Hair New Era

• Date: Wednesday December 21st, 2011; 8am -8pm
• Location: HoneyFig 4967 Yonge St., Toronto, ON and www.honeyfig.com
• Contact Info: 416-226-2100 and email@honeyfig.com
• Meet and Greet: Jessica McGuinty 5pm-8pm

Imagine finding a natural hair video on Youtube, that you feel, just by looking at the title that your pressing question may finally be answered. So you click on the video, and once it starts, the Vlogger is speaking so fast you can't possibly rely on lip reading, and there is not a tap of captioning included, highlighting the main points. You're a little disheartened but not to worry, there is always the more info/description box, so you head there and its blank or gives you not a hint as to the break down of that video.

I swear every time I find a video like that it feels like some D/deaf natural is somewhere relaxing her hair in frustration.

Why is this important to me? Because I am a deaf natural & so are some of my friends. I can not tell you how many times I've been faced with the above mentioned scenario. Clear pronunciation, facing the camera when speaking, captions within the video or a detailed description box are treasures to me. Blogger/Vlogger Mae of Natural Chica is a wonderful exemplar of this!

{Check out Caption Tube, and this helpful article on Mashable for video captioning help}


Another option could be that if you have a blog in addition to your Youtube channel, you can briefly summarize your video in a blog post. Nothing major, simply include the title of the video, ingredients & step order if it's a tutorial. If it's a review, tell us whether or not you'd use the product again, and if you'd like, a one or two sentence reasoning. Heck if you don't have a stand alone blog...send the info to me and I'll post it on Curly Hue (giving you full credit of course). Just do something... just don't leave us out.

Can we just take a moment to marvel over the simple but FABULOUS cardigan Mrs. Obama wore to the MLK Jr. Dedication in Washington D.C. this past weekend. President Obama and family took a tour on the mall before making his unforgettable speech addressing current affairs and how many things have and haven't no changed from 50 years ago when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. worked tirelessly with others to create a long-lasting change for the under-served people in this country.

I understand the sentiment of this day, and I am very proud of the positive images that spread across the world of African Americans and our contributions and importance in the making, maintaining and the future of this country, but what I really understand is this magnificent cardigan! Thank You Thank You Thank You!

And to Dr. King, THANK YOU for all that you gave, sacrificed, fought for, endured, and changed. Your legacy is permanent in the lives of many and generations to come!

THANK YOU!

Ladies of Naturally Velvet, creator, DeWann on left

I was introduced to the line and DeWann at Charlotte NC Fashion Week. Her all organic and natural line of lip moisturizers caught me eye. I found out they can be used in multiple ways, doubling as a natural oil for hands and feet. Great local line definitely worth checking out. View her site here.

Nobody Jones on Crenshaw (1 block south of Vernon on the westside of the street) is all you need to find trend, a wide range of fabrics, unique cuts and stylish comfort. The owner, Odessa is extremely helpful and nice and she helps to style your outfit if planning to attend a specific event.

When visiting or if you live in L.A., Nobody Jones is definitely worth checking out. 4703 Crenshaw Blvd. 90043

As an African American woman living in the United States, I have encountered and suspect I will encounter Many more accounts of bigotry and hate towards me just because the color of my skin with me moving to Charlotte, NORTH CAROLINA soon. While America has made newborn steps towards a faux equality, anyone with some sort of "real life" experience in this country can agree while we have moved forward, it has not been by much.

This morning, I received an email notifying me of the My Fellow American campaign, a campaign advocating the rights of Muslims in the country and the efforts to wipe out ignorance against them as a people. Check out My Fellow American as Russell Simmons has already taken a step in advocating for this much needed issue to be brought to the forefront.
Check out the video http://youtu.be/pfmVE-6k8as

Visit the site and take the pledge!

The best friend has now launched her fashion styling business, The Closet Affair. With an MA in Fashion Design from the Academy of Art University, Kalia has decided to take her talents to the everyday woman seeking to change her style or simply delve deeper into who she really is and what she wants her 'look' to say to the world.

She offers a la carte services and items, custom tailoring and personal shopping to help define your style.

Check out The Closet Affair and contact Kalia to discuss how you can change up your style for the 2nd half of 2011. It's NEVER too late to become Fly!!!

The most exciting news I've heard all year (and I've heard some pretty exciting things this year) was finding our where my maternal line geographically travels back to the continent of Africa. I had been waiting for weeks to hear this news and it finally came this past Friday.

It is now early Monday morning and this information STILL has not sunk in, as this is information millions of people never knew and will never know. I had friends who are of direct African descent asking me weekly about the results as everyone I had told was anxious. To my surprise, Bioko Island is a place I had NEVER EVER heard of prior to last week. I had heard of Guinea but never Equitorial Guinea and you couldn't pay me to tell you one thing about the Bubi people.

Of course, since last week I've been doing major research and have been exposed to inhumane and savage truths about the treatment and extermination of the Bubi people by the Fang-led government that infiltrated the island and the political system. I've learned just ~40 years ago, about 2/3 of the Bubi population on Bioko Island were beaten to death, tortured, killed, etc. at the hands of a Fang Leader, referred to as Macias Nguema.

I plan to soon visit and bring more awareness about the genocide taking place against the Bubi people. A book I plan to read can be found on www.thebubis.com

Consider this as JUST the beginning of a long journey I am too elated to take... now... for finding more about my paternal side... this should indeed be more than interesting. Stay Tuned!

Read more: Not Guilty Shirt - Buy Shirt to Donate to Afghan Women Justice Project - Marie Claire 

The first thing he dropped on me was you can often tell how far your life and career will go based on the five people you spend the most time with so I had to really sit back and really marinate on that. So I said, 'So if I have a problem with my life I should have a problem with the people in my life.' He was like, 'Yes, exactly.' So that's when the mission began to better my surroundings and keep everybody around me sharp because it's very easy to get lackadaisical and have people that work with you and for you to just go through the motions.


via Tyrese's new book

photo courtesy of blogs.furman.edu

C'mon Lisa, now I know you know better than this. Yes, all three women are beautiful and I applaud their accomplishments, but it's only been a few days since the spokes-three were announced and a few hours since this video dropped and black women around the country are NOT FEELING IT!

The issue with mainstream "beauty" is the lack of representation for women of color, specifically, black women. Now Carol's Daughter received a lot of respect and patronizing because finally we felt there was a line for us by us (F.U.B.U. 2000) and we felt a part and appropriately represented. Now looking at this trio, yes they all three are women of color, yes they all have great beauty teams working on them to attract the visual affect, BUT, these 3 women DO NOT represent the many grades of hair that range within the black community that are yearning for a brand that values and represents us!

A chic fresh out of a weave is not trying to hear Cassie talk about her stress troubles of wanting curly hair and being bored by her straight hair... HATED IT! That's like asking Bill Gates to speak about his desire for a yacht instead of his jet-skis and sailboat. I don't have either one, so WHY do I care?! I DON'T!

I'm interested to see the further backlash Ms. Price and her brand will get from this "bold" move. I mean where's Kelly Rowland? Where's chic from Girlfriends? Hell, where's Macy Gray? Variety is what black America is and I'm sorry but these campaign picks say nothing in relation to variety. Sadly enough, what it reads to me is a big mis-representation of the true diversity within the black community continually fed to the entire world that continues to divide our diaspora even further not just by location but through deep-seeded intra-racial ideologies.

Mia Anita's response to this whole campaign:

photo couresty of ecrater.com

Lynched 10 miles from his home, 26 year-old Frederick Carter was found hanging from a tree in Greenwood, Mississippi on December 3rd of last year. Congress has failed to pass any of the 220 proposed anti-lynching bills and is continuing to ignore such propositions.

This cannot go on any further!

An awesome talent... A talent given from God...  Jasmine Mans, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin is more than just a poet, she's a modern day real life, storyteller, upsetting many by the words she speaks. I myself appreciate the depth that is her and I would suggest you check her out on YouTube.

A very joyful and up-beat young woman was murdered while sitting in her car this past Thursday night 4 blocks away from my apartment. But what makes this story so hard-hitting is that this young woman was in the graduating class one-year ahead of me at Fairfax High. She stayed with a smile on her face  and I'm sure in none of her most wildest acts deserved anything like this. As the video shows, whoever texted her, murdered her and so now the goal is to find out who that person is. Prayers go out to her family and may her legacy and all the lives she touched remember the pleasant and funny Cristina that I do.

Rest In Peace to a life taken too soon. (1983 - 2010)

Some work to keep others alive. Free Troy Davis!