Hair Power Skin Revolution - Millfield Arts Centre

As part of Black History Month, I was invited to host a Hair Power Skin Revolution book reading event on 13th October 2010 at Millfield Arts Centre http://www.millfieldartscentre.co.uk/ based in Edmonton, North London. The event was well attended by over 80 people and two contributors read their hair story and performed a poem and I read extracts from my hair story and personal essay.

The audience participation was particularly encouraging and interactive with thought-provoking and inspiring questions being raised about the issues of hair and skin. Natural hair tips were discussed and shared and the discussion about the increasing use of skin lightening creams within the Black (and Asian) community here and in the Caribbean was informative and enlightening. (The above collage was displayed).

The line up went as follows:
Nicole Moore read extracts from The Journey So Far: An Introduction.
Daniella Blechner performed her poem Hair We Are accompanied by Amelia Parillon.
A short film, Hair We Are, made by Daniella Blechner, was screened: a poetry based comedy that follows two young girls who explore their black identity through hair.
Colette Machado read her hair story Naturally Relaxed!
Nicole Moore read extracts from a personal essay from the skin section, Are You Black or White?

Many thanks to the contributors who made the evening a great success. And of course, many thanks to the Millfields Arts Centre staff, Paul Everitt, Arts Centre Manager and Nick Coult, Customer Services Team Supervisor, who supported the event in a professional and helpful way. The venue, Millfield Cabaret, is a lovely space and I thoroughly enjoyed hosting the event there and hope to be back again sometime soon!

Photos in ascending order:
Group photo:
L to R: Colette Machado, Nicole Moore, Daniella Blechner & Amelia Parillon
Contributors:
Daniella Blechner & Amelia Parillon
Colette Machado

Skin-lightening cream adverts

Natural Lounge Meet Up - 4th Book Reading

What a great start to the month. Today, I was invited to read extracts from my book Hair Power Skin Revolution at The Natural Lounge Meet Up http://www.thenaturallounge.com/ at the Traffic Bar in Holborn, London. This is the 4th book reading that has been held. I talked about how the idea for the book evolved from a Black History Month project in October 2008, where I collected and edited black women's Africentric natural hair stories to post on a new Hair Stories Blog http://www.hairjournal.blogspot.com/ I read my hair story, A Journey to Natural Hair and ended with a poem Settling In from Louisa Adjoa-Parker, one of the book's contributors.

The agenda included an official welcome from Jennifer Jumbe of Big Idea's Networking, http://www.bigideasnetworking.com/ who also hosted the event. Girl in a Thunderbolt, http://www.girlinathunderbolt.com/ performed two of her latest tracks from her new album Seven Sisters.

After the break, Michelle Olorunda gave a talk, Caring for your Hair - The Natural Way with Naturally Nubian who also has a popular You Tube Natural channel www.youtube.com/user/NaturallyNubian.

The event was well attended by over 100 people, which generated alot of inspiring and thought-provoking debate, including Natural Hair in the workplace, which focused on one of the main reasons why people don't want to go natural is because they are afraid it is perceived as not professional for the work place. I felt that most of the commentary was positive in that women shared that often it was other black women who questioned their decision to go natural and that in most cases, natural hair is embraced rather than frowned upon.

Thanks must go to Angel Smith who set up the natural lounge website and organised the event. I'd also like to thank Anduosjahla James-Wheatle, one of the book's contributors, for her support by accompanying me and taking the photos posted above.

Waterstones' Literature Event

The 3rd Hair Power Skin Revolution book reading event was held at Waterstones, Enfield, on 17th September 2010. The event was well attended and four contributors read a rich mix of their hair story, poems and personal essays and with an eager and interactive audience, an inspiring questions and answers session followed. The line up went as follows:

Patsy Antoine read her hair story, Growing Roots
Yvonne Witter read her personal essay, Natura Politica
Dorothy Cornibert du Boulay read her poem, Jan Blan Hair
Jennifer Hooper read her poem, Skin Layer

This was the first reading event I had held in a mainstream bookshop and it felt so good to have the support of Waterstones’ staff and to be immersed in a room full of books! It was a cosy and intimate atmosphere and judging from the warm vibes in the room and the conversations I had during the break and at the end of the evening, the event was enjoyed by all.

Many thanks to the contributors whose participation enlightened us by making their work come to life in a way that just doesn’t and cannot happen when it is read to yourself. Many thanks to the audience participants, many of whom had come from far and wide, including Rosa Garman who was returning to Edinburgh on the 11pm train later that evening! (By the way, Rosa is collecting hair stories for her studies, so do check out my blog posting dated 13/08/10).

And of course, many thanks to the Waterstones' staff who supported the event and provided the refreshments!

Photos in ascending order:
Group photo:
L to R: Patsy Antoine, Nicole Moore, Jennifer Hooper and Dorothy Cornibert du Boulay
Contributors:
Patsy Antoine
Yvonne Witter
Dorothy Cornibert du Boulay
Jennifer Hooper
Group photo, courtesy of Waterstones’ staff member
Remaining photos, courtesy of Nicole Moore

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour

The Politics of Black Hair

On 30th August, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour broadcast a programme presented by Jane Garvey, which was devoted to the history, politics and colour of hair. The programme explored how hair has been used to indicate status, power and politics throughout the ages and across cultures.

I was pleased to participate in such a discussion along with music journalist Jacqueline Springer. We covered the politics of weaves, wigs and relaxers and I emphasised how I wear my hair natural, i.e. unprocessed and would advocate natural hair over the lengths that a lot of black women will go to achieve longer, smoother straighter 'good hair', using relaxers, weaves (which I tried once in the seventies and lasted only 3 days as I couldn't bear it).

I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in such a lively debate on hair and of course have to give thanks to the producer Dianne McGregor who spent quality time carrying out research by talking to me before the show and to Jane Garvey who I thought presented the show in a creative and innovative way.

Thanks must also go to Norma Treasure-Garwood, a contributor to my anthology Hair Power Skin Revolution, who informed me about the forthcoming Woman's Hour programme.

To listen to the podcast which will be listed under 30th August, please visit:

www.bbc.co.uk/womanshour

Photo courtesy of BBC Radio 4:

L-R Fashion Historian Caroline Cox, Vidal Sassoon's Hair Colour Director Edward Darley, Presenter Jane Garvey (seated), me and music journalist Jacqueline Springer.

Jilted, Circa 2005

Introducing Hannah Edeki, a new poet and writer, born and bred in London. Her work has been published in The New Black Magazine, Shangwe News and Palapala Magazine.

Jilted, Circa 2005

I have seen the yellow corydalis
Tilt its trumpet-shaped head towards
A bed of unsculptured green,
Watched the long-tongued bees veiled with pollen,
Oscillating, celebrating.

I have tasted the decadent sweetness
Of my fiancés kiss, quaint & still,
I have seen the shortcomings of a satiated soul.

I have held the arms of one believed to be strong,
Felt the weakness that punctures a wounded heart,
Jilted: I have thought about drifting
Along salty air like fulmars—

Ascending,
Migrating,
Fading.

Hair Power - Skin Revolution US review breaks

Book reviews are particularly important as they can influence a potential buyer's purchase as well as give a little insight into the book's content and style, so when Margaret Auguste, a contributor to Hair Power Skin Revolution wrote to me saying how all her friends and family are really enjoying the book and that she had shared the book with her book club and have decided to read it for their August meeting, I was thrilled. Margaret also agreed to write a review of the book.

Margaret then went on to say, 'I really think more people here in America would enjoy the book if they knew about it.' She also suggested a few valuable contact websites. Little did she know that I had make the book available in the US on http://www.amazon.com/ but of course that didn't mean people knew about it, so I followed up the contacts she suggested.

One contact requested I post them a review copy of the book, saying that he couldn't promise a review as only one in five books may be chosen . No problem, I thought and eagerly set off to the post office with the book.

Just under a week later, on 3rd August, a review was posted on The Sly Fox Film Reviews site, published by film critic Kam Williams, Voted Most Outstanding Journalist of the Decade by the Disilgold Soul Literary Review in 2008. Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications around the US, Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee and Rotten Tomatoes.

In addition to a BA in Black Studies from Cornell, Kam Fox has an MA in English from Brown, and MBA from The Wharton School, and a JD from Boston University. Kam lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife and son.

The review has now reached website audiences in Pittsburgh, Haiti, Dallas, and more. To read the full review, follow one of the links below:

http://www.kamwilliams.com/2010/08/hair-power-skin-revolution-book-review.html

http://newsblaze.com/story/20100803151347kamw.nb/topstory.html
http://theblackboxoffice.com/2010/08/hair-power-skin-revolution-book-review/
http://www.pittsburghurbanmedia.com/Hair-Power---Skin-Revolution-A-Collection-of-Poems-and-Personal-Essays/
http://www.dallasblack.com/reviews/book/brhairpowerskinrevolution
http://insideblackhollywood.com/2010/08/06/hair-power-skin-revolution-book-review/
http://www.exodusnews.com/Books/Review108.html
http://aalbc.com/reviews/hair_power_skin_revolution.html

You're Beautiful, Woman! 2010

On 7th August, I was fortunate to be at the 3rd You're Beautiful, Woman! www.yourebeautifulwoman.com held at Highgate Newtown Community Centre, London N19. This was a constructive annual event celebrating black female beauty in all its forms: fashion, hair, beauty and more. The day was packed full of seminars with a range of speakers and a vibrant market place, which is where I spent most of the day.

I was there in the name of Shangwe to promote my 3rd anthology Hair Power Skin Revolution and I thoroughly enjoyed the interest received about my writing journey and of the concept and journey of my book. The networking was particularly powerful as I met not only some beautiful women, but exchanged business cards with a lot of inspirational women, who are a great representation and testimony of the way black women are aspiring and achieving in their own right.

For example, I met:

Amina Whittey, of Cohort Learning, http://www.cohortlearning.org/ a teacher and training consultant working to ensure that our children of colour receive the best education, particularly regarding our history;

Regina Jere-Malanda, Editor of New African Woman Magazine http://www.africasia.com/ who is doing a fantastic job with the magazine. The word depth truly comes to mind; great articles, serious and thought-provoking subjects are particularly engaging and satisfying to indulge in as well as some vibrant and groundbreaking fashion;

I exchanged books with Alison Husbands, author of The Afro Hair & Beauty Bible http://www.theafrohairandbeautybible.co.uk/ a lovely book to own with secrets of how to achieve and maintain beautiful healthy Afro hair, including skin care tips and make-up brands that work best with black skin, and excellent photographic images;

Angel Smith's recent achievement in setting up The Natural Lounge, a UK website for those who wear their hair natural http://www.thenaturallounge.blogspot.com/ was a rare treat and I look forward to attending one of her forthcoming events. Her article From Relaxer to Natural is particularly inspiring as she reveals in an honest and open way how she made the decision to take out her braids and leave her hair natural. She sums it up when she says, "...I realised that most of the fears about going natural are in our own heads and not the outside world...' You can read the full article on page 29 of Lime Magazine's Caribbean Fever Edition: http://www.comelime.com/

Rosa Garman, a student at Edinburgh University who is currently writing her dissertation on the politics that surround Black women's hair in Britain, specifically looking at the motivations behind hair relaxing. More about her in a future blog posting;

Olumide Solanke, Managing Editor of ninetynine magazine, launched in March 2009. The magazine features poetry, music, relationships, health & fitness, people in the media and much more. Do visit: http://www.ninetyninemag.co.uk/

Oh and I also made sure to capture the moment with those all important photos - in ascending order, Patsy Antoine, (anthology contributor), me and Jacqueline Reid; Patsy Antoine & Jacqueline Reid.