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The San Diego Monitor
Dear AFRO: A Love / Hate Relationship Not too long ago, I found an old photograph of my parents wearing gigantic afros and wondered, “What happened to the natural hair movement of that time? Why did it die out?” Many naturalistas are aware that the current natural hair “trend” is not a precedent and that an earlier movement existed back in the 60s and 70s. Nonetheless, the history of this “first” movement is often overlooked and even oversimplified. The “afro” of the 60s and 70s was not just a “style” of that period nor merely a political statement. Let’s go back in time for a moment … pg.5
What do they Want you to KNOW? What Everyone Needs to Know About 2020 Census Questions By law, the U.S. government is required to count the number of people living in the United States every 10 years. Getting an accurate count is important because census numbers impact daily life in the United States in many ways. For example, census data are often used to determine how much federal funding is allocated for important projects and services that benefit local communities. The census also plays a vital role in our nation’s system of government by determining how many representatives will be sent to Congress from each state.
Because getting an accurate count is so important, the process is designed to be fast, easy, and safe. On average, it takes no more than 10 minutes to answer the questions on the census. How Are Census Data Collected? During the first census in 1790, census takers visited nearly every U.S. home to gather data. In 2020, households will have the option of responding online, by mail, or by phone. The Census Bureau expects many households to complete the questionnaire online, using instructions received in the mail. These instructions will also include information about how to respond by phone. Some households will receive a printed questionnaire which they can mail, postage-free, back to the
Be Counted! SDMNEWS’S Motivation Information
Census Bureau. A small percentage of households, primarily located in remote areas of the country, will be visited by a census taker who will help collect the necessary information to complete the form. Who Receives the Census Questionnaire and How Is It Filled Out? Most housing units in the United States that receive mail at their physical location will receive a letter by mail with instructions on how to complete the census questionnaire. Housing units include houses, apartments, cabins, mobile homes—pretty much any place where people live in the United States. In areas where the majority of housing units do not have mail delivered to their physical location, census workers will leave questionnaire packages at every identified housing unit. The census process also includes special provisions to count people who are homeless and those in other types of living quarters, such as college dorms, military barracks, ships, prisons, nursing homes, and homeless shelters. The person in the housing unit who fills out the census questionnaire or talks to the census taker is known as Person 1. Typically, Person 1 is the owner/co-owner or renter/corenter of the housing unit. READ MORE sdmonitornews.com
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The 60s: The natural hair movement begins Between 1964 and 1966, the Civil Rights movement was morphing into the Black Power movement, according to Byrd and Tharp of “Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America.” “Negroes and colored folk were becoming black people,” and for many, that meant accepting “a new, Black-identified visual aesthetic, an aesthetic that not only incorporated an alternative to straight hair but actually celebrated it.” In a book titled “Hair Matters: Beauty, Power, and Black Women’s Consciousness,” Ingrid Banks, Associate Professor of Black Studies at University of California Santa Barbara states: “the pressing comb and chemical relaxers became oppressive because they were tools that symbolized the shame associated with black hair in its natural state.” The immigration of Africans to the United States, according to Byrd and Tharp, also fueled the natural hair movement of that time period. For some black people, wearing their hair in its natural state became a “way of showing their visible connection to their African ancestors and Blacks throughout the diaspora.” For many, returning to natural meant shedding one’s appearance and ideas (of beauty) accumulated through assimilation into White America. In 1968, Kathleen Cleaver of the Black Panther Party said this about the natural hair movement occurring in that time:
The San Diego Monitor
“The reason for it, you might say, is a new awareness among black people that their own natural appearance, their physical appearance, is beautiful. It is pleasing to them … For so many, many years we were told only white people were beautiful. Only straight hair, light eyes, light skin was beautiful, and so black women would try everything they could to straighten their hair and lighten their skin to look as much like white women … But this has changed because black people are aware, … and white people are aware of it too because [they] now want natural wigs … They want wigs like this [points to her natural hair].” The 70s: The movement reaches its height and the afro becomes a target of repression By the late 1960s and 1970s, the natural hair movement was permeating the black population. The afro was not just seen on members of the Black Panther Party, but on college students, other activists, and in film. Blaxploitation films, like Cleopatra Jones and Foxy Brown, were also featuring female characters with their hair in its natural state. During the 70s, prominent black members of activist groups were also forced “underground,” or into hiding from law enforcement. Disguises for some of these women included wigs to cover their natural hair. The afro was becoming a target for arrests and interrogation. Pg.8
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The San Diego Monitor
SDMNEWS Must Read 2020 CA Census Guide Table of Contents Section 1: General Information (PDF) •
Initiative and Referendum Qualification Requirements
•
Candidate Qualifications and Information
Section 2: Nomination Requirements (PDF) •
Presidential Candidates
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United States Representative in Congress, and Member of the State Legislature Candidates
•
Nomination Documents – Nomination Papers and Declaration of Candidacy
•
Signatures In Lieu of Filing Fee
•
Signatures In Lieu of Filing Fee and/or Nomination Papers
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Ballot Designations
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In General
•
Campaign Filings and Responsibilities
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Candidate Intention Statement
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Campaign Contribution Account
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Exceptions
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Additional Filing Information
Section 3: Candidate Filing Information (PDF) •
Required Filing Fees, Nomination Signatures
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Write-In Candidates for the Office of President
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Write-In Candidates for Voter-Nominated Offices
In-Lieu
Signatures,
Section 4: Candidate Checklist (PDF) •
President of the United States
•
United States Representative in Congress
For download please go to www.sdmonitornews.com
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In “Afro Images: Politics, Fashion, and Nostalgia,” Angela Davis discusses how photographs of herself, including those on the FBI posters, affected the perceptions of others, and more importantly, the lives of other natural-haired black women: “While the most obvious evidence of their power was the part they played in structuring people’s opinions about me as a “fugitive” and a political prisoner, their more subtle and wideranging effect was the way they served as generic images of black women who wore their hair “natural.” From the constant stream of stories I have heard over the last twenty-four years (and continue to hear), I infer that hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of Afro-wearing Black women were accosted, harassed, and arrested by police, FBI, and immigration agents during the two months I spent underground. One woman, who told me that she hoped she could serve as a “decoy” because of her light skin and big natural, was obviously conscious of the way the photographs constructed generic representations of young Black women. Consequently, the photographs identified vast numbers of my Black female contemporaries who wore naturals (whether light- or darkskinned) as targets of repression. This is the hidden historical content that lurks behind the continued association of my name with the Afro.”
The San Diego Monitor Early to Mid 80s: The natural hair movement dissipates In the early to mid 80s, the natural hair movement was slowing down and ultimately came to an end. Why? While it is difficult to pinpoint one exact reason, here are some possible factors: The afro became a target (as discussed above). The Black Power movement decelerated in the early 80s. (The Black Panther Party ended in 1982.) The invention of the Jheri Curl, Wave Nouveau, and other permed styles occurred in the mid to late 70s. These styles rose in popularity among blacks in the 80s and part of the 90s. The “afro” look was becoming more mainstream — being worn by non-blacks — and losing much of its original meaning. Braids and cornrows — the new “natural” styles — were not welcome in many workplaces. (In 1981, Renee Rogers lost her job at American Airlines for wearing cornrows. In 1987, Cheryl Tatum lost her job at the Hyatt hotel for wearing braids.)
'Black-ish' Hairstyles Push the Natural Hair Movement Forward
"It is important to televise a culture in its natural form," writes Araxi Lindsey, the hair department head for the ABC sitcom and Tracee Ellis Ross' personal hairstylist. Over the past six seasons of Black-ish, I have been able to celebrate an Afro American cultural lifestyle through the beauty of hair. As a hair artist, I tell the story through variations of hairstyles such as braids, flat iron, twists, soft curls, tight curls, extensions, highlights, updos, loc twisting and more. The Johnson family portrays a great example of generational style on characters ranging from grandparents to toddlers. Viewers are able to witness various hairstyles with a purpose, allowing the characters to express their natural beauty. We are finally in an era that embraces textured hair and not only for its beauty. Textured hair is quite versatile. You see it in the softer texture of Rainbow Johnson’s (Tracee Ellis Ross) hair where we may pull it back into a bun, a soft twist or braids with jewels.
I enjoy creating various styles for the characters Rainbow and Diane Johnson (Marsai Martin). Their different textured manes have memory. The integrity of the curls makes it easier to execute multiple hairstyles throughout an episode, whether it’s full and springy reaching to the sky or magically interlacing strands into a beautiful crown of braids. We have also created more sleek looks by adding heating tools to smooth out the coils. When Diane Johnson isn't wearing individual braids, I like adding highlights to a flat iron style or creating a twist out with natural texture. Lindsey uses various hairstyles on the ABC show, including braids, flat iron, twists, soft curls, tight curls, extensions, highlights, updos and loc twisting on characters played by Ellis Ross, along with Anthony Anderson and Marcus Scribner. Hairstyling is a visual language of how we express ourselves. Displaying an honest hairstyle can also be as simple as wearing a head scarf to bed. As a culture, most African Americans wear a head scarf to preserve certain hairstyles for the next day or so . On Black-ish, you will often see Grandma Ruby (Jenifer Lewis), Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and Diane wearing head scarves to bed.
It is important to televise a culture in its natural form. I enjoy creating hairstyles that are relatable to a culture of people who haven’t been able to truly connect with a motion picture or series. It’s about time the Afro textured community can relate to the characters we love so dearly. I strongly believe the hairstyles my team and I create on Black-ish has helped push that shift. I’m proud to be a part of that change.
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The San Diego Monitor
Everything You Should Know About San Diego’s Hotel-Tax Increase Measure In March, city voters will finally weigh in on a proposed hotel-tax hike to fund a Convention Center expansion plus homeless initiatives and road repairs. The unprecedented business and labor coalition behind the measure is ramping up its campaign after initially struggling to make the ballot. Now the coalition must try to win support from two-thirds of city voters, a challenging threshold that has bedeviled many past ballot measures. Let’s run through the basics of the initiative, how it’s supposed to work and the questions being raised about it. What is it? It’s a ballot measure. Voters within the city of San Diego will have to decide if the city can increase its hotel-room tax rate. When people stay in hotels within the city of San Diego right now, they pay 10.5 percent to the city for what’s officially called the Transient Occupancy Tax. The hotel industry also added its own 2 percent levy on top of that called the Tourism Marketing District. Thus, visitors pay effectively 12.5 percent. The initiative would increase taxes for those visitors rather than city taxpayers. The amount tacked onto hotel bills — which will range from 1.25 to 3.25 percent — will vary based on the hotel’s proximity to the downtown Convention Center. Visitors staying at downtown hotels near the Convention Center will pay more than those in the outer reaches of the city. Why? The measure is designed to deliver something city power brokers and tourism industry leaders have long wanted: a Convention Center expansion they believe will bring additional hotel visitors and jobs. The campaign estimates the measure will pull in about $3.8 billion to expand the Convention Center along the downtown bayfront and later help with other needs such as operations and maintenance at the center.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer at a Yes! For a Better San Diego campaign press conference in October 2019. / Photo by Megan Wood
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