My Top 3 Instagram Natural Hair Pages

The natural hair movement is continuously growing  thanks to social media. Naturalistas and Naturalistos are now showing off their cool curls and dope styles on apps like Instagram for all to see. Natural Hair pages  significantly contribute  to the movement while giving individuals a chance to shine. These pages feature men and women all over the world who aren't afraid to rock their natural looks. Most page owners ask their followers to mention them or write a specific hashtag in their picture captions in order to be featured. Other pages require that you send an email of your picture. Many users with natural hair blogs and or vlogs make it their mission to get featured on popular hair pages in hopes of increasing their following. I used to try to get featured but after a few unsuccessful attempts I just stopped tagging the pages. Its funny because it wasn't until after I stopped tagging and hashtagging other natural pages, that I started to get featured. How did they find me? I have no idea. But many Instagrammers have found success and continue to increase their following by sharing their looks through natural hair pages. Bellow I have listed my top 3 natural hair pages on Instagram:

 Dye2bnatural is one of my absolute favorites. It features naturalistas  who aren't afraid to rock crazy colorful styles. I get a lot of hair color inspiration from this page. I was also featured on this page. Followers typically get featured by hash-tagging "dye2bnatural".

https://instagram.com/dye2bnatural/














Urbanhairpost is perfect for naturalista trend setters . From African headwraps to colorful yarn locs, this is the place to get lost in the wonderful world of AfroPunk and other dope styles. Oh and I was featured on this page too! =) Followers are told to hashtag "urbanhairpost" or email urbanhairpost@gmail.com for a feature.

https://instagram.com/urbanhairpost/

















LuvYourMane features naturals who have one thing in common: awesome manes and the confidence to pull it off. What ever texture, style or length, this page makes it their duty to acknowledge your awesomeness. Followers are required to email luvyourmane@gmail.com for features/ inquiries.

https://instagram.com/luvyourmane/

My Hair is Unapologetic

Last week at the 2015 Oscars, the beautiful Zendaya Coleman posed for the paparazzi rocking faux locs. Of course being the hair junkie that I am, I was ecstatic about her look. However, television personality Giuliana Rancic had opposing opinions.  During the Zendaya segment of Fashion Police, Coleman stated, “ She has such a tiny frame, that this hair to me overwhelms her... like I feel like she smells like patchouli oils…maybe weed.”... Dear Giuliana,  I’m sorry that an incredibly popular style among black women with natural kinks and coils, is too “overwhelming” to be worn at the Oscars. And I’m sorry that despite the style's undeniable beauty, it reminds you of patchouli oils and weed.” Did I forget to mention that I’m really not sorry?  Apparently neither is Zendaya. The young actress addressed Rancic's outrageously offensive comments in a very profound Instagram post, stating that Rancic’s “ignorant slurs” and “pure disrespect” could not go “unchecked.” Coleman also went on to list examples of successful black figures and family members who all have locs but do not smell of “weed.” Following Zendaya’s response, Rancic posted a public apology on twitter stating  “Dear @zendaya, I’m sorry I offended you and others. I was referring to a bohemian chic look. Had NOTHING to do with race and NEVER would!!!”.... Ummmm excuse me Giuliana but it has everything to do with race and the fact that you have denied the racial undertones and have obviously not put in the effort to actually research why race is relevant, makes your apology even more lame. Not to mention it makes you look even more ignorant. 

Although many people have expressed their outrage following last week's Fashion Police, this isn’t the first instance of its kind. Several incidents have lead me to constantly ask, Why do people seem so ignorant about/uncomfortable with black hair? From elementary schools to large corporations, there seems to be a strong unwritten 0 tolerance policy for black natural hair. A couple years ago, administrators of Faith Christian academy in Central Florida threatened to expel Vanessa Vandyke, a 12 year old black student, unless she re-styled or cut her natural hair. In an interview with a local news channel, VanDyke stated, “it says I'm unique… it’s puffy and I like it that way. I know people will tease me about it because it’s not straight. I don’t fit in.” Administrators stated that her hair was a “distraction” and therefore, violated the school’s code of conduct (Daily Mail). A similar incident occurred just last year when  South Plaquemines High School of Louisiana banned a Rastafarian student from returning to school because of his dreadlocks. Despite his family’s religious reasons, administrators maintained that his hair was “inappropriate"(Black Enterprise).  

Aside from the education system, blacks constantly struggle to obtain acceptance for their hair in the corporate world. Many companies deem natural hair as “unprofessional,” “unkempt” or an overall deterrent for business. One of my best friends decided to wear her gorgeous curls out at work,  only to be confronted by her boss who stated that her hair was not professional and must be pulled up. Last year, former AEG employee Tiffany Bryan of New York was fired form her job after she refused to “tame” her natural fro (Clutch Magazine). Former meteorologist, Rhonda Lee was fired from news channel  KTBS after responding to ignorant criticism in reference to her short fro (News One). But this wasn't the first encounter Lee had at the job in regards to her natural hair. According to Lee, her boss from her previous job  at a news station in Texas asked her to wear a wig “to appeal to a wider audience” which she suggested really meant “whiter audience.”  Lee was later fired from KTBS after responding to a viewer's message on the channel’s Facebook page which stated that “the black lady that does news” should “wear a wig or grow some more hair.” The viewer then inquired about whether she was a cancer patient and stated that regardless of her situation, "it does not look good on t.v." In response to these comments, Lee expressed her pride for her African American ancestry and offered an educational lesson about black hair: that it doesn’t grow downward, it grows upwards. I was happy with this educational moment  simply because people are oftentimes uncomfortable with what they don’t understand. Black hair is just naturally different and therefore shouldn’t be penalized for simply being itself (News One, NBC News). 

In reference to black hair in corporate America, natural hair blogger, Afrobella stated,  "if you’re  in the kind of work environment where your natural appearance is being judged and called into question, or you’re being made to feel like your look is more carefully considered and critiqued than you’re performance, is that the kind of workplace that deserved your efforts and your loyalty? How much of that are you willing and able to put up with, when you know you deserve better?” (Essence Magazine). I agree with this comment 100 percent. I understand that most black people conform to the “standard” image of professionalism in fear of losing their jobs. This is completely understandable. However, this is a much bigger issue than keeping a simple job. By conforming, you are helping to maintain  the idea that black hair is “inappropriate” in our society. Instead of maintaing this idea, we should all be challenging it. We have to make decisions with future generations in mind. Don't you want your children to be free to be themselves no matter what career they choose?

But just like with any issue, people have bills to pay and oftentimes don’t have time for the fight. As for me, I will continue to fight for black hair because I believe in my natural beauty regardless of what labels society wants to stamp on it.

Sources: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2513893/Florida-girl-threatened-expulsion-afro-hair.html

http://www.blackenterprise.com/education/louisiana-school-bans-rastafarian-teen/

http://www.blackenterprise.com/news/zendaya-responds-racist-hair-comment/

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2014/06/ny-women-claims-fired-refusing-tame-afro/

http://newsone.com/2867261/rhonda-lee-weather-woman-fired-natural-hair/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/meteorologist-fired-natural-hair-controversy-talks-zendaya-n312786

Images:

http://madamenoire.com/168134/does-natural-hair-have-a-place-in-corporate-america/
http://www.refinery29.com/2015/02/82786/zendaya-giuliana-rancic-dreadlock-comment
http://newsone.com/2867261/rhonda-lee-weather-woman-fired-natural-hair/

Racism in the fashion industry

The only time I purchase name brand clothing is when I go thrifting because I know my money is going directly back into the community. If I didn’t thrift it, then it was given to me. There has been a longstanding argument that many fashion retailers and high-end designers don’t really care for groups outside of the white majority. Some have even supported the sell of blatant racially-charged products. Urban Outfitters, for instance, has be known to offend pretty much every social group that exists. I’m beginning to think it is for publicity because it has happened way too many times. In 2010, Urban outfitters displayed “Obama/Black” as a t-shit color option on their website. They also once sold a parody of Monopoly called “Ghettopoly” which perpetuates stereotypes of black communities with sayings like "You got yo whole neighborhood addicted to crack. Collect $50.” Zara has also been accused of being racist after selling  "White Is The New Black” shirts. Aside from retail, major fashion companies like Louis Vuitton, Raulph Lauren, Donna karan, Versace, Celine, Alexander Mcqueen, Calvin Klein, Chanel have long been accused of racial discrimination. There are many rumors out there but the fact still remains that blacks are underrepresented on the runway and in commercial/magazine ads for many fashion labels. They may claim to have non-discrimination policies but the lack of diversity in the fashion industry suggests that most designers wish to cater to mainly white audiences. According to Daniel Cohen, “fashion designers, merchandisers and publicists are all mainly white. So in their eyes they design clothes with white figures in mind, to sell to white folk. They, in a way, don't understand that black people buy clothes too. They think the addition of blacks brings the figure down ( unless it’s sport, a black basketball player is, paradoxically, VERY appealing.)” Many fashion designers also believe that catering to minority groups is a waste of time since they can’t “afford fashion.” It frustrates me that people of color continue to put more money into popular white labels than they put towards designers of color. If black doesn't sell, then make it sell. There are many successful black designers who support diversity in their craft and on the runway but people are too busy trying to earn the acceptance of white designers.

When addressing racism on the runway, Model Imam states that the runway does not represent the world we live in  and  that “the absence of people of color on the runways and photography reinforces to our young girls that they're not beautiful enough, that they're not acceptable enough.”  Black supermodels like Naomi Campbell have put a lot of effort into bringing light to this issue. Campbell’s former model agent stated, "I think clients have this perception that black girls do not sell products, which goes way back to the 50’s… the bar is set much higher for black models and they have to be flawless to get booked, so I cannot  afford to take them on." It is very common for black models to get turned away from runways and photo shoots after being notified that they “already have a black girl.” Apparently one token black model is more than enough.

Resources:

Image: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2013/04/op-ed-racism-on-the-runway.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/01/louis-vuitton-racial-discrimination-lawsuit-_n_5547882.html

http://thyblackman.com/2013/08/12/so-the-fashion-industry-is-still-racist/

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/17/living/models-runway-race/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/03/black-model-anais-mali-blatant-racism-fashion-industry_n_4719339.html

Black Love

"Black  love" is a common theme on social media, especially on Instagram.  Where thousands of memes get passed from user to user on a daily basis, Instagram is a primary tool for spreading cultural ideals.  According to About Tech, a meme is a "virally-transmitted cultural symbol or social idea... it behaves like a flu or a cold virus, traveling from person to person quickly, but transmitting an idea instead of a life form. According to Cecil Adams of theStraightDope.com, the concept of memes ‘is either really deep, or really, really obvious.’ “Black Love” is typically on the “really deep” side, usually expressed by an artistic image of some sort that is accompanied by a profound written message.  Memes can be created by pretty much anyone with a computer or mobile device thanks to resources like the meme generator and other similar mobile applications. Memes are a great way to tackle stereotypes and or place light on the positive aspects of one's culture. Blacks make up one of the main stigmatized groups in the world which is why many hop on the meme train to uplift their communities. 

I came up with a list of the most common types of Memes that relate to “Black Love” on Instagram:

Partnership: 

These memes promote the power of a healthy relationship between a black man and woman. The people illustrated are typically romantically involved and share the same passion for supporting each other and beating the odds.

Celebrity Models 

These memes feature famous celebrity/ historical figures as models of black love. These can be kind of annoying sometimes because we really have no idea what happens in these people's relationships. We just know that they look happy on T.V. Nonetheless, these figures continue to be the face of black love.

Unity 

These memes promote unity amongst the black race. They often show illustrations of black people helping each other or discovering their similarities.

Standards 

These memes work to set the standard for black relationships.  They typically cater to black men who are very selective when dating. The woman with the natural, the intellectual black woman,  the relationship with the "fight the power" agenda, are often put on a pedestal.

Restoring the Black Family 

These memes focus on restoring the black family by defying harmful stereotypes. When discussing the "black family" the images that often come to mind are broken homes, deadbeat fathers, uneducated parents, fathers in prison, multiple baby daddies/mothers, etc. These memes work to tackle these stereotypes by illustrating parents loving/supporting kids,  reconciled relationships, and other positive elements.

Self Love 

These memes emphasize self-love. They usually feature a black woman or girl acknowledging her physical beauty.  The natural hair movement is is one of the main influences of these messages.

Resources: 

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/weirdwebculture/f/What-Is-an-Internet-Meme.htm

http://memegenerator.net/

http://instagram.com/

Where are the scars?

We no longer live in a society in which the fight for civil rights means getting bit by police dogs or hit by water hose. Overt racism just isn’t cool anymore ( not saying it still doesn’t exist). Institutional racism … you know, the quiet, deceptive stuff that often goes undetected, is the new face of black oppression in America today. In other words, critical reading skills have become a requirement for you to get offended.  Otherwise you might miss it.

In actuality, there is more injustice on paper than it is on your local news channel... or your favorite social media feed. I can’t even count how many blacks in America I have come across who have said that they are “unaffected” by racism. They say, “Hey I never had any trouble with the police and I have a very successful career.”  I remember seeing a meme on Instagram stating something like “We bare the scars of slavery.” I found this interesting so I looked at the comments. One of them posted by a black male stated “ what scars?  I don’t see any on me.” The black female who posted the meme replied to him, stating something like “ you never been racially profiled?” and he replied “nope.” She didn’t ask anymore questions. Judging by how narrow minded his comment was and how limited her question to him was, I knew that this trending topic of  “scars” in regards to race in America was not being completely understood. Why are some black Americans reposting memes like this with praise emojis in the caption while others are scrolling passed or shouting "I can’t relate!” in the comment section?

 The reason why all black people can't relate to such a statement is because everyone has a different understanding of what a "scar" actually is. A privileged black person is oftentimes the first one to say "what scars??" since they personally may not have had direct contact with injustice. But just because you can't see it on your skin doesn't mean that they are not there.  The simple fact that our education system, voting system, job market, criminal justice system, etc function to keep the black race at the bottom is a scar.  Successful blacks often think that just because they have a well-paying job and live in a suburban neighborhood, this doesn't apply to them. This is more than just you.  Look around. If the majority of the people in your race can't seem to reach your status of success then you are looking dead at the scar. It all goes back to the laws people. Look beyond what your are experiencing personally, and understand who exactly our laws are giving the power to.

In regards to the recent incidents of police brutality, an article posted in the guardian stated that “ the call for ‘conversation’ as the solution then reinforces this idea that the legitimate problems with law enforcement vocalized by minority communities are really all just one big misunderstanding. Our political leaders should not begin to offer solutions for a problem if they won't even name it: systemic, institutional racism exists in police forces throughout our country.” Read. I can’t stress that enough. Read because there are a lot of crazy things written down with the purpose of keeping particular groups in a cycle of oppression. A viral video of a police officer hugging a little black boy isn’t going to lift my spirits more than putting a pen to paper. 

Resources:

Image: http://www.ourarchives.wikispaces.net/DTCW2

http://racerelations.about.com/od/historyofracerelations/tp/Examples-Of-Institutional-Racism-In-The-United-States.htm

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/04/problem-ferguson-new-york-america-institutional-racism