Andreas Haircuts

"This video was inspired by all the traveling I did last month! There were a lot of events, so I had to be prepared for any natural hair disasters I might come across! I've made some mistakes along the way, but I learned some great tips on how to organize my luggage and what to pack for my natural hair, as well as how to wear my hair to the airport! I hope this helps you pack for your next vacation or big event!" -  Naptural85

I am  in love with the new song and video from Nico & Vinz called "Am I Wrong". Not only are they singers talented with a great song, the video is also visually appealing and unique.

"The video for "Am I Wrong" was filmed in Botswana. It was put together in a deliberate effort to present a positive side of Africa when the image of the continent is too often mired in negative news stories." - Wikapedia. The song also has a great message of thinking outside of the box and not following the crowd.   To learn more about the singers, go to their website Nico & Vince.

Linda Pearl Fils-Aime, also known as A Lady Named Pearl, was born and raised in Miami, FL to parents that migrated from Haiti to the United States.  Pearl started rapping when she was 19 years old after singing background vocals in a studio.  “As I heard the rapper deliver his rhymes,” she recalls, “I thought to myself, this is something that I would like to do.”  That night, she went home and wrote her first 8 bars. The next day, she went to that same studio and asked the producer if she could record the rhymes she wrote. He let her, and when she walked out the booth, he gave her the name "Black Pearl.” Pearl’s 8 bar rhyme was added to a song that later landed on the radio, and her rap career was born. Pearl’s hip hop style is infused with Jazz, African, and Caribbean influences, while blending empowering lyrics with beauty and style. She credits Lauryn Hill, Grace Jones, and Fela as her major influences.

A link to this story was just shared with me today. It is about Aevin Dugas who has the world record for the largest Afro.

"Aevin Dugas of New Orleans, Louisiana holds the Guinness World Record for largest natural afro entering the book with an astounding 4 foot 4 inch circumference. Ms. Dugas’ afro is larger than a disco ball and Guinness says that it’s so sizable that she could fit the world’s shortest man inside her hairstyle. The 38-year-old social worker has grown her hair for over 14 years and credits her mother as her first inspiration to go natural saying, “My mom has this picture of her with an afro before I was born, and I thought it was such a cute picture. I was like, ‘Ooh, when I go natural, I want to wear my hair like my mom.’”

But at one time Aevin wished for bone straight hair and got perms which resulted in chemical burns on her scalp. After that she swore off chemicals and went natural sporting the style she wears today. Aevin told the Daily Mail, “I don’t know why, but there’s something very important to me about little girls appreciating my hair and then wanting to wear their hair the same.” As proud as Aevin is of her luscious locks, she also concedes to the downsides of her crowing glory like difficulty with peripheral vision while driving, getting hooked in trees she passes, and getting caught in people’s drinks at clubs. The record holder explained, “I don’t wear it like this on an airplane because people would probably slap me, because it touches people. I’ve had somebody want to beat me up at a concert,” adding, “So it can be kind of problematic, but I still wouldn't change a thing about it.””

The Unwritten Rules: Let's Talk Hair is a hilarious video, with a comedic spin on what happens in the work environment, when people react to a persons cultural differences. I love this video, because any one that has followed this blog long enough, will know that I worked on corporate America for about 15 years. Even though I gained a lot of expereince and learned some life lessons, during my time in the corporate world, I experienced a lot of ignorance based on race, my culture and my hair. So this video speaks to me on so many levels.  I must say that I have a wildly diverse group of friends and family, so racism is not a part of my vocabulary or way of thinking. But! There are indeed some misunderstandings that come up with another culture is introduced to something that they are not accustomed too.

The video stars Aasha Davis, as well as some other talented actors. Aasha has also been on Friday Night Lights, House, Grey's Anatomy, and more.  To learn more about The Unwritten Rules: Let's Talk Hair, check out the website, Facebook page and see the video directly on youtube. Also check out the main website to see other episodes. I look forward to seeing all the videos and want to say thank you to Kim Williams, who created and wrote the web episodes, The Unwritten Rules.

Alicia Keys has an amazing song out called "Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)".  Along with the song, Alicia made a very powerful video, that touches on the racial tensions that surround interracial relationships. The video begins in the 1950s, where Alicia's character faces anger and disapproval from her community for dating someone that is of a different race. The video covers over 6 decades, to the present day, showing that not much has changed since that time. 

This video really impressed me because I could feel a lot of the emotions from the scenes that reminded me of what I went through in my own life. My relationship with my boyfriend, who is a different race, is amazing - because he is amazing!!  Not because his skin is a different color than mine. Being a part of a interracial relationship is no different then being in a relationship with someone of your own race. The only difference is that there are people in the world that choose to treat you with hate, because of their own ignorance or self hatred.



"It's crazy how not much has changed since back in the day. I use to think racism was dead until this summer when my mom found out my boyfriend was black. She freaked out. Race doesn't matter. Let's be more open-minded than previous generations and end racism! Finally." - MGL
"I think that interracial love is beautiful, and also natural. We live in the 21st century, and I would hope to think that you would be able to date anyone, no matter race or origin, without being judged for your own decision. Just because you prefer white men over black man does not make you self hating, just as preferring black men does not make you a racist against white men. It's just preference, I think that the whole point of the video is, that LOVE is colorblind." - B.B.C

This song is one of many great songs off of Alicia Key's album "The Element of Freedom".