on t. D ’ Our Hair Is Not Your Pet!
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Contents: Editors Letter ................. 1 G.B Interview ................. 2
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I.B Quote ....................... 4 H.M Story ...................... 9 Editorial ......................... 10
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Song Review ................. 20 Quote ............................ 24
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Think Piece .................. 26
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E.N Poem .................... 30 3/17/18 1:07 PM
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Don’t expect smiles. Don’t expect fakeness. Don’t expect comedy. Expect real stories. Stories of boundaries being crossed. Expect straight faces that tell you more than a talking mouth can. Expect freedom from painful chains. Expect hair! And expect a whole lot of black and white, a personal boundary of mine that I decided to cross, to show how real and inartificial this is.
hannah bamgbala Zine .indd 5
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grace
bamgbala
What kind of hair would you consider yourself to have? I currently have natural hair. I stopped relaxing my hair to get it straight years ago. Are you happy with your hair? I’m content with my hair at the moment but, I know it could be better. Have you always been happy with your hair? No, I haven’t always been happy with my hair because, it was short and I couldn’t see it growing. Have you ever been bullied about your hair? No, I’ve never been bullied about it but, I know some people who have been. Have you ever felt pressured to change your hair? Yes. One time in secondary school, my hair was navy blue and they told me it wasn’t natural so I have to dye it to black. It’s funny though because, white people can dye their hair red or pink and it’s not an issue. Have people ever asked to touch your hair? Yes people have asked and it annoys me. I personally think it’s bananas. You don’t find me asking people if I can touch their hair. Are you proud of your hair? Yeah I’m proud.
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“My natural hair is silver and beautiful� i
- feoluwa
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bamgbala
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QUOTE
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“From young, I was introduced to strong hair chemicals that manipulated my hair a certain way...
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...Those chemicals burnt my scalp, so my hair no longer grows properly but, I can finally say, I love my short kinky, shiny hair.�
i
- feoluwa
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bamgbala
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best of both world’s?
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heavenly aria’s mtory s
For many years, I tried to avoid the stereotype of a “mixed race girl”. Understanding my hair took a while. I manipulated my hair with heat, plaits and buns to find what styles worked for me. I had to search far and wide for hair products for my hair because, most hair products in the shop were and still are produced for white women. This in itself caused more complications when it came to me understanding my hair because, I didn’t know what to use on it. It wasn’t until I acknowledged
“I was as proud of my hair” as I am of my heritage that I started to research more into natural products to use that were good for my hair. Through this, I began loving myself more and also started to appreciate my other features, my eyes and nose. Having my hair in it’s natural curly & frizzy state allowed me to feel empowered and reflective of those before me. Having my hair sleek and straight no longer made me feel any less of a black girl. Though the endless questions of, “Is that all yours?”, “How do you get it like that?” and “Can I touch it?” do get tiring, I embody my hair’s wild spirit and wouldn’t be me without it. 9.
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Do you like me with my hair straight?
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Am I still cute with my rough plaits?
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Or should I just rock this half and half?
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Don’t be afriad of your hair’s natural state.
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There’s power in confidence so, be confident in your hair. Wear it straight, wear it curly. Wear it large or toned down. But, all in all, wear it BOLD!
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I Am Not My Hair, is a 2005 song that was released by artist India Arie. From the start of the song, right to the very end, India Arie shares her experiences with her hair from when she was a young girl till current. Funnily enough, I personally discovered this song whilst at a black women’s hair show and feel in love with the lyrics straight away. It felt so relatable because, my hair journey, along with many others is very similar. India Arie is raw with her testimony and hair journey. The chorus, “I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am not your expectations, no (hey), I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within”, shows us that she is finally on the right track of self-love that may have been lost in the earlier stages of her life. This is personally my favorite part of the song. Because singing it made me feel strong and powerful. I Am Not My Hair is comparable to a daily, motivational, self-declaration. The lyrics can be used as positive reminders to one’s self to keep off bad energy and vibes from the negativity all around, especially when it comes to low self-esteem. It’s a reminder that you are not the things the things that make up your human anatomy but, in the words of India Arie, “I am the soul that lives within.” This highlights the importance of understanding you are more than what is seen on the physical.
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“My hair is and will always be... Zine .indd 28
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...MY hair but, my hair is not me.� - hannah bamgbala.
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Offence When It Comes To Black Women And Their Hair. Black women have had to endure the struggles of natural hair issues due to the slave mentality that has been instilled onto them and also, due to the lack of acknowledgement and appreciation to black women’s natural hair in the fashion industry and media industry. Noliwe M. Rooks wrote in her book Hair Raising that, “It appears that late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century beauty companies depended on the commonly held belief of a racial hierarchy and maintained it in their advertisements, even those aimed at an African American audience.” Regarding hair issues, I am referring to a perception that it is unacceptable and ugly being born with natural hair. Today, many women are still experiencing some of these issues. It’s easy to offend a black woman about her hair through simple things like making a comment, facial expressions, asking if you can “touch” her hair, or worse, touching her hair without asking. Some black women find that those of other ethnic backgrounds fail to appreciate or have respect for black women’s hair as well as failing to understand the horrible actions of the past, during slavery, that still follows and affects black women today.
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BBC journalist Taylor-Dior Rumble, had conversations with 6 different women to hear and find out their experiences with their hair. Before sharing their stories, she was transparent with the readers and told her own story first. Rumble shared that age 13 was the first time her mother gave her permission to finally straighten her hair with cream chemicals. She stated “I was so excited to have my hair just like all the women I saw on TV and in magazines.”. At such a young age, she was influenced by the media to believe that the standard of beauty is what she was seeing and that only. Rianna Walcott, one of the black women Rumble spoke to, quoted “Black women are not your pets.”. During her story, she mentioned, “I went to a predominantly white school and kids would stick pencils in it and bully me. It made me so angry, I still get angry now. It wasn’t a case of friends touching each other’s hair, it was them satisfying their curiosity without my consent. My hair is a symbol of pride.”. Jemmar Samuels, another black women spoken to, revealed that she had to go through the process of teaching herself how to love herself, because of all the negative she had experienced having her hair. Natelegé Whaley, a contributor for Huffington Post, wrote an article about Solange’s 2016 song “Don’t Touch My Hair”, and the meaning she took from the song. She firstly shared a personal story about one of her experiences with someone of a different race crossing the boundary of keeping their hands to themselves. Natelegé Whaley shared how whilst on holiday in South Africa, a woman pet her hair. She emphasized and made it clear to the readers that this all took place in Africa. She was horrified that this happened to her in a place where things like that shouldn’t occur. In the article, the writer mentioned, “This is just one instance of many ways black people are seen as a spectacle, exhibit or costume in the eyes of our white supremacist society and aren’t seen as fellow human beings who should be felt, understood and loved.”. Soon after, Whaley stated “Hair is used as a metaphor for our entire essence on this track”. She also went on to say that she believed that hair was the perfect symbol to use as it, as well as other factors like skin colour and body, has been watched and controlled throughout history and even up till now, where even Solange herself faced some issues. 27. Zine .indd 31
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Solange did an interview and shoot for the Evening Standard magazine about family, body politics and her move into art. Due to apparent “Layout purposes”. The real image of Solange and all her hair was not used. The original images consisted of Solange with a beautifully constructed cream, blonde, circle piece that had been created with hair and carefully attached to her head. Unfortunately, that image wasn’t used. The magazine apologised with an excuse that couldn’t justify the disrespect or disregard for the artist’s 2016 song, “Don’t Touch My Hair”. The magazine thought about themselves and didn’t consider how it would come across to Solange or make her feel or how insensitive it would be to black people in general. Issues like this is what women in the fashion and arts industry face. Many women black women in the fashion and arts industry are seen with long, straight weaves and you hardly see. them in their natural hair.
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In Maya Angelou’s poem Phenomenal Woman, at the end of each stanza, she wrote “I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me.”, I believe that. Societies idea of beauty does not affect or define us as black women, and the more of us who understand and believe this, the better it will be. It is written in the bible, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.”. This verse expresses some black women’s exact words to God for creating them as they are, after realizing how beautiful they were made and I believe this is extremely important. Being a black female in society has been an intense journey but, for some, things are finally getting better. More and more black women are beginning to love and embrace their natural hair in all its glory. No hair straightening creams, no hot combs, just fluffy, curly afros and plaits. Black Panther is the first super heroes film, with a nearly all black cast that was set in Africa. The film displayed Africa in a light that contradicted the view of society. It showcased African beauty. Black Panther celebrated from the beginning to end, black beauty. The cast members wore their natural hair. No one had straightened hair but instead, traditional, tribal hair styles were worn by the cast. It can’t be denied that there are still many factors that need to be changed and improved like, the lack of hair products advertised with black women, with their hair, in its natural state, and also, the lack of products advertised just for black women’s hair publically, but, I believe Black Panther has potentially raised awareness to this issue in the media and things may soon change.
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I am my hair! I am the strength found in my 4C curls. No matter how hard you push or pull me I can always spring back. Arguably not designed to fit the mould, but breaking boundaries daily. I am my ‘laid’ edges. So smooth you’d think I was relaxed, Not knowing the effort that has gone into my level of composure I am my waist length braids At any given time, I can be elegant or ratchet, A constant juxtaposition not mean to be understood by masses I am my wigs Each one intricately designed to showcase different elements of my personality, Because I am more than any one ‘look’ I am my sew-in So, in tune with my own soul, that I can’t be consoled with the idea of Eurocentric beauty standards I am my choice. The versatility in my hair allows me room to express myself how I please, The freedom of styles constantly giving me room to understand who I am I am my hair. - Emmabelle Nwadikwa
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