Black Woman Faces Prison For Cutting Line

Article by Les Smith

In a so-called post-racial society, we are reminded that race is still very relevant. Read more »

Blackface By Any Other Name Is Still Racist

No, that’s not a Black model in the October issue of French Vogue. In fact, there weren’t any Black models in that issue. Instead, someone (or several persons) thought it was a smart move to paint Dutch model Lara Stone in blackface. Really. In 2009. Long after public consensus that blackface is indeed racist and offensive. Really. In 2009. There she is– in blackface. I’m not sure I have much else to say.

Let’s Talk About Hair?

There is a tremendous amount of dialogue going on right now about natural hair in the Black community. Chris Rock has a new movie called “Good Hair.” Oprah Winfrey and Tyra Banks have revealed their real hair. The media seems to delight in discussing First Lady Obama’s various hair styles. I recently went natural and have blogged and vlogged about my own experience (check out my youtube channel) but I would be remiss to not point out exactly what is really going on behind all this discussion of Black women and our hair. While the media continues talking about hair and watching movies about our hair and buying new products–we’re distracted.

Don’t get it twisted, all this talk about hair ain’t just about hair. There are many political, social and economic implications to be considered when discussing Black women’s hair care. Still, while we sit for two hours in a movie theater watching Chris Rock’s new movie, our Sudanese sisters across the world are being ignored. While we contest the media’s interpretations of why we wear our hair in certain ways, crucial funding and programs are being cut across the country. Read more »