Filed under Commentary, Politics/Activism by affrodite on July 30, 2008 at 11:14 pm
5 comments
Three years ago, on July 19, 2005, Army Private First Class LaVena Johnson was found dead in Balad, Iraq. Her body was found in a tent belonging to the private military contractor KBR. She had abrasions all over her body, a broken nose, a black eye, burned hands, loose teeth, acid burns on her genitals, and a bullet hole in her head. The Army labeled Johnson’s death a suicide. But her parents never believed that story. They think she was raped and murdered and are now demanding a full congressional investigation into their daughter’s death.
from Democracynow.org article- Suicide or Murder? Three Years After the Death of Pfc LaVena Johnson, In Iraq, Her Parents Continue to Call for a Congressional Investigation
An Army representative initially told LaVena’s father, Dr. John Johnson, that his daughter died of “died of self-inflicted, noncombat injuries,” but initially added that it was not a suicide. The subsequent Army investigation reversed this finding and declared LaVena’s death a suicide, a finding refuted by the soldier’s family. In an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dr. Johnson pointed to indications that his daughter had endured a physical struggle before she died – two loose front teeth, a “busted lip” that had to be reconstructed by the funeral home – suggesting that “someone might have punched her in the mouth.”
from LaVenaJohnson.com article- The cover up of a soldier’s death?
Again, thanks to aw for always keeping me in the know. Please visit the links provided and get smart on LaVena’s story.
The LaVenaJohnson.com article continues…
Astonishing as it seems, it takes that level of outrage to compel the Army to find the truth and tell it, to honor its own soldiers. No such groundswell has yet emerged in the case of LaVena; not enough voices have demanded that someone in the military, anyone, speak for her. At first glance, the contrast between the cases of Pat Tillman and LaVena Johnson seems vast, but at the core the situations are the same. In each case, the death of a young soldier in a dangerous place and time was not explained to the families they left behind, the families that gave them up so that they could serve us. An honest accounting of their passing is all the dead ask of us.
Get smart on this story.
Spread the word
and
sign the petition for justice for LaVena Johnson
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/56/justice-for-lavena-johnson
Also check the Fallen Heroes Memorial website info on LaVena- http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/johnsonlavenal.html
Let’s come together and
DO SOMETHING
Filed under Commentary by affrodite on July 27, 2008 at 2:03 pm
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Filed under Politics/Activism by affrodite on July 22, 2008 at 1:52 pm
3 comments
As if you’re not already exhausted by the plethora of social networking sites in existence, here yet emerges another. I like the premise so I thought I would share the link with you. Thanks, aw, for sending me this website link.
http://www.blackinamerica.com/
Their front page states…
BlackInAmerica.com is an online social network for African American men, women, and families that want to shatter the negative stereotypes associated with our race. This platform will help stimulate positive ideas, dialogue and solutions.This site is not affiliated with CNN, but does compliment their “Black In America” special report and tour.
Has anybody tried this site out yet? If so, what do you think?
Filed under Op-Ed by affrodite on July 22, 2008 at 1:40 pm
2 comments
The following was sent to me by aw in an email… Read it and let me know what you think about Sophia’s perspective. I believe this editorial was originally from the Washington Post, but it is not clear from the message.
Black. Female. Accomplished. Attacked
By Sophia A. Nelson
Sunday, July 20, 2008; B01
There she is — no, not Miss America, but the Angela-Davis-Afro-wearing, machine-gun-toting, angry, unpatriotic Michelle Obama, greeting her husband with a fist bump instead of a kiss on the cheek.
It was supposed to be satire, but the caricature of Barack Obama and his wife that appeared on the cover of the New Yorker last week rightly caused a major flap. And among black professional women like me and many of my sisters in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, who happened to be gathered last week in Washington for our 100th anniversary celebration, the mischaracterization of Michelle hit the rawest of nerves.
Welcome to our world.
We’ve watched with a mixture of pride and trepidation as the wife of the first serious African American presidential contender has weathered recent campaign travails — being called unpatriotic for a single offhand remark, dubbed a black radical because of something she wrote more than 20 years ago and plastered with the crowning stereotype: “angry black woman.” And then being forced to undergo a politically mandated “makeover” to soften her image and make her more palatable to mainstream America.
Sad to say, but what Obama has undergone, though it’s on a national stage and on a much more prominent scale, is nothing new to professional African American women. We endure this type of labeling all the time. We’re endlessly familiar with the problem Michelle Obama is confronting — being looked at, as black women, through a different lens from our white counterparts, who are portrayed as kinder, gentler souls who somehow deserve to be loved and valued more than we do. So many of us are hoping that Michelle — as an elegant and elusive combination of successful career woman, supportive wife and loving mother — can change that.
“Ain’t I a woman?” Sojourner Truth famously asked 157 years ago. Her ringing question, demanding why black women weren’t accorded the same privileges as their white counterparts, still sums up the African American woman’s dilemma today: How are we viewed as women, and where do we fit into American life?
“Thanks to the hip-hop industry,” one prominent black female journalist recently said to me, all black women are “deemed ‘sexually promiscuous video vixens’ not worthy of consideration. If other black women speak up, we’re considered angry black women who complain. This society can’t even see a woman like Michelle Obama. All it sees is a black woman and attaches stereotypes.”
Black women have been mischaracterized and stereotyped since the days of slavery and minstrel shows. In more recent times, they’ve been portrayed onscreen and in popular culture as either sexually available bed wenches in such shows as the 2000 docudrama “Sally Hemings: An American Scandal,” ignorant and foolish servants such as Prissy from “Gone With the Wind” or ever-smiling housekeepers, workhorses who never complain and never tire, like the popular figure of Aunt Jemima.
Even in the 21st century, black women are still bombarded with media and Internet images that portray us as loud, aggressive, violent and often grossly obese and unattractive. Think of the movies “Norbit” or “Big Momma’s House,” or of the only two black female characters in “Enchanted,” an overweight, aggressive traffic cop and an angry divorcée amid all the white princesses.
On the other hand, when was the last time you saw a smart, accomplished black professional woman portrayed on mainstream television or in the movies? If Claire Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” comes to mind, remember that she left the scene 16 years ago.
(more…)
Filed under Politics/Activism by affrodite on July 19, 2008 at 3:57 am
2 comments
You know I have a passion for America’s response and aftermath from Hurricane Katrina, and Lil Wayne strikes a chord with my caring soul in his song “Tie My Hands.” It features Robin Thicke, and I’ve got to hand it to Lil Wayne, he really pulled out all the stops on this album. Granted this is kind of old news, I wanted to post info here about how this song is for the soundtrack for the film called “Hurricane Season”. The film is set to release on xmas day. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for it.
Here’s some snippets from the article “Lil Wayne Pens Song for Stars in Hurricane Season”
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2008/07/lil-wayne-pens-songs-for-new-orleans-based-film.html
“I ain’t doing nothin’ but movin’ on, let the truth be known
But they talk that freedom matters, and didn’t even leave a ladder, damn.”
-Lil Wayne, “Tie My Hands”
And folks say he only raps about weed and candy-coated entendre…
This piercing Hurricane Katrina-inspired line, coming at the end of the song’s first verse, was penned not for
Tha Carter III, but for an upcoming film film about a basketball team in New Orleans.
While the song (which features Robin Thicke) proves to be one of Weezy’s most introspective to date, it is certainly not the first time he has tackled the state of his faithful stomping grounds and his issues with the government response to Katrina.
Filed under Commentary by affrodite on July 19, 2008 at 2:51 am
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Thanks aw for sending this my way…
Source: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/531012/
Description
How much do white Americans think it ?costs? to be black in our society,
given the problems associated with racial bias and prejudice? The answer, it
appears, is not much. When white Americans were asked to imagine how much they
would have to be paid to live the rest of their lives as a black person, most
requested relatively low amounts, generally less than $10,000.
Newswise ? How much do white Americans think it ?costs? to be black in our
society, given the problems associated with racial bias and prejudice?
The answer, it appears, is not much.
When white Americans were asked to imagine how much they would have to be paid
to live the rest of their lives as a black person, most requested relatively
low amounts, generally less than $10,000.
In contrast, study participants said they would have to be paid about $1 million
to give up television for the rest of their lives.
The results suggest most white Americans don?t truly comprehend the persisting
racial disparities in our country, said Philip Mazzocco, co-author of the study
and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University?s Mansfield
campus.
?The costs of being black in our society are very well documented,? Mazzocco
said. ?Blacks have significantly lower income and wealth, higher levels of
poverty, and even shorter life spans, among many other disparities, compared to
whites.?
For example, white households average about $150,000 more wealth than the
typical black family. Overall, total wealth for white families is about five
times greater than that of black families, a gap that has persisted for years.
?When whites say they would need $1 million to give up TV, but less than
$10,000 to become black, that suggests they don?t really understand the
extent to which African Americans, as a group, are disadvantaged,? Mazzocco
said.
These results also offer insight as to why more than 9 out of 10 white Americans
reject proposals to give reparations to the descendants of slaves, said study
co-author Mahzarin Banaji, the Cabot Professor of Social Ethics at Harvard
University.
?Our data suggest that such resistance is not because white Americans are mean
and uncaring, morally bankrupt, or ethically flawed,? Banaji said.
?White Americans suffer from a glaring ignorance about what it means to live
as a black American.?
The study appears in the current issue of Harvard?s Du Bois Review.
The researchers did a series of studies in which a total of 958 whites of
different ages and from different parts of the country were asked variations of
the same question: ?How much should you be paid to continue to live the rest
of your life as a black person??
In most cases, the participants were told to imagine they were actually black,
but had always passed for white. The imagined race change required no physical
transformation, just a change in public status.
They were also asked how much they should be paid for giving up television, and
how much they should be given to change their officially listed state residency
(without having to move). These questions were asked, Mazzocco said, to compare
what people requested for relatively trivial changes, like a new listed state
residency, as compared to a more life-changing request, like giving up
television.
Results suggest white people considered a race change as relatively trivial,
along the lines of a change in official state residency, as opposed to the
seemingly big sacrifice of giving up television.
In some of the studies, the researchers changed the scenario in order to learn
more about what white Americans thought about the costs of racial disparities.
One issue with the previous scenario is that participants may minimize the
disparities they would face as a black person, because they had always passed
as white. So in one study, whites were told to imagine that they were about to
be born as a random white person in America, but they were being offered a cash
gift to be born as a random black person. Once again, white participants
requested relatively small sums to make a life-long race-change. In addition,
some were given a list of some of the costs of being black in America, such as
the racial wealth disparity. The result was that whites in this latter scenario
requested significantly higher amounts than those in the previous studies ?
about $500,000.
Finally, some participants were given a similar scenario except all references
to blacks, whites and America were taken out. They were asked to imagine they
were born into the fictional country of Atria, and were born either into the
?majority? or ?minority? population. They were given a list of the
disadvantages that the minority population faced in Atria (which were identical
to the real disadvantages faced by blacks in America). In this case, white
participants in the study said they should be paid an average of $1 million to
be born as a minority member in Atria.
?When you take it out of the black-white context, white Americans seem to
fully appreciate the costs associated with the kinds of disparities that
African Americans actually face in the United States,? Mazzocco said. ?In
this case, they asked for a million dollars, similar to what they want for
giving up television.?
Mazzocco said blatant prejudice was not the reason for the findings. Results
showed that whites who scored higher on a measure of racial prejudice did not
answer significantly differently than others in the study.
The researchers are conducting new studies to examine more closely why whites do
underestimate the costs of being black. Mazzocco believes many white Americans
have a perception that race bias in the United States has been virtually
eliminated, and that blacks are no longer disadvantaged.
?While there has been progress in making racial conditions in American more
equal, there?s clearly a lot more work to be done,? he said. ?Blacks and
whites are not experiencing the same America.?
When whites do understand the extent of racial disparities in the United States,
they are more likely to support reparations. The findings showed that whites who
wanted more money to be publicly recognized as black ? suggesting they
understood the true costs of racial disparity ? were more likely than others
to say they would support reparations.
But there are many reasons why nearly all whites oppose reparations. Mazzocco
said some whites may believe slavery happened so long ago that slave
descendants today don?t deserve to be compensated. The researchers examined
the ?too long ago? rationale in another study.
The researchers asked participants to imagine that their great, great
grandfather, a wealthy shipping magnate, had been kidnapped about 150 years
ago. The kidnappers demanded and received a large ransom that bankrupted the
shipping magnate. That ransom was used to start a successful company that still
survives today and is worth $100 million. Participants were asked whether they
would be willing to be a part of a large suit against the present-day company
that could net them each about $5,000.
In this scenario, 61 percent agreed to have their names listed on the lawsuit.
The researchers noted that this is about the percentage of blacks today who
support reparations for slave descendants.
?When white Americans find it within themselves to say ?I must be
compensated for a past injustice done to me? but the same logic evaporates
when the injustice concerns black Americans, they are staring straight at
bias,? Banaji said.
Mazzocco said the results of this research have implications for the fledgling
reparations movement in America. ?Surveys show that 90 to 96 percent of white
Americans are against slave descendant reparations. It is nearly impossible to
get that many people to agree on anything, so it is an issue that really
deserves attention to see why that is. We wanted to take a heated and emotional
issue and look at it through a scientific lens,? he said.
The research was facilitated by a postdoctoral fellowship to Mazzocco from Ohio
State?s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.
Other co-authors of the study included Timothy Brock of Ohio State, Gregory
Brock of Georgia Southern University and Kristina Olson of Harvard.
Filed under Beauty/Fashion by affrodite on July 9, 2008 at 2:28 pm
one comment
Ran across this blog today and thought it would be worth sharing with all of you natural hair junkies. There’s a few non-hair postings sprinkled throughout as well.
UrbanCurlz- http://urbancurlz.blogspot.com/
Filed under Commentary by affrodite on July 4, 2008 at 12:19 pm
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I ran into this post when reading Mela Fela’s blog post called “Air Obamas ?: ummmm Yes We Can” and can think of a oodles of people who would die for some sneakers like these. To get them, or any other custom tennis shoes, check this guy Van20 out on myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/van20
Van20 has some serious skills y’all!!! Check his site to see pictures of various items he’s done.
Mela Fela be droppin’ knowledge on his blog. Check it out and get smart people!
http://melafela.com/cblog/index.php
Yes, you can!
Filed under Commentary by affrodite on July 4, 2008 at 12:44 am
one comment
So I’m perusing the New Orleans Ladder blog for articles of interest and I see a link Editilla placed on his site stating “the ignored recovery of New Orleans” and had to click it. It’s an article on CNet (odd, because I thought that was only about techie stuff) with an image that you simply can’t ignore (see below)…
The article explains that this sign is hanging in the lower 9th ward which has apparently been part of a city tour stop.
People’s devestation turned into a photo opp? I don’t get it. Does this community benefit monetarily from these tours? Do the tours even employ staff from these communities? If we’re going to resort to this then we might as well legalize prostitution, gambling, and marijuana across the board because this America is no longer about ethics and morals.
This reminds me of a memorable trip I made to Yosemite National Park during the summer after my freshman year in college. One of my darling aunts treated me to the trip. I rode in a truck for what felt like a hot flaming eternity from San Jose out to Yosemite with no air conditioning and hills scorched from fires (I digress, but I want you to feel my pain). Anyhooz…one of the exhibits there told the story of how the Native Americans originally owned the land, kept it well protected since they regard nature and wildlife more than we do as a whole, and we essentially took over and forced them to “migrate” elsewhere. There was an area, kind of like a museum I guess, that you walked in and could see real live Indians behind red ropes, like they have at nightclubs, reenacting jewelry making and such inside these lit displays. It absolutely made me sick, and I was in my major young, “collegey”, social activist phase which made me want to protest on the spot. I just felt it was disrespectful to put real live people on display like that and hide it behind the concept of education. I much would have rather this Native American take me on the tour and tell me his perspective, or show me where his tribe has been moved to over the years or tell me about how many species of wildlife are now extinct or endangered in Yosemite because of the over-tourism (I could barely find a bear sighting when I was there).
So read the article and let me know what you think.
The Ignored Recovery of New Orleans
I’ve got to make plans for real to head out and do some service work in New Orleans. Besides Habitat and Red Cross, if any of you know of any other organizations doing work and taking volunteers for a few days, let me know. I had been talking with one of my sisters recently about going there together for like 3 or 4 days to do some volunteer work. I know it’s not a long time, but it’s a start for me.
Related Links
affrodite.net- See live gangsters! LA Gang Tours through South Los Angeles
Filed under Commentary, Op-Ed by affrodite on July 3, 2008 at 10:55 pm
one comment
I never grew up knowing of or even celebrating Juneteenth. That was something I came to know about in college. As I grew more conscious in my high school and college years, I felt less and less compelled to join in 4th of July festivities. It’s one of those things that sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t.
However, when I do, I do so with the understanding that I’m having a fun time with friends and family and not ignorantly celebrating something my ancestors did not have on the date this commemorates.
So here’s some reading for y’all. I’d love to hear what you think about celebrating independence (there are more article links at the end of the post).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
(article below is from the Washington Post, Jun 15, 2005, For Many, Today is Independence Day )
As an African American, Richard Bingham has always felt some ambivalence about the Fourth of July.So when he learned six years ago about Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the last U.S. slaves were notified of their independence, he hosted a party to share food, fellowship and history with his neighbors in Prince George’s County. He’s repeated it each year since.
They grilled meat, a tradition started in Texas, where Juneteenth originated. They prayed over shackles and chains provided by a historian friend for ancestors who had been enslaved. Bingham dramatized “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro,” Frederick Douglass’s impassioned commentary on the hypocrisy of the holiday.
That small gathering has grown into Prince George’s first countywide celebration this year of Juneteenth Independence Day, a once-obscure commemoration that has spread to more than two dozen states and a national program today that is expected to draw thousands to the Lincoln Memorial.
“The Fourth of July was America’s independence day, not ours,” said Bingham, 50, of Landover, a trainer with the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission. “It wasn’t until almost a century later that the nation finally realized that ‘We need to let these folks be free, too.’
“Juneteenth Day,” he added, ” is our independence day.”
A combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth,” Juneteenth was born out of a spontaneous celebration that erupted June 19, 1865, when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, declared U.S. sovereignty over Texas and officially notified the state’s 250,000 slaves that they were free. That was 30 months after President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation.
The anniversary, traditionally celebrated on the third Saturday of the month, is now observed formally in 17 states, and several others have recognized it through gubernatorial proclamations or legislation, officials said. Texas made it a paid state holiday in 1980. New York Gov. George E. Pataki (R) last year signed a law establishing Juneteenth Freedom Day. The District passed legislation in 2003 recognizing Juneteenth. Maryland and Virginia do not formally recognize it, though celebrations are planned in Alexandria, Montgomery County and Southern Maryland.
In 1997, Congress recognized the day with a resolution, sponsored by Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) in the Senate and Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) in the House.
Two years later, a group of black leaders brought the observance to the Mall, celebrating with prayer, public speakers, poetry, song and dance.
“Juneteenth is about American history,” said the Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., chairman of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. “The nation declared its independence on July 4, 1776, and the last slaves were freed on June 19, 1865. We need to acknowledge both days when we celebrate our freedom.”
This year’s commemoration comes as advocates are pressing national leaders to acknowledge and atone for the country’s past wrongs against African Americans. On Monday, the U.S. Senate apologized for failing to ever approve anti-lynching legislation, the first time the body has apologized to African Americans. Each year, the National Juneteenth Independence Day program features a reading of the names of lynching victims.
As an African American, Richard Bingham has always felt some ambivalence about the Fourth of July.
So when he learned six years ago about Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865 when the last U.S. slaves were notified of their independence, he hosted a party to share food, fellowship and history with his neighbors in Prince George’s County. He’s repeated it each year since.
They grilled meat, a tradition started in Texas, where Juneteenth originated. They prayed over shackles and chains provided by a historian friend for ancestors who had been enslaved. Bingham dramatized “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro,” Frederick Douglass’s impassioned commentary on the hypocrisy of the holiday.
That small gathering has grown into Prince George’s first countywide celebration this year of Juneteenth Independence Day, a once-obscure commemoration that has spread to more than two dozen states and a national program today that is expected to draw thousands to the Lincoln Memorial.
“The Fourth of July was America’s independence day, not ours,” said Bingham, 50, of Landover, a trainer with the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission. “It wasn’t until almost a century later that the nation finally realized that ‘We need to let these folks be free, too.’
“Juneteenth Day,” he added, ” is our independence day.”
A combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth,” Juneteenth was born out of a spontaneous celebration that erupted June 19, 1865, when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, declared U.S. sovereignty over Texas and officially notified the state’s 250,000 slaves that they were free. That was 30 months after President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation.
The anniversary, traditionally celebrated on the third Saturday of the month, is now observed formally in 17 states, and several others have recognized it through gubernatorial proclamations or legislation, officials said. Texas made it a paid state holiday in 1980. New York Gov. George E. Pataki (R) last year signed a law establishing Juneteenth Freedom Day. The District passed legislation in 2003 recognizing Juneteenth. Maryland and Virginia do not formally recognize it, though celebrations are planned in Alexandria, Montgomery County and Southern Maryland.
In 1997, Congress recognized the day with a resolution, sponsored by Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) in the Senate and Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) in the House.
Two years later, a group of black leaders brought the observance to the Mall, celebrating with prayer, public speakers, poetry, song and dance.
“Juneteenth is about American history,” said the Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., chairman of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. “The nation declared its independence on July 4, 1776, and the last slaves were freed on June 19, 1865. We need to acknowledge both days when we celebrate our freedom.”
This year’s commemoration comes as advocates are pressing national leaders to acknowledge and atone for the country’s past wrongs against African Americans. On Monday, the U.S. Senate apologized for failing to ever approve anti-lynching legislation, the first time the body has apologized to African Americans. Each year, the National Juneteenth Independence Day program features a reading of the names of lynching victims.
“There is no personal acknowledgment from the president of the significance of Juneteenth or the need for healing from the legacy of slavery in America . . . even though the White House and the U.S. Capitol were built from slave labor,” he said.
Myers said Bush’s lack of response was particularly disappointing because of his acknowledgment of Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday.
In Congress, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) have sponsored resolutions asking for a national Juneteenth observance.
“Just like the day when the greatest civil rights leader of our time was born or the day we finally gave African Americans a ballot and a voice, Juneteenth is a day when we look back on a time when everyday Americans faced the most daunting challenges and the slimmest odds and still persevered,” Obama said at a luncheon Thursday.
Beyond the national efforts, many black families celebrate the day with friends and a barbecue. In Prince George’s, Bingham said the countywide event will be family-centered because of the importance of passing the history down to children.
“Somewhere in the Scripture it says that people who continue to celebrate their culture thrive,” he said. “That’s why it is important to continue to teach our children about their history — so they won’t lose it.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Here are some other links to articles for your perusal.
July 4th for Black America: A Day Late and a Dollar Short
Celebrate July 4th for 2 Reasons: Independence Day and Manumission Day (talks about slavery in NY)
Filed under Beauty/Fashion by affrodite on July 3, 2008 at 9:56 pm
8 comments
So, I’m taking some Aveda products out for a test drive based on having my hair done in an Aveda salon today. Based on my salon results and the multitude of people who swear by Aveda products, I’m feeling good about their products as an option. The issue will likely be price point, and if I can get the same (or even better/more preferable) results for less?
Aveda Color Conserve Shampoo
Aveda Brilliant conditioner (using as conditioner and as leave-in)
Aveda Brilliant humectant hair pomade (for hold and shine)
Filed under Beauty/Fashion by affrodite on July 3, 2008 at 1:06 am
5 comments
Filed under Beauty/Fashion by affrodite on July 3, 2008 at 12:45 am
3 comments
What had happened was… I was walking High St with one of my sisters last week, pointing out various spots along the way including my old salon. Lo and behold, just a few doors down, me eyes spy a lady through the window with hair in a similar color range as mine, of ethnic origin (thought it would be rude to ask if she was biracial or not but that’s my guess), and doing hair!!!! We take an immediate detour into the salon and I ask to speak with her. First impression was that she was very energetic and seemed excited about the chance to do my hair. I said I had stylist drama and was looking for one that would be comfortable working with my hair texture. So, we made an appointment for the following week.
Sunday night, she called to confirm our appointment and to talk through a few things regarding what services I was interested in doing. Kudos to her for taking that extra step as opposed to hearing from the receptionist.
Wednesday, I go to the appointment…
(NOTE: they’re having a competition at the salon, so if you decide to give this place a try, say that Affrodite sent you and that you want to be seen by the Artistic Director or someone on her staff. The offer is buy one service and get your next service for free.)
BEFORE PHOTO 1st hair appointment with Mizz Ethnicita
Mizz Ethnicita is very friendly. Salon is clean, girly-artsy-shortnorthy-lezzbutchie-trendy vibe. I wait no more than 5 minutes for her to call me to her chair. Mizz Ethnicita is definitely along the creative ilk, and further chatter between us confirms my suspicion. She asks lots of questions and we work out all of the details (including price) prior to getting started. Her suggestion was to go a little darker in parts to make the highlights pop more. Makes sense. I shared that Mr. Greek said that highlights didn’t show on my hair because it was curly (I like how they say curly instead of nappy). She said that wasn’t true but that the highlights should be more chunky and I needed that contrast. Makes sense. Still feeling good about the appointment. I gave her creative control on on the cut explaining there were areas that I felt I had no shape like in the back (goes straight down), lacking a bit of height/fullness up top and not framing my face like I’d like. She proposed her solution which included cutting my hair curly since I never wear it straight (I absolutely hate it straight now because it reminds me of the hair conforming me that was such a huge chunk of my life).
She worked her upsell angle too by asking if I want my eyebrows waxed. I initially said no, it’s not my thing, not into makeup and girly stuff. She explains/shows she doesn’t wear makeup either and how it would help complete the look. I’m down for a little adventure and decide to go for it. After all, I like the occasional nudge out of my comfort zone.
She gets right down to work. I don’t think she had any existing clients at the time, but by the end, 2 others had come through but she seemed to have her timing down so that no one felt like they were being robbed of their service.
So here I am after all was said and done. I was there about 3 to 4 hrs which seems like a long day, but it didn’t feel that way. I presume down road, it’ll go a little more quickly as we feel each other out and spend less time getting my style and color in the right place. I was happy with the outcome. The darker parts were darker than I’d like/anticipated, but it quickly grew on me. The cut definitely helped with giving me more of a shape to my style.
AFTER PHOTO 1st hair appointment with Mizz Ethnicita
Thoughts?? So far, she’s a two thumbs up. Easy conversation, comfy with my hair, made product suggestions, worked her upsell. More posts to come down the road… including reviews of Aveda products that I bought today.
cut $55, color $120ish (for 3 colors), eyebrow wax $15, total was $181ish (my bad math is from not remembering the exact pricing for the color). Cost was the only thing that was a definite dissatisfier, but I’m willing to pay to get this dern hair thing right and to maintain my city gal stance of being able to walk to my hairdresser. I’m feeling so-so about the eyebrow waxing. Just not my thing but decided to give it a try in the name of trying something new. I still fear my hair growing back like an eyebrow beard, but they all say the same thing about how the hair should grow back finer. I just know that I did not have pubic hair as far down as I do now until I started getting bikini waxes which throws that “scientific” theory completely out… Sorry… gross story… but it was important to share… maybe you can relate…
Filed under Beauty/Fashion by affrodite on July 2, 2008 at 3:07 pm
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Drama, drama, drama people! And I’m sooooooo over it. I head to a new stylist this morning and promise to tell you all about the whole deal later today….
oh, and she works at one of those salons that uses Aveda products…
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Just got back and I’m feeling FABULOUS!!! I’ve got pics and lots more to say and “unsay”…stay tuned…
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Ok so here’s the story. I’ll try to keep it short…
The first appointment with Mr. Greek was good. He was excited to prove he could do nappy hair and took his time. He did struggle with pricing in the end because it took more time to do than he anticipated. The second appointment went well, too. He worked on adding highlights to my hair and he worked meticulously on it. I say well in a relative context… meaning he was not comfy working with my hair, but he was trying.
After that, things went downhill. The next appointment, I got my color retouched and wanted to also get it trimmed as well as the highlights. He said that he didn’t have time and I really didn’t need my hair cut anyway since I never wear it straight. I obliged…
INTERMISSION…for those of you who can’t stand reading too much without a picture…
BEFORE PHOTO hair appointment #3 with Mr. Greek
AFTER PHOTO hair appointment #3 with Mr. Greek
Now to the rest of the story…
(more…)
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