody never gave us nothin but tough time and made us somethin
Different stretch of road, new somethin to see
Every state on the map, a different somethin to eat
Daps and handshakes, it meant nuttin for real
Everybody makin a killin man, showin no feelins
Walkin off collectin pay, it's the way of the world
Can't change it, so I guess I'm gon' pray for the world
Sometimes I ask myself, was I made for the world?
I scream this to you, and I say it to the world
Nappy then, Nappy now - Nappy for a bit
Knee-deep, head over heels in this country sh&t!*
...
Front po'ch, chillin broke, country folk, I'm Nappy with my ways yo..."
Click http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nappyroots/pofolks.html for the complete lyrics for this song.
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in these lyrics
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Nappy Roots - Po' Folks (Video) w/Anthony Hamilton
Atlantic Records, Uploaded on Oct 26, 2009
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing date, with the oldest comment given first, except for replies. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order. I've added numbers for referencing purposes only.
2010
1. T Alexander
"I dont have nappy hair, but im nappy for life"
**
2. Cali Joe Turner
"CHILLIN BROKE, COUNTRY FOLK, MAN IM NAPPY IN MY WAYS!!!!"
-snip-
"Chillin" is African American Vernacular English for "relaxing". "Broke" here means "having no money".
**
3. fatdan172501
"this video is awesome i love seeing the blacks and whites together loving each other and chillin. there's only one homie i would trust my life with and hes a black man and i wouldn't have it any other way. and the black cowboys was hella cool lol. straight country boys. we need more rappers to show this unity instead of the resentment and hate."
****
2011
4. whool803
"the realest of the real..."
**
5. pholmes6975
"This video was filmed in my hometown of taylorsville ky, just southeast of louisville. It really doesnt get any better than small town america.... every place you go from mt. eden to elk creek, wakefield doesnt matter if people know you or not, they wave.... its a different world, and i love it!"
**
6. SoggyHotDoggy
"This song just gives you such a great feeling no matter where you come from. I've always loved it, and I'm not all that country (Kinda, but not really)"
**
7. John Moss
"these are the first rappers ever thats actually rap about stuff worth rapping"
**
Reply
8. 90piggs
"@jmossUM6 tupac- dear mama
nas - dance
nas - just a moment
biggie- everyday struggle
tupac - letter to my unborn child
tupac- unconditional love
listen to them bro , they are what rap is all about :)"
**
9. vince lance
"what makes these guys great is that are genuine, they rap from their heart not their wallet."
****
2012
10. samboy1288
"hip hop is capable of having a lot of soul and passion, and here's a perfect example."
**
11. PhatLarkin
"Nappy Roots refers to the collective of musicians. Also, Nappy generally refers to unruly african american hair, here in the states. The tight curly kind thats hard to take care of."
**
12. michael frye
"Hell yeah, thats KENTUCKY, now home of the 2012 NCAA CHAMPS. I dig Nappy Roots, and the pride they have in their ROOTS, down home KENTUCKY BOYS."
**
13. Marqus Davis
"You know its country...
how you say?
black people, overalls, and cowboy hats"
**
14. SiLenTuce808
"Living poor does give you a strong sense of character... and morals. When you struggle your whole life makes you a very conscious person. This song i knew was a hit when first heard it back in 06. Now hip hop is slipping away..."
**
15. MastaBlasta
"my folks are on food stamps, this song ain't about color except green. not having cash, just hanging in there, grinding man. great song."
-snip-
"Food stamps" is a colloquial name for a United States federal nutrition program that helps income eligibe people buy certain food.
The comment that "this song ain't about color except green" means that the blogger feels that this song isn't only about or only for Black people. Paper money (the dollar) in the United States is green.
****
2013
16. Wolfpack87063 years ago
R.I.P to the old southern Hip Hop
**
Reply
17. heatmopwho
"Exactly right my brah. I miss this time in Hip Hop. When if you were a rapper or a group with substance to your music you didn't have to be underground. I remember coming home after school and seeing this video on 106 and Park or hearing it on the radio in the car. Now a days, anybody with a message or meaning to their music gets no mainstream media airtime. It's like they put a ban on good music that spread hope and positivity and only wanna promote garbage. Damn shame."
**
18. Miguel San Martin
"Found them by looking up "Country rap" of Wikipedia. Glad curiosity got the best of me because this song is DOPE!"
-snip-
"Dope" is African American Vernacular English for "great".
**
19. DnlalorNedrob2012
"Even a city dude like myself understand perfectly how it is to struggle songs like this is so inspiring no matter how you was brought up to truly appreciate life counting all the blessing that been given to you. Thank you Nappy Roots for making good music as it should be."
**
20. The Verbal Architect
"Keep it nappy! y'all will always be crankin out hits!"
**
21. draztik
"Nappy Roots are real music.. I don't even wanna say hip-hop because they're bigger than that.. they always had something really genuine about their music that crosses all genres and different kinds of people"
**
22. c walker
"it aint about black or white. its bout po. the tie that binds."
**
23. donbrasco81
"This song is great. I'm proud to be country raised on fish and grits. NC...."
**
24. Shawn Haines
"Nappy Roots FOREVER! Fish Scales, Skinny DeVille, Buffalo Stille, & Ron Clutch! <3"
**
25. DaVido Vose
"wat a true good joint from the Nappy Roots crew. this a throwback when music was real unlike wat we hear today..."
**
26. Chogono G
"KEEP IT NAPPY!"
****
This concludes Part IV of this four part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy". Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/changing-attitudes-among-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, and Brazil. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/videos-of-black-natural-hairstyles-in.html for Part III of this series. Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
Thanks to Nappy Roots for their musical legacy. Thanks to all who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this showcased video.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE HIP HOP GROUP "NAPPY ROOTS"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nappy_Roots
"Nappy Roots is an American alternative Southern rap quartet that originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995. They are best known for their hit singles "Po' Folks", "Awnaw", "Roun' The Globe" and "Good Day". They were the best selling hip hop group of 2002.[1] The group consists of Milledgeville, Georgia native Fish Scales and Kentucky natives Skinny DeVille, B. Stille and Ron Clutch.
In 2006, Oakland, California native R. Prophet left the group, and in 2012 Kentucky native Big V aka Vito Banga also left. Both former members are pursuing solo careers.[2][3]
Biography
The group formed when the members were students at Western Kentucky University.[4] Nappy Roots' debut independent album Country Fried Cess was released in 1998, which led to the group being signed by Atlantic Records. Their first album on Atlantic Records was 2002's best selling hip-hop album, "Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz". The multi-platinum album featured the hit-singles "Headz Up", "Awnaw", and "Po' Folks". The "Awnaw (Remix)" featuring Marcos of P.O.D. appeared on Madden 2003. In their home state, Paul E. Patton the governor of Kentucky, sanctioned September 16 as "Nappy Roots Day".[5]...
Nappy Roots kicked off 2010 with their highly anticipated new album, "The Pursuit of Nappyness", released June 15, 2010.
In 2011, Nappy has teamed up with hip hop producers Organized Noize to create "Nappy Dot Org". The first single "Congratulations" made its way into cyberspace on July 13, 2011 by way of XXL Magazine and 2DopeBoyz. On October 11, 2011 Nappy Roots released their new album "Nappy Dot Org" that was entirely produced by Organized Noize.
The "Nappy Roots Presents Sh!ts Beautiful"* album/mixtape that was released on June 27, 2012 through AllHipHop.[10]"...
-snip-
*This is the spelling of that word that is given in that article.
One website that I found whose name I can't recall indicates that the name of the Hip Hop group "Nappy Roots" is "slang for hair".
It would be more accurate say that one American English definition of the word "nappy" is "a referent for afro-textured, tightly curled, kinky hair". Furthermore, the statement that the name of the Hip Hop group "Nappy Roots" only refers to hair is incomplete. The words "nappy roots" in that Hip Hop group's name also refer to being "for real", being natural, being true to yourself, and remaining true to your country [rural, down home] upbringing.
For more on this subject, read the information section below and particularly note the sentences that are given in italics.
****
Note that "Nappy Roots" isn't the same group as the Hip Hop group "The Roots" that is the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The group "Nappy Roots" also shouldn't be confused with the Hip Hop group "Nappy Headz" or the Fugees' song "Nappy Heads".
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NAPPY ROOTS ALBUM "WATERMELON, CHICKEN & GRITZ" AND THE SONG "PO' FOLKS"
From http://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/nappy-roots
..."The title they chose for the album ["Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz"] reflected these ideas. "That's what our music is," DeVille told Rolling Stone in January of 2002. "It's refreshing, it's food for thought and it's going to stick to you for a while."*
MTV.com noted that the band's cause was helped when the record company "began touting them as the south's answer to New York's Wu-Tang Clan."Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz" was certified gold (for sales of 500,000 copies) only seven weeks after its release. It went platinum (with sales of 1,000,000 copies) on the success of the singles "Awnaw" and "Po' Folks." (with sales of 1,000,000 copies) on the success of the singles "Awnaw" and "Po' Folks." MTV. com called the album "[o]ne of the better records to emerge from the new wave of southern rap."
Discussing the meaning of "Po' Folks," R. Prophet told MTV.com that the lyrics did not only speak of being poor as an economic issue. "[I]t's a state of mind. It's not so bad being poor when you've got your family and God in your life and you have different values that, when it comes down to it, matter. A lot of other things really don't matter when God is knocking at your door. That's basically keeping it Nappy."
-snip-
*Given that watermelon, (fried) chicken, and grits are often negatively considered stereotypical Southern (and in particular Black Southern) foods, the Nappy Roots' choice of that title further reflects the homage that the group pays to their Southern roots. That album title -like the group's name- is another example of the group turning what some consider to be negative into something positive.
****
From http://globalgrind.com/1731589/nappy-roots/ Nappy Roots: “To This Day, Kentucky Has Never Gotten Over What We Brought…” by Brittany Lewis, published 2011
..."How has being from Kentucky affected the band’s music?
B. Stille: I think that it was a conscious effort because we didn’t want to be looked at as ‘they’re trying to be somebody from Atlanta or they’re trying to be like somebody from New Orleans.’ We had to establish our own identity. It came natural. We had our own swag. When you’re looking at Nappy Roots, it was thirty deep when I first came to college. I couldn’t even tell you how many people were in Nappy Roots. We were just the rappers, the frontmen of it. We started a cult following. To this day, Kentucky has not gotten over what we brought to the campus.We just took that and translated that to our music and now our whole thing about just doing you and being yourself … you don’t have to fake a front. I think that’s what our whole goal is – to spread that message.
Vito: We’re very proud of Kentucky and that really shows in our music. It’s what we do. We’ve maintained our identity and our culture is the sole reason why we’re still here right now.
...How did you come up with the name Nappy Roots?
It started with me and Clutch walking to class one day in our Goodie Mob phase, it just came out. It was very real, organic music. When we came up with the idea to do Nappy Roots, not the name, but the group, me and Clutch started writing and writing. We had our own record store founded by Black college students and we put Nappy Roots on some shirts first. As we began selling music, we sold Nappy Roots shirts in the front."...
-snip-
I added italics to highlight those sentences.
****
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po%27_Folks
" "Po' Folks" (featuring Anthony Hamilton) is the three time grammy-nominated second hit single by the Kentucky rap group Nappy Roots. The beat was produced by Trackboyz. The song's signature concept, verse, and chorus was written by R. Prophet, a prolific member of Nappy Roots. Discussing the meaning of "Po' Folks," Prophet told MTV.com that the lyrics did not only speak of being poor as an economic issue. "It's a state of mind. It's not so bad being poor when you've got your family and God in your life and you have different values that, when it comes down to it, matter. A lot of other things really don't matter when God is knocking at your door." Po' Folks was released in 2002 and taken from Nappy Roots's debut album, Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz. It peaked at number 21 in the U.S. and features vocals by Anthony Hamilton who sung the soulful hook.
Anthony Hamilton's performance, as well as the success of the song, is credited for launching Anthony Hamilton's career in mainstream music .[1][2]"
****
PARTIAL LYRICS FOR THE SONG "PO' FOLKS"
(R. Prophet; Nappy Roots)
Awwww....
Mmmmm, awww..
[Chorus]
All my life been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Boys gon' be okay
All my life been po'
But it really don't matter no mo'
And they wonder why we act this way
Nappy Roots gon' be okay, "okay
[Big V]
We came in the game, plain ya see
Average man when the rest was ashamed to be
Nappy head and all, ain't no changin me
Ooooh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh...
So rough it was, downright wrong I tell ya
Nobody never gave us nothin but tough time and made us somethin
Different stretch of road, new somethin to see
Every state on the map, a different somethin to eat
Daps and handshakes, it meant nuttin for real
Everybody makin a killin man, showin no feelins
Walkin off collectin pay, it's the way of the world
Can't change it, so I guess I'm gon' pray for the world
Sometimes I ask myself, was I made for the world?
I scream this to you, and I say it to the world
Nappy then, Nappy now - Nappy for a bit
Knee-deep, head over heels in this country sh&t!*
...
Front po'ch, chillin broke, country folk, I'm Nappy with my ways yo..."
Click http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nappyroots/pofolks.html for the complete lyrics for this song.
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in these lyrics
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Nappy Roots - Po' Folks (Video) w/Anthony Hamilton
Atlantic Records, Uploaded on Oct 26, 2009
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These comments are given in chronological order based on their publishing date, with the oldest comment given first, except for replies. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order. I've added numbers for referencing purposes only.
2010
1. T Alexander
"I dont have nappy hair, but im nappy for life"
**
2. Cali Joe Turner
"CHILLIN BROKE, COUNTRY FOLK, MAN IM NAPPY IN MY WAYS!!!!"
-snip-
"Chillin" is African American Vernacular English for "relaxing". "Broke" here means "having no money".
**
3. fatdan172501
"this video is awesome i love seeing the blacks and whites together loving each other and chillin. there's only one homie i would trust my life with and hes a black man and i wouldn't have it any other way. and the black cowboys was hella cool lol. straight country boys. we need more rappers to show this unity instead of the resentment and hate."
****
2011
4. whool803
"the realest of the real..."
**
5. pholmes6975
"This video was filmed in my hometown of taylorsville ky, just southeast of louisville. It really doesnt get any better than small town america.... every place you go from mt. eden to elk creek, wakefield doesnt matter if people know you or not, they wave.... its a different world, and i love it!"
**
6. SoggyHotDoggy
"This song just gives you such a great feeling no matter where you come from. I've always loved it, and I'm not all that country (Kinda, but not really)"
**
7. John Moss
"these are the first rappers ever thats actually rap about stuff worth rapping"
**
Reply
8. 90piggs
"@jmossUM6 tupac- dear mama
nas - dance
nas - just a moment
biggie- everyday struggle
tupac - letter to my unborn child
tupac- unconditional love
listen to them bro , they are what rap is all about :)"
**
9. vince lance
"what makes these guys great is that are genuine, they rap from their heart not their wallet."
****
2012
10. samboy1288
"hip hop is capable of having a lot of soul and passion, and here's a perfect example."
**
11. PhatLarkin
"Nappy Roots refers to the collective of musicians. Also, Nappy generally refers to unruly african american hair, here in the states. The tight curly kind thats hard to take care of."
**
12. michael frye
"Hell yeah, thats KENTUCKY, now home of the 2012 NCAA CHAMPS. I dig Nappy Roots, and the pride they have in their ROOTS, down home KENTUCKY BOYS."
**
13. Marqus Davis
"You know its country...
how you say?
black people, overalls, and cowboy hats"
**
14. SiLenTuce808
"Living poor does give you a strong sense of character... and morals. When you struggle your whole life makes you a very conscious person. This song i knew was a hit when first heard it back in 06. Now hip hop is slipping away..."
**
15. MastaBlasta
"my folks are on food stamps, this song ain't about color except green. not having cash, just hanging in there, grinding man. great song."
-snip-
"Food stamps" is a colloquial name for a United States federal nutrition program that helps income eligibe people buy certain food.
The comment that "this song ain't about color except green" means that the blogger feels that this song isn't only about or only for Black people. Paper money (the dollar) in the United States is green.
****
2013
16. Wolfpack87063 years ago
R.I.P to the old southern Hip Hop
**
Reply
17. heatmopwho
"Exactly right my brah. I miss this time in Hip Hop. When if you were a rapper or a group with substance to your music you didn't have to be underground. I remember coming home after school and seeing this video on 106 and Park or hearing it on the radio in the car. Now a days, anybody with a message or meaning to their music gets no mainstream media airtime. It's like they put a ban on good music that spread hope and positivity and only wanna promote garbage. Damn shame."
**
18. Miguel San Martin
"Found them by looking up "Country rap" of Wikipedia. Glad curiosity got the best of me because this song is DOPE!"
-snip-
"Dope" is African American Vernacular English for "great".
**
19. DnlalorNedrob2012
"Even a city dude like myself understand perfectly how it is to struggle songs like this is so inspiring no matter how you was brought up to truly appreciate life counting all the blessing that been given to you. Thank you Nappy Roots for making good music as it should be."
**
20. The Verbal Architect
"Keep it nappy! y'all will always be crankin out hits!"
**
21. draztik
"Nappy Roots are real music.. I don't even wanna say hip-hop because they're bigger than that.. they always had something really genuine about their music that crosses all genres and different kinds of people"
**
22. c walker
"it aint about black or white. its bout po. the tie that binds."
**
23. donbrasco81
"This song is great. I'm proud to be country raised on fish and grits. NC...."
**
24. Shawn Haines
"Nappy Roots FOREVER! Fish Scales, Skinny DeVille, Buffalo Stille, & Ron Clutch! <3"
**
25. DaVido Vose
"wat a true good joint from the Nappy Roots crew. this a throwback when music was real unlike wat we hear today..."
**
26. Chogono G
"KEEP IT NAPPY!"
****
This concludes Part IV of this four part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Friday, October 28, 2016
Videos Of Black Natural Hairstyles In Ivory Coast, Kenya, Brazil, & The United States
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part III of a four part series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere. Selected comments from these video's discussion threads are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/changing-attitudes-among-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, and Brazil. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/hip-hop-group-nappy-roots-song-po-folks.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes.
Thanks to those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these embedded videos.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Happy Nappy [Ivory Coast, West Africa]
Mariam Diaby, Published on Apr 19, 2014
-snip-
Here are selected videos from this video's discussion thread:
2015
Darrin Jackson
"I love the natural hair. Keep on Keeping on!"
**
Pretti Uneekhair
"Awesome I Just read your article on CNN! Sooo glad to hear about your group! I subed and hope to experience "natural hair across the world" from you and the group!"
**
Kamau Kirikou Re'Xi
"Love and honor to you all who embrace, love and honor your natural beauty."
****
Example #2: Natural Hair [Kenya, East Africa]
Kenya CitizenTV, Published on Aug 3, 2014
Beauty they say is in the eyes of the beholder but for some it appears, a woman’s beauty is in her hair. And it is because of that the hair styling and beauty industry is a multibillion dollar enterprise worldwide. And whilst debate continues on just what makes hair beautiful and whether women should wear artificial hair or apply chemicals on their hair, there appears to be a growing trend among women to go natural, or in their words to return to one’s roots. Just what do the men think of this trend? Evelyn Wambui sort to find out that as well as several other perspectives that inform the natural hair debate.
-snip-
Here are two comments from that video's discussion thread:
NydiaSimone TV, 2016
"I couldn't understand what the men said! Someone please translate for me!"
**
Reply
originalathenah, 2016
"+NydiaSimone TV--- One of them said that if they get their hair cut, they will look like them (like men), the last one said that he loves a woman with natural hair, her own hair. Leave the wigs alone, because every time she cooks for you she´s removing hair from her mouth all the time, and every weekend it´s the salon. Natural hair!"
****
Example #2: Afro Hair Pride March Brazil - Marcha do Orgulho Crespo Brasil [Brazil, South America]
Marcha do Orgulho Crespo Brasil, Published on Oct 30, 2015
The purpose of the 1st Afro Hair Pride March is to celebrate our natural hair texture as being part of the black identity, especially for women as a means of empowerment. It was organized by Blog das Cabeludas and Hot Pente, took about one thousand people to the streets of São Paulo to celebrate natural hair beauty as a symbol of resistance and to protest against racism. The event happened in July, 26.
FOLLOW Marcha do Orgulho Crespo Brasil on Facebook: ttps://goo.gl/thrjGT
E-mail: orgulhocrespo@gmail.com
Instagram: @orgulhocrespobr
Twitter: @orgulhocrespo
-snip-
Here are a complete sub-thread (as of the date of this post's publication) from this video's discussion thread. All of these comments are from 2016. I've added numbers for referencing purposes only:
1. DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin
"NOW ONLY IF THIS MOVEMENT COULD SPREAD UP TO THE U.S."
**
Reply
2. Alexander Black
"DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin Do you live or have even been to the US this movement has been happening here....black men and women everywhere are embracing their hair. I live in the south and I see more black people wearing their natural hair than any other form."
**
Reply
3. watchulla
"Where have you been or moment was in the 70's"
-snip-
That blogger's comment probably means "Where have you been? Our [the United State's Black natural hair] movement [began] in the 1970s.
**
Reply
4. DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin
"ALEXANDER AND WATCHULLA YES I LIVE IN THE SOUTH.THE WEAVE INDUSTRY IS THRIVING WELL OFF THE MONEY FROM THESE SISTAHS.CANT PULL THE WOOL OVER MY EYES."
**
Reply
5. MisMupp
"DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin Do me a favor and type in natural hair in the YouTube search and see tons of videos pop up from US women. I live in the South too near NOLA. I've been natural nearly a decade. Most of my family is natural and it's extremely common in my area. where I live they even have natural hair events where they have stylists doing tutorials, vendors selling products, people swapping products etc. Not to mention if you go to Target, Walgreens, Sally's there are tons of brands geared to natural hair like Shea Moisture, Kinky Curly, talia Waajid, Curls, Mixed Chicks, Jane Carter. Even traditionallyrelaxed brands like Dark and Lovely are making natural lines because relaxer sales have tanked. So to say it hasn't taken off in US is untrue. maybe you need to get out more."
**
Reply
6. DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin
"I AGREE THERE ARE PLENTY OF VIDEOS UP SHOWING NATURAL HAIR.NOW DO MII A FAVOR.LOOK UP THE AMOUNT OF MONEY BLACK WOMEN SPEND ON WEAVES EACH YEAR.THEN YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY I SAID WHAT I SAID."
**
Reply
7. MisMupp
"DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin You said you wished the movement would spread to the US. The overwhelming majority of natural hair bloggers and vloggers are from the US. Most natural hair products made in US. If there weren't that many US women with natural hair they wouldn't have the huge following and sales like they do. It's called supply and demand. As someone who speaks more than one language I can tell you the on slot of black women stopping with relaxers mostly started in the US and spread to other areas. Not the other way around. I watch videos in Portuguese and Spanish and I watch English speaking people from the U.K., Caribbean and Africa. I have heard many of them talk about how they were inspired by US black women to embrace their texture and big chop. SO DON'T GIVE ME THERE IS NO MOVEMENT HERE. While I don't buy hair, looking up weave sales is comparing apples to oranges. being natural means you don't use chemicals in your hair. Just because you see someone in extensions or a sewin doesn't mean they relax their hair or that they always wear fake hair. Natural is no texture altering chemicals. As I said where I live I see black women every day who are wearing their natural hair out. When I first went natural nearly a decade ago it was not like that and I had to order stuff on line that I can now buy in the store.
**
8. MsSweetMolasses
"Natural Hair movement started in America first then it went global."
****
Example #4: 20 Natural Hairstyles for Teens and College Students [United States of America]
Cassidy Dixon, Published on Jul 30, 2016
Music:
www.soundcloud.com/workthatcassmusic
-snip-
Here are a few comments from that video's discussion thread.
2016
Skye Stewart
"Was your hair blown out when you did these hair styles?"
**
Reply
Cassidy Dixon
"+Skye Stewart No, Twist Out"
-snip-
blown out = wet hair dried with an electric blow dryer
twist out- the hair is twisted (plaited/braided) at night and then the plaits/braids are taken out and the hair is worn uncombed.
**
Tiana Jackson
"GIRL ya melanin and hair is POPPIN!"
-snip-
"Melanin" here means skin color (complexion). "Poppin" (:popping") means it is "hot" (great).
**
Connected One
"Gotta love it! ! Black Women Loving the Skin their in...#BlackGirlsRock"
**
Albus Dumbledore
"You hair pattern is amazing!!! Did u twist it or anything?"
**
Reply
megagymnast676
"She said it was a worn out twist out"
-snip-
Hair pattern = hair texture; hair type . This used to be called the “grade of hair”. I'm glad that term is no longer used. I remember hearing that (most) Black people had a "bad grade" of hair.
**
Cristle
"how many years post relaxer are you, and is this your curl pattern?"
**
Reply
Cassidy Dixon
"+Cristle I never had a relaxer"
-snip-
relaxer= chemical treatment to temporarily “relax” ("straighten") the natural hair curls/kinks
**
Reply
PhanShipperWithFro
"she said that she was 3c/4a on another comment."
-snip-
Information about this numbered/letter Black hair classification system is given in Part II of this series.
****
Example #5: 6 Cute Ways to Style Your natural TWA 3c 4a 4b & 4c friendly [United States of America]
Markia Daily, Published on Jul 6, 2016
DISCLAIMER: The small white buds in my hair is the build up of both products used( gel and leave in conditioner). When 2 products don't have the same base they don't mix well.
DETAILS
Hi Guys, So today i decided to show you 6 styles I do with my TWA. [Teeny weeny afro] For everyone who has a Teenie Weenie Afro knows its difficult to style it, because its so short and you don't know what to do with it. Been there Done that. I got sick of the regular curly fro after a week so I started to play around and experiment with my hair and came up with these 6 styles. They're different and easy to achieve. I hope this video helps.
1.) The Wash N Go Revival is reviving my 4 day old wash n go. I do [t]his by applying water to reactivate the product already in my hair.
2.) The Side Part is pretty self Explanatory, lol.
3.)The Afro is my curls and kinks being picked out.
4.)The half up is like wearing back fro but instead I sleek the sides down and pin the top half up.
5.) The back Fro is my edges sleeked back but the back of hair is in an Afro.
6.) The Sleek Slick Back is brushing ALL of hair down and to the back. xoxo Markia Daily
Products Used:
Spray bottle ( filled with water)
Cantu Shea Leave In Conditioner
Detangler comb
Soft Bristle Brush
Hard Bristle Brush
Olive Oil ECO Styler Gel
-snip-
Click http://www.curlynikki.com/2015/08/curly-only-while-wet-type-4-wash-and-go.html for suggestions about wash n go hairstyles for the above listed hair textures.
-snip-
Descriptions for the numbered and letter hair classification system are given in Part II of this series.
To briefly summarize, a lot of the online articles that I've read indicate that most African Americans' hair pattern is either #3 or #4. Those numbers are divided into sub-categories. However, a person can naturally have more than one hair pattern.
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
2016
Jahna Trapp
"hi when did you big chop? I did mine June 2nd 2016 and I just want someone I can keep progress with and my hair is 4a like yours so it's perfect lol."
-snip-
"The big chop" is a term that refers to getting all of your permed (chemically straightened) hair cut off. Everyone who "goes natural" (or returns their hair to its natural condition) doesn't do a big chop, but might cut some of their hair, and/or wait until the perm gets out of (the rest of) their hair.
**
Reply
Markia Daily
"Hi! I did my big Chop in April but I colored it and cut it shorter in June."
-snip-
Notice that people who "go natural" may still color (dye) their hair.
**
Reply
Markia Daily
"+Jahna Trapp I'm a 3c/4a"
**
Reply
Jahna Trapp
"+Markia Daily aight got it thanks."
**
Geraldine Ezeokeke
"this will not work on 4c hair"
**
Reply
Markia Daily
"Geraldine Ezeokeke tried it out on a friend, it definitely will."
**
Kelly D
"I'm so glad I found this video today. I big chopped a couple days ago and needed to get some inspiration for styles. :)"
****
This concludes Part III of this four part series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Example #5:
This is Part III of a four part series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere. Selected comments from these video's discussion threads are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/changing-attitudes-among-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, and Brazil. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/hip-hop-group-nappy-roots-song-po-folks.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes.
Thanks to those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these embedded videos.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Happy Nappy [Ivory Coast, West Africa]
Mariam Diaby, Published on Apr 19, 2014
-snip-
Here are selected videos from this video's discussion thread:
2015
Darrin Jackson
"I love the natural hair. Keep on Keeping on!"
**
Pretti Uneekhair
"Awesome I Just read your article on CNN! Sooo glad to hear about your group! I subed and hope to experience "natural hair across the world" from you and the group!"
**
Kamau Kirikou Re'Xi
"Love and honor to you all who embrace, love and honor your natural beauty."
****
Example #2: Natural Hair [Kenya, East Africa]
Kenya CitizenTV, Published on Aug 3, 2014
Beauty they say is in the eyes of the beholder but for some it appears, a woman’s beauty is in her hair. And it is because of that the hair styling and beauty industry is a multibillion dollar enterprise worldwide. And whilst debate continues on just what makes hair beautiful and whether women should wear artificial hair or apply chemicals on their hair, there appears to be a growing trend among women to go natural, or in their words to return to one’s roots. Just what do the men think of this trend? Evelyn Wambui sort to find out that as well as several other perspectives that inform the natural hair debate.
-snip-
Here are two comments from that video's discussion thread:
NydiaSimone TV, 2016
"I couldn't understand what the men said! Someone please translate for me!"
**
Reply
originalathenah, 2016
"+NydiaSimone TV--- One of them said that if they get their hair cut, they will look like them (like men), the last one said that he loves a woman with natural hair, her own hair. Leave the wigs alone, because every time she cooks for you she´s removing hair from her mouth all the time, and every weekend it´s the salon. Natural hair!"
****
Example #2: Afro Hair Pride March Brazil - Marcha do Orgulho Crespo Brasil [Brazil, South America]
Marcha do Orgulho Crespo Brasil, Published on Oct 30, 2015
The purpose of the 1st Afro Hair Pride March is to celebrate our natural hair texture as being part of the black identity, especially for women as a means of empowerment. It was organized by Blog das Cabeludas and Hot Pente, took about one thousand people to the streets of São Paulo to celebrate natural hair beauty as a symbol of resistance and to protest against racism. The event happened in July, 26.
FOLLOW Marcha do Orgulho Crespo Brasil on Facebook: ttps://goo.gl/thrjGT
E-mail: orgulhocrespo@gmail.com
Instagram: @orgulhocrespobr
Twitter: @orgulhocrespo
-snip-
Here are a complete sub-thread (as of the date of this post's publication) from this video's discussion thread. All of these comments are from 2016. I've added numbers for referencing purposes only:
1. DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin
"NOW ONLY IF THIS MOVEMENT COULD SPREAD UP TO THE U.S."
**
Reply
2. Alexander Black
"DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin Do you live or have even been to the US this movement has been happening here....black men and women everywhere are embracing their hair. I live in the south and I see more black people wearing their natural hair than any other form."
**
Reply
3. watchulla
"Where have you been or moment was in the 70's"
-snip-
That blogger's comment probably means "Where have you been? Our [the United State's Black natural hair] movement [began] in the 1970s.
**
Reply
4. DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin
"ALEXANDER AND WATCHULLA YES I LIVE IN THE SOUTH.THE WEAVE INDUSTRY IS THRIVING WELL OFF THE MONEY FROM THESE SISTAHS.CANT PULL THE WOOL OVER MY EYES."
**
Reply
5. MisMupp
"DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin Do me a favor and type in natural hair in the YouTube search and see tons of videos pop up from US women. I live in the South too near NOLA. I've been natural nearly a decade. Most of my family is natural and it's extremely common in my area. where I live they even have natural hair events where they have stylists doing tutorials, vendors selling products, people swapping products etc. Not to mention if you go to Target, Walgreens, Sally's there are tons of brands geared to natural hair like Shea Moisture, Kinky Curly, talia Waajid, Curls, Mixed Chicks, Jane Carter. Even traditionallyrelaxed brands like Dark and Lovely are making natural lines because relaxer sales have tanked. So to say it hasn't taken off in US is untrue. maybe you need to get out more."
**
Reply
6. DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin
"I AGREE THERE ARE PLENTY OF VIDEOS UP SHOWING NATURAL HAIR.NOW DO MII A FAVOR.LOOK UP THE AMOUNT OF MONEY BLACK WOMEN SPEND ON WEAVES EACH YEAR.THEN YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY I SAID WHAT I SAID."
**
Reply
7. MisMupp
"DerekDaCadillacQadafi Ficklin You said you wished the movement would spread to the US. The overwhelming majority of natural hair bloggers and vloggers are from the US. Most natural hair products made in US. If there weren't that many US women with natural hair they wouldn't have the huge following and sales like they do. It's called supply and demand. As someone who speaks more than one language I can tell you the on slot of black women stopping with relaxers mostly started in the US and spread to other areas. Not the other way around. I watch videos in Portuguese and Spanish and I watch English speaking people from the U.K., Caribbean and Africa. I have heard many of them talk about how they were inspired by US black women to embrace their texture and big chop. SO DON'T GIVE ME THERE IS NO MOVEMENT HERE. While I don't buy hair, looking up weave sales is comparing apples to oranges. being natural means you don't use chemicals in your hair. Just because you see someone in extensions or a sewin doesn't mean they relax their hair or that they always wear fake hair. Natural is no texture altering chemicals. As I said where I live I see black women every day who are wearing their natural hair out. When I first went natural nearly a decade ago it was not like that and I had to order stuff on line that I can now buy in the store.
**
8. MsSweetMolasses
"Natural Hair movement started in America first then it went global."
****
Example #4: 20 Natural Hairstyles for Teens and College Students [United States of America]
Cassidy Dixon, Published on Jul 30, 2016
Music:
www.soundcloud.com/workthatcassmusic
-snip-
Here are a few comments from that video's discussion thread.
2016
Skye Stewart
"Was your hair blown out when you did these hair styles?"
**
Reply
Cassidy Dixon
"+Skye Stewart No, Twist Out"
-snip-
blown out = wet hair dried with an electric blow dryer
twist out- the hair is twisted (plaited/braided) at night and then the plaits/braids are taken out and the hair is worn uncombed.
**
Tiana Jackson
"GIRL ya melanin and hair is POPPIN!"
-snip-
"Melanin" here means skin color (complexion). "Poppin" (:popping") means it is "hot" (great).
**
Connected One
"Gotta love it! ! Black Women Loving the Skin their in...#BlackGirlsRock"
**
Albus Dumbledore
"You hair pattern is amazing!!! Did u twist it or anything?"
**
Reply
megagymnast676
"She said it was a worn out twist out"
-snip-
Hair pattern = hair texture; hair type . This used to be called the “grade of hair”. I'm glad that term is no longer used. I remember hearing that (most) Black people had a "bad grade" of hair.
**
Cristle
"how many years post relaxer are you, and is this your curl pattern?"
**
Reply
Cassidy Dixon
"+Cristle I never had a relaxer"
-snip-
relaxer= chemical treatment to temporarily “relax” ("straighten") the natural hair curls/kinks
**
Reply
PhanShipperWithFro
"she said that she was 3c/4a on another comment."
-snip-
Information about this numbered/letter Black hair classification system is given in Part II of this series.
****
Example #5: 6 Cute Ways to Style Your natural TWA 3c 4a 4b & 4c friendly [United States of America]
Markia Daily, Published on Jul 6, 2016
DISCLAIMER: The small white buds in my hair is the build up of both products used( gel and leave in conditioner). When 2 products don't have the same base they don't mix well.
DETAILS
Hi Guys, So today i decided to show you 6 styles I do with my TWA. [Teeny weeny afro] For everyone who has a Teenie Weenie Afro knows its difficult to style it, because its so short and you don't know what to do with it. Been there Done that. I got sick of the regular curly fro after a week so I started to play around and experiment with my hair and came up with these 6 styles. They're different and easy to achieve. I hope this video helps.
1.) The Wash N Go Revival is reviving my 4 day old wash n go. I do [t]his by applying water to reactivate the product already in my hair.
2.) The Side Part is pretty self Explanatory, lol.
3.)The Afro is my curls and kinks being picked out.
4.)The half up is like wearing back fro but instead I sleek the sides down and pin the top half up.
5.) The back Fro is my edges sleeked back but the back of hair is in an Afro.
6.) The Sleek Slick Back is brushing ALL of hair down and to the back. xoxo Markia Daily
Products Used:
Spray bottle ( filled with water)
Cantu Shea Leave In Conditioner
Detangler comb
Soft Bristle Brush
Hard Bristle Brush
Olive Oil ECO Styler Gel
-snip-
Click http://www.curlynikki.com/2015/08/curly-only-while-wet-type-4-wash-and-go.html for suggestions about wash n go hairstyles for the above listed hair textures.
-snip-
Descriptions for the numbered and letter hair classification system are given in Part II of this series.
To briefly summarize, a lot of the online articles that I've read indicate that most African Americans' hair pattern is either #3 or #4. Those numbers are divided into sub-categories. However, a person can naturally have more than one hair pattern.
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
2016
Jahna Trapp
"hi when did you big chop? I did mine June 2nd 2016 and I just want someone I can keep progress with and my hair is 4a like yours so it's perfect lol."
-snip-
"The big chop" is a term that refers to getting all of your permed (chemically straightened) hair cut off. Everyone who "goes natural" (or returns their hair to its natural condition) doesn't do a big chop, but might cut some of their hair, and/or wait until the perm gets out of (the rest of) their hair.
**
Reply
Markia Daily
"Hi! I did my big Chop in April but I colored it and cut it shorter in June."
-snip-
Notice that people who "go natural" may still color (dye) their hair.
**
Reply
Markia Daily
"+Jahna Trapp I'm a 3c/4a"
**
Reply
Jahna Trapp
"+Markia Daily aight got it thanks."
**
Geraldine Ezeokeke
"this will not work on 4c hair"
**
Reply
Markia Daily
"Geraldine Ezeokeke tried it out on a friend, it definitely will."
**
Kelly D
"I'm so glad I found this video today. I big chopped a couple days ago and needed to get some inspiration for styles. :)"
****
This concludes Part III of this four part series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Example #5:
Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a four part pancocojams series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, Brazil and South Africa. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.
In addition, Part II includes a bonus article about a protest in South Africa against regulations that prohibit high school students from wearing natural hairstyles.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/changing-attitudes-among-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/videos-of-black-natural-hairstyles-in.html for Part III of this series. Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/hip-hop-group-nappy-roots-song-po-folks.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.
****
The content of this post is presented for cultural and sociological purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
FEATURED ARTICLES
These articles are just a sample of online articles about the Black natural hair movement throughout the world. I've numbered these articles for referencing purposes only.
Article Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_hair_movement
"The natural hair movement is a movement which encourages women of African descent to keep their natural afro-textured hair. Born in the USA during the 2000s,[1][2] this movement is named "mouvement nappy" in French-speaking countries.[3][4][5][6]
....The word "nappy" has been subjected to denigration since the Atlantic slave trade. Thereafter, some Afrodescendants have positively taken the word back, considered in francophone countries as a backronym made up of "natural" and "happy."[3][7][8][9]
These women, called "nappy girls" or "nappies," give "relaxing"* up and let their hair grow in its natural texture. Their hairstyles can be simple or more sophisticated, by the adoption of hair twists, braids or even locks.**[3][10] Not everyone who wears their natural hair chooses to forgo all (non-chemical) forms of straightening or styling. Additionally, "being natural" does not necessarily indicate a strict adherence to any particular type of product or styling regimen; nor should it be tied exclusively with certain social or political beliefs. Women (and men) choose, or are forced into, being natural for a wide variety of reasons. Some may even not like the term "nappy/nappies."
Nappy hair: History of Afro-descendants
...Around 2005 an underground documentary film hit the independent film circuit called "My Nappy ROOTS: A Journey through Black Hairitage". The highly acclaimed film won multiple awards and played on the college circuit. With years of research, the film historically looked at the word "Nappy"; "My Nappy ROOTS" chronicled over 400 years (and 200 hours of footage) of Afro hair culture starting in Africa through the middle passage, reconstruction the creation of the Black hair industry to current day 2008. It became the definitive film on the history, culture and economics on Black hair. The urban story postulated the word 'Nappy' came from the cotton plant, the small cotton ball inside the plant was called a 'nap'. The word nappy was born because it resembled the texture of unkempt Afro textured hair. In an effort to be more acceptable socially, it was more desirable to have straight hair like the dominant culture....
Branding "Ethnic" Hair
With the popularity of "going natural," hair care suppliers have seen a rapid decrease in the purchase of relaxers, the harsh chemical hair straightener. An industry that was once worth an estimated $774 million, relaxer sales have gone down 26% over the last five years, 2013 numbers report.[82] Sales are estimated to decrease to 45% by 2019.[82]
Natural women are now spending more money on products that will achieve the best result for their hair, and hair care suppliers and markets are taking note. Black consumers represent a lucrative market for hair care suppliers, so the brands now have to adjust for the new hair movement.[82] Brands have greatly lowered their production of relaxers and instead now produce more natural-friendly products. In choosing what products to consume, black consumers rely heavily on social media to gauge results from others who have gone natural. They have done this by the use of YouTube videos as tutorials on how to use products efficiently and create reviews for potential consumers to watch. Popular brands and products include Shea Moisture, Deva Curl, and Carol's Daughter.[83]"....
-snip-
*In the context of this article, "relaxing" means to apply a chemical product to temporarily straighten hair that is not naturally straight. "Getting a permanent" is another way of saying the same thing. "Relaxers" = "perms".
**"Locks" (usually spelled "locs") = dreadlocks
****
Article Excerpt #2:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-textured_hair
....
Rise of Black pride
"In the 1800s and early 1900s, nappy, kinky, curly hair was deemed inferior, ugly and unkempt in comparison to the flowing, bouncy hair of people from other cultures," says Marcia Wade Talbert in Black Enterprise.[20] Chemical relaxers increased in demand throughout the 1800s and 1900s. These relaxers often contained sodium hydroxide (lye) or guanidine hydroxide which result in hair breakage, thinning of the hair, slowing of hair growth, scalp damage and even hair loss, according to Gheni Platenurg in the article, "Black Women Returning to Their Natural Hair Roots."[21]
In the United States, the successes of the civil rights movement, and the Black power and Black pride movements of the 1960s and 1970s, inspired African-Americans to express their political commitments by adopting more traditionally African styles. The Afro hairstyle developed as an affirmation of Black African heritage, expressed by the phrase, "Black is beautiful." Angela Davis wore her Afro as a political statement and started a movement toward natural hair. This movement influenced a generation, including celebrities like Diana Ross, whose Jheri curls took over the 1980s.
Since the late 20th century, Black people have experimented with a variety of styles, including cornrows, locks, braiding, hair twists and short, cropped hair, specifically designed for afro-textured hair. Natural hair blogs include Black Girl Long Hair (BGLH), Curly Nikki and Afro Hair Club. With the emergence of hip-hop culture and Jamaican influences like reggae music, more non-Black people have begun to wear these hairstyles as well. A new market has developed in such hair products as "Out of Africa" shampoo.
The popularity of natural hair has waxed and waned. In the early 21st century, a significant percentage of African-American women still straighten their hair with relaxers of some kind (either heat- or chemical-based)...
Terminology
In many post-Columbian, Western societies, adjectives such as "wooly", "kinky", "nappy", or "spiralled" have frequently been used to describe natural afro-textured hair. More recently, however, it has become common in some circles to apply numerical grading systems to human hair types. There are also natural haircare products used today for unprocessed, natural hair, such as Cantu, Shea Moisture, African Pride, and Carol's Daughter products.
One popular version of these systems classifies afro-textured hair as 'type 4' (straight hair is type 1, wavy type 2, and curly is type 3, with the letters A, B, and C used to indicate the degree of coil variation within each type), with the subcategory of type 4C being most exemplary of this hair type (Walker, 1997).
However, afro-textured hair is often difficult to categorize because of the many different variations among individuals. Those variations include pattern (mainly tight coils), pattern size (watch spring to chalk), density (sparse to dense), strand diameter (fine, medium, coarse), and feel (cottony, wooly, spongy).[2]
The hair texture chart below is the most commonly used chart to help determine hair types
[This chart begins with 1a and goes to 4c. Here's a portion of that chart]
1a - Straight (Fine) Very soft, shiny, hard to hold a curl, hair tends to be oily, hard to damage.
....
3c - Curly (Corkscrews), Tight curls in corkscrews. The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed together.
4a - Kinky (Soft), Tightly coiled. Has a more defined curly pattern.
4b -Kinky (Wiry), Tightly coiled. Less defined curly pattern. Has more of a "Z"-shaped pattern.
4c -Kinky (Wiry), Tightly coiled. Almost no defined curl pattern. Has more of a "Z"-shaped pattern.[4]"
-snip-
People can have more than one natural curl pattern. For example, in some parts of my head my hair pattern is probably 4a and in other parts my hair pattern is 4b.
****
Article Excerpt #3:
From http://en.rfi.fr/france/20150406-talking-hair-and-black-identity-france-hair-salon Talking hair and black identity in France in a hair salon" by Sarah Elzas Released on 06-04-2015
"For black women a hairstyle choice can be a fraught decision: Often it becomes more than a style choice, especially in France where black hair gets into questions of identity, history and politics. These questions are the focus of the Boucles d'ébène hair salon that specialises in Afros, dreadlocks and other styles of natural black hair.
"It's more than a hair salon," says Aline Tacite, who founded the beauty salon in 2013, after starting an organisation with the same name, Boucles d'ébène (Ebony locks) with her sister in 2005 to promote natural black hair in France...
Black women (and men) face the daily question of what to do with their hair: leave it natural, curly and frizzy, or straighten it. But Tacite says hair is more than a style choice: "Hair is not just something on your head, especially black hair," she says.
"It's really charged with history, culture, identity, politics. Historically, black people have been taught that the way they should wear their hair is to have it straightened."
In the 1960s, the Black Power movement in the United States turned the Afro into a political statement.
In the last few years there has been the emergence in France and elsewhere of the "nappy" (natural and happy) movement, which celebrates natural black hair: Afros, dreadlocks and other styles that do not use chemical relaxers.
But it is not mainstream, and Tacite says most hair salons pressure black women to use relaxers, whose chemicals - strong alkalis or lye - can burn the skin and damage hair...
"Some would say, hair is an accessory," she says. But she questions women's choices.
"Why do you always change your hair to straight hair? What message do you send to the world, and first of all to yourself? I believe that some women accept their black identity - African, Caribbean, French, whatever - and still weave* or straighten their hair. But I also believe that loads of women deeply do not accept who they are."...
-snip-
"weave" here means "wear a weave"= i.e. attach synthetic or real hair to their hair by braiding (plaiting) or sewing, or by glue
****
Article Excerpt #4:
From http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/africa/ivory-coast-natural-hair-movement/
Ivory Coast's natural hair movement is turning heads
By Daisy Carrington, for CNN, February 17, 2015
"(CNN)In Abidjan, hair can be a contentious topic. Many Ivorians are persuaded to eschew their natural hair in favor of chemical straighteners, wigs and extensions. Afros and dreadlocks are rarely depicted on local television, and those that wear their hair naturally can be shunned from their offices....
The tide is slowly starting to turn, however, thanks in part to the efforts of a community movement, Nappys de Babi.
The group currently hosts bi-monthly meet-ups where participants exchange stories and tips on how best to care for natural hair.
My hair was breaking and one day I just decided to clip it. It was something I just did for myself with no motivation to start a movement," says Mariam Diaby, the group's founder.
"When I started the group, I just started with three or five friends who were wearing their hair natural. We added another friend, and another, and in three months we were about 200. Today we are a group of 8,500."
Since then, the movement has become mainly one of encouragement (Daiby has reappropriated the word "nappy" to be a mash-up of "natural" and "happy", while Babi is shorthand for Abidjan). Earlier this year, members around the world sent in clips of themselves dancing to Pharrell Williams' "Happy."*
....
"It's strange, because in Africa, people are supposed to know their own hair, but we don't most of the time," notes Oyourou, who says that girls start using relaxer as early as three-years old.
[Blogger Bibi] Gnagno ** says reasons for this could be myriad. The media could play a role, as could the colonial legacy (the Ivory Coast was a French colony from 1843 to 1960).
"Under colonization a lot of things happen. You want to get closer to the colonizer because that's the person that holds the power, so you let go of a lot of things that resemble your culture," she surmises.
As to why the time is suddenly ripe for a natural hair movement, Oyourou ties it to a larger trend of national pride.
Under colonization a lot of things happen... you let go of a lot of things that resemble your culture.
[quoting] Bibi Gnagno
"In the past few years, more people want to know about their traditions and what they have," she says.
"I think hair and self esteem are linked. I know my own self-worth as a black woman has been linked to my hair and I developed more self-confidence when I started wearing it natural," she says."...
-snip-
* Here's the link to that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X3h_IKOaMU. It is also featured in Part IV of this pancocojams series.
** The article gives a link for Bibi Gnagno's natural hair blog. That link leads to a page that indicates that that blog is coming soon.
****
Article Excerpt #5:
From https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/04/brazilian-women-natural-hair-techniques
'Black beauty has a place here': Brazilian women embrace hair's curls and kinks by Zoe Sullivan and Ana Terra Athayde in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 4 August 2016
...."Brazil, the last country in the western world to abolish slavery, still struggles with racial inequality. In 2011, the census showed that over half of Brazil’s population identified as black or mixed race, but in 2012, only 6.3% of young Afro-Brazilians were enrolled in higher education. Amnesty International reported that of the 30,000 young people who are killed each year in Brazil, 77% are black. But in the last decade, the black movement for justice and equality has gathered force. Demonstrations at shopping malls across the country in 2014 testified to lower-income Brazilians’ new purchasing power. For black Brazilian women, the natural hair trend is part of this fight to reclaim their identity.
“To construct one’s black identity in Brazil, the first step is accepting your characteristics,” said Luana da Costa Fonseca, a 25-year-old student. Fonseca moved to Rio to attend the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC), and started questioning her hair-straightening habit after joining a student group for black Brazilians. “The women who have natural hair, who have gone through a transition, who have stopped straightening, I think this is the first step for facing racism.”
On the streets of Rio, Brazilian women flaunt their natural hair in a variety of styles – from rasta braids, which weave colored fibers into the hair, to dreadlocks and afros. Another common style features tight curls with golden highlights on the tips...
The natural hair trend also presents a business opportunity for Brazilian women. Leila Velez co-founded Beleza Natural, a natural hair product company, in 1993. Today, Beleza Natural has 45 salons in five different states.
Renata Morais, 31, also aims to promote black beauty. She launched Crespinhos SA to create photo books for black Brazilian children to help them enter modeling. Morais stopped straightening her hair when she was pregnant with her second child. “We were always taught that we had to have straight hair because society said that was cool,” Morais said. “But we looked for references on TV, and we didn’t see any. We only saw women with straight hair. So we thought that was right.”
As for Marinho, the fact that so many Brazilian women are embracing their natural hair only affirms what she’s known along along: “Black beauty has a place here,” she said."
****
Article Excerpt #6
From http://blackgirllonghair.com/2015/03/the-budding-natural-hair-movement-in-south-africa/ True Life: I Went to South Africa to Experience the Budding Natural Hair Movement, by Classy Kinks, March 29, 2015
"There have been a few spotlights on natural hair’s rise in popularity in different African countries, such as the Ivory Coast, but rarely do we get accounts of the movement from the perspective of folks who are familiar with the movement here. Luckily, I had the opportunity to visit Johannesburg, South Africa a few weeks ago and get an inside look into the up and coming natural hair movement at the Johannesburg Natural Hair Meetup.
Although the natural hair movement is only a few years old and has yet to gain traction amongst college-aged youth, there were a variety of natural hairstyles that I observed both on the streets and at the event. In the streets of Joburg, the most popular natural hairstyle was a cropped Caesar haircut, about a half an inch off the scalp. A good number of both men and women had dreadlocks, a higher percentage even in natural hair meccas like New York City and cornrows and braids were also very popular. Longer loose natural hairstyles past TWA length were few and far between, and I saw maybe four women with crochet braids, but most were worn undefined, not dipped and curled like we’re fond of doing here in the US. Surprisingly, unlike in West Africa, very few women wore head coverings, both in the downtown business district and in the more hip neighborhood of Braamfontein.
At the event, there was a mix of fros, twistouts, locks, cornrows and a few braids. "...
-snip-
That article includes some photographs from that event.
****
BONUS EXCERPT
This excerpt provides information about a protest against regulations prohibiting Black natural hairstyles at a South African high school.
From http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/06/492417635/a-ban-on-black-hairstyles-raises-deeper-issues-about-race
Decrying Hair Rule, South African Students Demand To Be 'Naturally Who We Are'
by Alan Greenblatt, September 6, 2016
...."Last month, black students at the prestigious Pretoria High School for Girls protested a clause in the school's code of conduct that banned wide cornrows, braids and dreadlocks. It wasn't a new policy, and many South African schools have enforced similar rules before. But this time, girls pushed back — and their complaints touched a nerve.
The school, which was an all-white institution until the mid-1990s, dropped the restrictions a few days later — but not before triggering a debate across the country.
"They make it out to be about grooming, but it is about race," says Lesley Chandata, a black woman from Zimbabwe who waits tables at a pizza parlor outside Cape Town.
The crux of the complaints from students and their supporters is that black South Africans are singled out for punishment or derision because of their appearance or speech....
The Pretoria High policy singled out "cornrows, natural dreadlocks and singles/braids," limiting them to "a maximum of 10 millimeters [about a third of an inch] in diameter." Violators were told to cut their hair or they'd be given demerits that can lead to suspension and expulsion. Afros were not specifically mentioned but the hair code does state that "all styles should be conservative, neat."
Tiisetso Phetla, who graduated from Pretoria High last year, told NPR's Rachel Martin that people at school would call her natural hair "barbaric" and that it looked "like a dog's breakfast" and was told to "remove that nest off your head."
"Your mood would completely change for the entire day," she said. "You'd be de-motivated for the day because they tell you that you don't look as if you belong in the school."
As is often the case in such codes, however, straight hair was not limited in such specific detail. It could be worn long if pulled back in a ponytail.
Under pressure from students and parents, provincial education minister Panyaza Lesufi suspended Pretoria High's hair clause last week. He also appointed an independent investigation into charges of racism at the school.
Still, student protests continue across the country. On Monday, about 300 current and former pupils of San Souci Girls' High School in Newlands, outside of Cape Town, met with the provincial education minister, demanding systemic changes to school policies and personnel.
Thousands of people have tweeted with the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh on Twitter, calling the code of conduct "offensive" and "absurd."
And as of Tuesday morning, nearly 32,000 people had signed an online petition calling for an end to discrimination at Pretoria High, which includes "disciplinary action" for teachers who enforced the policy and "protection" for the students who protested.
Black girls at schools around the nation complained not just about hair but being referred to as "monkeys" or "kaffirs" (South Africa's rough equivalent of the N-word) or being told by teachers to stop making "funny noises" when they speak in African languages among themselves....
"I wasn't surprised at all that this protest struck a chord with so many women," says journalist Milisuthando Bongela, who is working on a documentary about hair and black identity that will be released next year. "It is something that has been waiting to explode for a very long time in South Africa."
****
This concludes Part II of this four part series
This is Part II of a four part pancocojams series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, Brazil and South Africa. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.
In addition, Part II includes a bonus article about a protest in South Africa against regulations that prohibit high school students from wearing natural hairstyles.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/changing-attitudes-among-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/videos-of-black-natural-hairstyles-in.html for Part III of this series. Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/hip-hop-group-nappy-roots-song-po-folks.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.
****
The content of this post is presented for cultural and sociological purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
FEATURED ARTICLES
These articles are just a sample of online articles about the Black natural hair movement throughout the world. I've numbered these articles for referencing purposes only.
Article Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_hair_movement
"The natural hair movement is a movement which encourages women of African descent to keep their natural afro-textured hair. Born in the USA during the 2000s,[1][2] this movement is named "mouvement nappy" in French-speaking countries.[3][4][5][6]
....The word "nappy" has been subjected to denigration since the Atlantic slave trade. Thereafter, some Afrodescendants have positively taken the word back, considered in francophone countries as a backronym made up of "natural" and "happy."[3][7][8][9]
These women, called "nappy girls" or "nappies," give "relaxing"* up and let their hair grow in its natural texture. Their hairstyles can be simple or more sophisticated, by the adoption of hair twists, braids or even locks.**[3][10] Not everyone who wears their natural hair chooses to forgo all (non-chemical) forms of straightening or styling. Additionally, "being natural" does not necessarily indicate a strict adherence to any particular type of product or styling regimen; nor should it be tied exclusively with certain social or political beliefs. Women (and men) choose, or are forced into, being natural for a wide variety of reasons. Some may even not like the term "nappy/nappies."
Nappy hair: History of Afro-descendants
...Around 2005 an underground documentary film hit the independent film circuit called "My Nappy ROOTS: A Journey through Black Hairitage". The highly acclaimed film won multiple awards and played on the college circuit. With years of research, the film historically looked at the word "Nappy"; "My Nappy ROOTS" chronicled over 400 years (and 200 hours of footage) of Afro hair culture starting in Africa through the middle passage, reconstruction the creation of the Black hair industry to current day 2008. It became the definitive film on the history, culture and economics on Black hair. The urban story postulated the word 'Nappy' came from the cotton plant, the small cotton ball inside the plant was called a 'nap'. The word nappy was born because it resembled the texture of unkempt Afro textured hair. In an effort to be more acceptable socially, it was more desirable to have straight hair like the dominant culture....
Branding "Ethnic" Hair
With the popularity of "going natural," hair care suppliers have seen a rapid decrease in the purchase of relaxers, the harsh chemical hair straightener. An industry that was once worth an estimated $774 million, relaxer sales have gone down 26% over the last five years, 2013 numbers report.[82] Sales are estimated to decrease to 45% by 2019.[82]
Natural women are now spending more money on products that will achieve the best result for their hair, and hair care suppliers and markets are taking note. Black consumers represent a lucrative market for hair care suppliers, so the brands now have to adjust for the new hair movement.[82] Brands have greatly lowered their production of relaxers and instead now produce more natural-friendly products. In choosing what products to consume, black consumers rely heavily on social media to gauge results from others who have gone natural. They have done this by the use of YouTube videos as tutorials on how to use products efficiently and create reviews for potential consumers to watch. Popular brands and products include Shea Moisture, Deva Curl, and Carol's Daughter.[83]"....
-snip-
*In the context of this article, "relaxing" means to apply a chemical product to temporarily straighten hair that is not naturally straight. "Getting a permanent" is another way of saying the same thing. "Relaxers" = "perms".
**"Locks" (usually spelled "locs") = dreadlocks
****
Article Excerpt #2:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-textured_hair
....
Rise of Black pride
"In the 1800s and early 1900s, nappy, kinky, curly hair was deemed inferior, ugly and unkempt in comparison to the flowing, bouncy hair of people from other cultures," says Marcia Wade Talbert in Black Enterprise.[20] Chemical relaxers increased in demand throughout the 1800s and 1900s. These relaxers often contained sodium hydroxide (lye) or guanidine hydroxide which result in hair breakage, thinning of the hair, slowing of hair growth, scalp damage and even hair loss, according to Gheni Platenurg in the article, "Black Women Returning to Their Natural Hair Roots."[21]
In the United States, the successes of the civil rights movement, and the Black power and Black pride movements of the 1960s and 1970s, inspired African-Americans to express their political commitments by adopting more traditionally African styles. The Afro hairstyle developed as an affirmation of Black African heritage, expressed by the phrase, "Black is beautiful." Angela Davis wore her Afro as a political statement and started a movement toward natural hair. This movement influenced a generation, including celebrities like Diana Ross, whose Jheri curls took over the 1980s.
Since the late 20th century, Black people have experimented with a variety of styles, including cornrows, locks, braiding, hair twists and short, cropped hair, specifically designed for afro-textured hair. Natural hair blogs include Black Girl Long Hair (BGLH), Curly Nikki and Afro Hair Club. With the emergence of hip-hop culture and Jamaican influences like reggae music, more non-Black people have begun to wear these hairstyles as well. A new market has developed in such hair products as "Out of Africa" shampoo.
The popularity of natural hair has waxed and waned. In the early 21st century, a significant percentage of African-American women still straighten their hair with relaxers of some kind (either heat- or chemical-based)...
Terminology
In many post-Columbian, Western societies, adjectives such as "wooly", "kinky", "nappy", or "spiralled" have frequently been used to describe natural afro-textured hair. More recently, however, it has become common in some circles to apply numerical grading systems to human hair types. There are also natural haircare products used today for unprocessed, natural hair, such as Cantu, Shea Moisture, African Pride, and Carol's Daughter products.
One popular version of these systems classifies afro-textured hair as 'type 4' (straight hair is type 1, wavy type 2, and curly is type 3, with the letters A, B, and C used to indicate the degree of coil variation within each type), with the subcategory of type 4C being most exemplary of this hair type (Walker, 1997).
However, afro-textured hair is often difficult to categorize because of the many different variations among individuals. Those variations include pattern (mainly tight coils), pattern size (watch spring to chalk), density (sparse to dense), strand diameter (fine, medium, coarse), and feel (cottony, wooly, spongy).[2]
The hair texture chart below is the most commonly used chart to help determine hair types
[This chart begins with 1a and goes to 4c. Here's a portion of that chart]
1a - Straight (Fine) Very soft, shiny, hard to hold a curl, hair tends to be oily, hard to damage.
....
3c - Curly (Corkscrews), Tight curls in corkscrews. The curls can be either kinky, or very tightly curled, with lots and lots of strands densely packed together.
4a - Kinky (Soft), Tightly coiled. Has a more defined curly pattern.
4b -Kinky (Wiry), Tightly coiled. Less defined curly pattern. Has more of a "Z"-shaped pattern.
4c -Kinky (Wiry), Tightly coiled. Almost no defined curl pattern. Has more of a "Z"-shaped pattern.[4]"
-snip-
People can have more than one natural curl pattern. For example, in some parts of my head my hair pattern is probably 4a and in other parts my hair pattern is 4b.
****
Article Excerpt #3:
From http://en.rfi.fr/france/20150406-talking-hair-and-black-identity-france-hair-salon Talking hair and black identity in France in a hair salon" by Sarah Elzas Released on 06-04-2015
"For black women a hairstyle choice can be a fraught decision: Often it becomes more than a style choice, especially in France where black hair gets into questions of identity, history and politics. These questions are the focus of the Boucles d'ébène hair salon that specialises in Afros, dreadlocks and other styles of natural black hair.
"It's more than a hair salon," says Aline Tacite, who founded the beauty salon in 2013, after starting an organisation with the same name, Boucles d'ébène (Ebony locks) with her sister in 2005 to promote natural black hair in France...
Black women (and men) face the daily question of what to do with their hair: leave it natural, curly and frizzy, or straighten it. But Tacite says hair is more than a style choice: "Hair is not just something on your head, especially black hair," she says.
"It's really charged with history, culture, identity, politics. Historically, black people have been taught that the way they should wear their hair is to have it straightened."
In the 1960s, the Black Power movement in the United States turned the Afro into a political statement.
In the last few years there has been the emergence in France and elsewhere of the "nappy" (natural and happy) movement, which celebrates natural black hair: Afros, dreadlocks and other styles that do not use chemical relaxers.
But it is not mainstream, and Tacite says most hair salons pressure black women to use relaxers, whose chemicals - strong alkalis or lye - can burn the skin and damage hair...
"Some would say, hair is an accessory," she says. But she questions women's choices.
"Why do you always change your hair to straight hair? What message do you send to the world, and first of all to yourself? I believe that some women accept their black identity - African, Caribbean, French, whatever - and still weave* or straighten their hair. But I also believe that loads of women deeply do not accept who they are."...
-snip-
"weave" here means "wear a weave"= i.e. attach synthetic or real hair to their hair by braiding (plaiting) or sewing, or by glue
****
Article Excerpt #4:
From http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/africa/ivory-coast-natural-hair-movement/
Ivory Coast's natural hair movement is turning heads
By Daisy Carrington, for CNN, February 17, 2015
"(CNN)In Abidjan, hair can be a contentious topic. Many Ivorians are persuaded to eschew their natural hair in favor of chemical straighteners, wigs and extensions. Afros and dreadlocks are rarely depicted on local television, and those that wear their hair naturally can be shunned from their offices....
The tide is slowly starting to turn, however, thanks in part to the efforts of a community movement, Nappys de Babi.
The group currently hosts bi-monthly meet-ups where participants exchange stories and tips on how best to care for natural hair.
My hair was breaking and one day I just decided to clip it. It was something I just did for myself with no motivation to start a movement," says Mariam Diaby, the group's founder.
"When I started the group, I just started with three or five friends who were wearing their hair natural. We added another friend, and another, and in three months we were about 200. Today we are a group of 8,500."
Since then, the movement has become mainly one of encouragement (Daiby has reappropriated the word "nappy" to be a mash-up of "natural" and "happy", while Babi is shorthand for Abidjan). Earlier this year, members around the world sent in clips of themselves dancing to Pharrell Williams' "Happy."*
....
"It's strange, because in Africa, people are supposed to know their own hair, but we don't most of the time," notes Oyourou, who says that girls start using relaxer as early as three-years old.
[Blogger Bibi] Gnagno ** says reasons for this could be myriad. The media could play a role, as could the colonial legacy (the Ivory Coast was a French colony from 1843 to 1960).
"Under colonization a lot of things happen. You want to get closer to the colonizer because that's the person that holds the power, so you let go of a lot of things that resemble your culture," she surmises.
As to why the time is suddenly ripe for a natural hair movement, Oyourou ties it to a larger trend of national pride.
Under colonization a lot of things happen... you let go of a lot of things that resemble your culture.
[quoting] Bibi Gnagno
"In the past few years, more people want to know about their traditions and what they have," she says.
"I think hair and self esteem are linked. I know my own self-worth as a black woman has been linked to my hair and I developed more self-confidence when I started wearing it natural," she says."...
-snip-
* Here's the link to that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X3h_IKOaMU. It is also featured in Part IV of this pancocojams series.
** The article gives a link for Bibi Gnagno's natural hair blog. That link leads to a page that indicates that that blog is coming soon.
****
Article Excerpt #5:
From https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/04/brazilian-women-natural-hair-techniques
'Black beauty has a place here': Brazilian women embrace hair's curls and kinks by Zoe Sullivan and Ana Terra Athayde in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 4 August 2016
...."Brazil, the last country in the western world to abolish slavery, still struggles with racial inequality. In 2011, the census showed that over half of Brazil’s population identified as black or mixed race, but in 2012, only 6.3% of young Afro-Brazilians were enrolled in higher education. Amnesty International reported that of the 30,000 young people who are killed each year in Brazil, 77% are black. But in the last decade, the black movement for justice and equality has gathered force. Demonstrations at shopping malls across the country in 2014 testified to lower-income Brazilians’ new purchasing power. For black Brazilian women, the natural hair trend is part of this fight to reclaim their identity.
“To construct one’s black identity in Brazil, the first step is accepting your characteristics,” said Luana da Costa Fonseca, a 25-year-old student. Fonseca moved to Rio to attend the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC), and started questioning her hair-straightening habit after joining a student group for black Brazilians. “The women who have natural hair, who have gone through a transition, who have stopped straightening, I think this is the first step for facing racism.”
On the streets of Rio, Brazilian women flaunt their natural hair in a variety of styles – from rasta braids, which weave colored fibers into the hair, to dreadlocks and afros. Another common style features tight curls with golden highlights on the tips...
The natural hair trend also presents a business opportunity for Brazilian women. Leila Velez co-founded Beleza Natural, a natural hair product company, in 1993. Today, Beleza Natural has 45 salons in five different states.
Renata Morais, 31, also aims to promote black beauty. She launched Crespinhos SA to create photo books for black Brazilian children to help them enter modeling. Morais stopped straightening her hair when she was pregnant with her second child. “We were always taught that we had to have straight hair because society said that was cool,” Morais said. “But we looked for references on TV, and we didn’t see any. We only saw women with straight hair. So we thought that was right.”
As for Marinho, the fact that so many Brazilian women are embracing their natural hair only affirms what she’s known along along: “Black beauty has a place here,” she said."
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Article Excerpt #6
From http://blackgirllonghair.com/2015/03/the-budding-natural-hair-movement-in-south-africa/ True Life: I Went to South Africa to Experience the Budding Natural Hair Movement, by Classy Kinks, March 29, 2015
"There have been a few spotlights on natural hair’s rise in popularity in different African countries, such as the Ivory Coast, but rarely do we get accounts of the movement from the perspective of folks who are familiar with the movement here. Luckily, I had the opportunity to visit Johannesburg, South Africa a few weeks ago and get an inside look into the up and coming natural hair movement at the Johannesburg Natural Hair Meetup.
Although the natural hair movement is only a few years old and has yet to gain traction amongst college-aged youth, there were a variety of natural hairstyles that I observed both on the streets and at the event. In the streets of Joburg, the most popular natural hairstyle was a cropped Caesar haircut, about a half an inch off the scalp. A good number of both men and women had dreadlocks, a higher percentage even in natural hair meccas like New York City and cornrows and braids were also very popular. Longer loose natural hairstyles past TWA length were few and far between, and I saw maybe four women with crochet braids, but most were worn undefined, not dipped and curled like we’re fond of doing here in the US. Surprisingly, unlike in West Africa, very few women wore head coverings, both in the downtown business district and in the more hip neighborhood of Braamfontein.
At the event, there was a mix of fros, twistouts, locks, cornrows and a few braids. "...
-snip-
That article includes some photographs from that event.
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BONUS EXCERPT
This excerpt provides information about a protest against regulations prohibiting Black natural hairstyles at a South African high school.
From http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/06/492417635/a-ban-on-black-hairstyles-raises-deeper-issues-about-race
Decrying Hair Rule, South African Students Demand To Be 'Naturally Who We Are'
by Alan Greenblatt, September 6, 2016
...."Last month, black students at the prestigious Pretoria High School for Girls protested a clause in the school's code of conduct that banned wide cornrows, braids and dreadlocks. It wasn't a new policy, and many South African schools have enforced similar rules before. But this time, girls pushed back — and their complaints touched a nerve.
The school, which was an all-white institution until the mid-1990s, dropped the restrictions a few days later — but not before triggering a debate across the country.
"They make it out to be about grooming, but it is about race," says Lesley Chandata, a black woman from Zimbabwe who waits tables at a pizza parlor outside Cape Town.
The crux of the complaints from students and their supporters is that black South Africans are singled out for punishment or derision because of their appearance or speech....
The Pretoria High policy singled out "cornrows, natural dreadlocks and singles/braids," limiting them to "a maximum of 10 millimeters [about a third of an inch] in diameter." Violators were told to cut their hair or they'd be given demerits that can lead to suspension and expulsion. Afros were not specifically mentioned but the hair code does state that "all styles should be conservative, neat."
Tiisetso Phetla, who graduated from Pretoria High last year, told NPR's Rachel Martin that people at school would call her natural hair "barbaric" and that it looked "like a dog's breakfast" and was told to "remove that nest off your head."
"Your mood would completely change for the entire day," she said. "You'd be de-motivated for the day because they tell you that you don't look as if you belong in the school."
As is often the case in such codes, however, straight hair was not limited in such specific detail. It could be worn long if pulled back in a ponytail.
Under pressure from students and parents, provincial education minister Panyaza Lesufi suspended Pretoria High's hair clause last week. He also appointed an independent investigation into charges of racism at the school.
Still, student protests continue across the country. On Monday, about 300 current and former pupils of San Souci Girls' High School in Newlands, outside of Cape Town, met with the provincial education minister, demanding systemic changes to school policies and personnel.
Thousands of people have tweeted with the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh on Twitter, calling the code of conduct "offensive" and "absurd."
And as of Tuesday morning, nearly 32,000 people had signed an online petition calling for an end to discrimination at Pretoria High, which includes "disciplinary action" for teachers who enforced the policy and "protection" for the students who protested.
Black girls at schools around the nation complained not just about hair but being referred to as "monkeys" or "kaffirs" (South Africa's rough equivalent of the N-word) or being told by teachers to stop making "funny noises" when they speak in African languages among themselves....
"I wasn't surprised at all that this protest struck a chord with so many women," says journalist Milisuthando Bongela, who is working on a documentary about hair and black identity that will be released next year. "It is something that has been waiting to explode for a very long time in South Africa."
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This concludes Part II of this four part series
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