Black History Month, Part III: Psyche Williams-Forson

Source: The University of Maryland, College Park

It’s all in the food.

That’s what Psyche Williams-Forson knows.

Dr. Williams-Forson, Associate Professor and co-Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, is author of the book, Building Houses Out of Chicken Legs: Black Women, Food and Power. In the book, Williams-Forson studies how black women have used foods like chicken to define and to uplift themselves culturally, socially and along race and class lines.

The chicken has taken iconic status in the lives of African Americans. Think of the last time you had fried chicken. Now think of how fried chicken came about. Now think about its origins, how many African American women made it in the past, how the women who made it evolved through slavery, emancipation, Jim Crow South, the Great Migration (The Illinois Central Railroad was dubbed the “Fried Chicken Special” because of the packed lunches Black travelers brought with them for the trip.) the Civil Rights era, the Black Power movement and today. Think of the term “stealing chickens” and what that symbolizes. Think of the many African American families that use food as sustenance, a means to earn a living and as a path towards unification. Consider all of these, and you get a glimpse of the themes discussed in her work.

Dr. Williams-Forson started out in academia in a college housing and residence life position. While doing this, she also helped students with their English papers, and found she couldn’t do more because, in her words, “I did not know any more.” She decided to get her Masters degree. She worked as a graduate assistant for a professor who studied “foodways”  in the Italian, Irish, and Jewish communities. While doing research, she wondered if African Americans had a similar gastronomic histories, and she decided to study this area for her dissertation. She received her doctorate in 2002.

Today, “Chicken Legs” speaks volumes. It won an award from the American Folklore Society. Dr. Williams-Forson was also named part of the University of Maryland’s Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity. She received the Ford Foundation Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2005 and a Lord Baltimore Research Fellowship in 2006—two of several fellowships she has been awarded. She is also the curator of “Still Cookin’ by the Fireside,” an online exhibition on the history of African American cookery for the Smithsonian Institution’s Anacostia Museum. She is co-author of the soon to be released, Taking Food Public: Redefining Foodways In A Changing World.

Get the look: Dr. Williams-Forson’s curly look can be achieved many ways, by using perm rods around 2-3 locs all over or by braiding or twisting locs and then taking them down. The result is a head full of stunning curly texture. Also keep color-treated locs moisturized, especially in winter.

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, Bobby McFerrin, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, locked, locks, locs, moisture, natural, natural hair, Psyche Williams-Forson, Savion Glover, shampoo, sisterlocks, toni morrison, tresses

Black History Month Part II: Savion Glover

Photo: muppet.wikia.com

Dancer. Choreographer. Educator. All these titles describe one of the most famous names in the world of American tap dance, Savion Glover.

Born in 1973, Glover has history in his family. His great grandfather on his mother’s side, Dick “King Richard” Lundy, was a short stop for the Negro Leagues. His grandfather, William Lewis, was a big-band pianist and vocalist who played the jazz scene throughout New England. His grandmother, Anna Lundy Lewis, played for Whitney Houston* in a local Baptist choir.

As a child, Glover excelled in music. He started out with the drums and moved on to another school when he was assessed as being too advanced. He later started tap at the age of seven. He started a love affair with the art of tap dance that would become his career.

Among his accomplishments: Glover is the youngest person to win a National Endowment for the Arts grant at 17. He choreographed and performed in the Broadway musical Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk and won a Tony for his choreography. He has performed with the likes of Sammy Davis, Jr. and Gregory Hines. He had a regular role for five years on Sesame Street. He appeared in Spike Lee’s Bamboozled and TV’s “Bojangles,” the story of tap dancer Bill Robinson. He choreographed the moves of Mumble in the animated movie Happy Feet. He has his own production company and started the HooFeRzCLub  School for Tap.

His style is booming, forceful and energetic—echoing rhythms in every step. This style is called “hitting,” which according to Wikipedia, is “one’s ability to express oneself, to complete a tap sequence, to say something.” Savion continues to speak with his feet, his rhythm, his love for tap, and his desire to teach his talent to others.

Get Savion’s style: Exercise and locs are the perfect marriage. You can wash and go or do a water rinse in between full washes. Most important: you must rinse out the salt from sweat after your workouts. Also with frequent washing—especially in winter—locs need moisture. Hot oil treatments, oils for daily use, and drinking lots of water will help your locs looking and feeling their best.

Gail Mitchell
Editor, Loc’d Life Magazine

Check out our archive of stories on www.locdlife.com. In the meantime, see this video of Glover’s electrifying moves—proof that he is making Black history everyday!

Source: Wikipedia.org, biography.com, YouTube.com

*Editor’s note: We at Loc’d Life are saddened by the untimely death of Whitney Houston. We will always love you!

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, Bobby McFerrin, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, locked, locks, locs, locstitch, moisture, natural, natural hair, Savion Glover, shampoo, sisterlocks, toni morrison, tresses, Whitney Houston

Black History Month, Locstyle, Part 1: Bobby McFerrin

Photo: Carol Friedman

During February, Loc’d Life will honor Black History Month with profiles in loc history. This week’s post features Bobby McFerrin.

If the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is the only thing you know about this wonderfully talented musician, then read on. This Grammy-award-winning musical genius has conducted workshops at Harvard, The World Science Festival, and created “flash mob”-style choirs with his ability to draw music from everyone. And yes, he wears locs.

Music resonates with everyone. It so resonated with McFerrin that at age 27, he knew that it was his calling. Today, he has carved his own musical career with a blend of jazz, classical music, performance art, and music education. Take a tour through YouTube and you will see him leading an audience in the pentatonic scale. You’ll also see him performing “Ave Maria” with an orchestra. Even Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther Theme” gets an unheard of rendition with McFerrin’s artistry.

Born in Manhattan, New York City in 1950, music was in his blood. His father, Robert McFerrin, was the first African American to be a regular with New York’s Metropolitan Opera. His mother, Sara, was also an operatic soloist who is a Professor Emeritus of Music at Fullerton College in California.

His breakout song was “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” which won the Grammy Award’s Song of the Year and Record of the Year in 1988. His career highlights include serving as guest conductor in some of the nation’s most prolific symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and others.

Today he travels the world through various music education programs, symposiums and a new collaboration slated for later this year.

Bobby McFerrin is living proof that if there’s a song in your heart, the world will follow along with your melody.

Check out this video of his performance with Esperanza Spalding (who won last year’s Grammy Award for Best New Artist) just before the airing of the 53^rd Grammy awards. This is not only music at its finest, it’s natural hair in all of its splendor!

Source: Wikipedia, YouTube, bobbymcferrin.com

Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, Bobby McFerrin, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, locked, locks, locs, locstitch, moisture, natural, natural hair, shampoo, sisterlocks, toni morrison, tresses

To the Sampson in all of us

Be strong! Jabari Zuberi Photography.

 

Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Sampson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this thou has done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done to them.

And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee unto the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.

And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand; but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock. 

And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him; and the Sprit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms become as flax that was burnt with fire, and his hands loosed from off his hands. 

And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

—Judges 15: 11-15, King James Bible

 

Many of us know the story of Sampson. Many believe that Sampson’s were one of the first instances of locs recorded in the Bible.

After being captured by the Philistines, Sampson prays for one final burst of strength, which he receives.

Inside his seven locks of hair that no razor had touched since birth lay his strength. According to Judges 16: 17, “…There hath not come a [razor] upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb; if I be shaven then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” He lost his strength through deception when Delilah, who was chosen to find the secret source of his strength, tricked him into revealing it.

Sometimes, we look to other things for our strength. It could be financial power. It could be prestige. It could be being a leader in your field. Or you find strengths in your relationships.

For those of us with locs, yes, there is power in them. We’ve spent years cultivating them, growing them, and making them look their best. After years of our hair being “fried, dyed and laid to the side”, we’ve earned every loc that we’ve grown as the growth of our evolution.

Yet they are just the manifestations of our strength that lies within. Our locs express our beauty. They express our return to our roots. They reflect our style. Whether you’re beginning your journey, or maturing after a long odyssey, your locs have become your extensions of you. But its strength and the light that comes from within—combined with our style—that creates our glow. And we all have this within us. Be strong!

Gail Mitchell
Editor
Loc’d Life Magazine

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, locked, locks, locs, moisture, natural, natural hair, shampoo, sisterlocks, toni morrison, tresses

Loc style roundup

1. Courtesy Sandria Washington; 2. www.dreadmama.net; 3. www.blacknaturalhairstyles.com; 4 & 5: essence.com; 6. Verve Music; 7: holisticlocs.com

Be versatile! Here’s a roundup of go-to styles (found on the web) for everyday for that special occasion.

1. The Loc Hawk. This style comes is a varied as Bantu knots down the middle to loops that cascade down the center. Try this style for a twist.

2. Bantu knots. Take a section of locs  Twist them then wrap them around the base and secure with a bobbi pin. Do this with several sections and you have a style that can be as elegant as a formal soireé or as down-to-earth as a day just hanging out.

3. The Bob. After years of mature locs, some want to do something different. The Bob is a great way to try something new. It’s not starting from scratch and it’s still versatile.

4. Curls, Curls, Curls. Locs freshly done in curls are just strikingly gorgeous. You can use pipe cleaners, rods, or just by braiding it for a beautiful head of waves.

5. Loc Bun. A tightly done loc bun is also at the top of the list of elegant styles. Whether it’s up high or at the nape, it looks great. Try with a few loose locs on either side, curled with perm rods.

6. The Ledisi. This elegant updo which explodes in the front with a twisty cluster of coils is made famous by the singer of the same name. This could be flat twisted towards the front and secured coils with bobbi pins at the front. It’s a style as varied as you want it.

7. Sideswept locs. This can be a striking style with maximum impact. A simple style with a lot of impact. Again, this can be done in various ways.

These are just some all the styles possible with locs. The possibilities are endless.

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, locked, locks, locs, locstitch, moisture, natural, natural hair, shampoo, sisterlocks

Role Models Part 2: Evin Marie

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In the second of our series, we talk to Evin Marie, one of our first models, who graciously modeled her versatile locstyle for one of our first stories (see Urban Mix on www.locdlife.com). And she worked it! With flair, style and grace, she wowed us with her poses and her creativity (she did her own hair for us during the shoot!). Here’s a little more about one of our Role Models…

Tell me about yourself.
I am really a playwright. My company is Making Room Productions. I typically produce plays with a socially profound message. One is “Blotch”, a play on HIV/AIDS awareness, which was contracted by the Taproots Foundation.  This wasn’t my first shoot. One of my photographer friends asked me to model before.

How long have you worn locs?
For about 4 years. I do a loc stitch with a latch hook. Kind of like sisterlocks. I had a great loctician who started me off and gave me a good foundation, but I typically do my own hair.

Have you found that you’ve gotten more or less modeling (or other jobs) with locs?
Because of the nature of the work I do, when I’m not writing, I’m a teaching artist for over 10 years. I never had issues with my natural hair. By the grace of God, it is not affected my employment, but I have never done a corporate job. I think the thing that helped me in some ways were that my hair was a conversation starter. Young women, women in college would ask me about whether or not to get locs. I am like a counselor.

What are your loc tips?
Don’t do a lot of products. Sometimes people look at natural hair as something more complicated than it is. Use natural oils. Keep them wrapped up at night. Be kind to your hair, and don’t overprocess it. It doesn’t take a lot of acrobatics to keep it healthy.

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, moisture, natural, natural hair, shampoo, sisterlocks, toni morrison

New Year’s Resolutions for Locs

Style from http://www.blackwomennaturalhairstyles.com/

Start the new year off right by resolving to love your locs.

1. I will be patient.
Whether you’re just starting your locs or you’ve had them for years and you’re just waiting for them to grow, be patient. For starters, allow your hair the proper time to loc.  For hair growth, remember to nurture your loc garden and allow them do their own thing. A watched pot never boils, so be patient and enjoy the journey.

2. I will take care of my locs.
There’s no other hair style that will tell on you than locs. If you care for them consistently, you will have head-turning, beautiful tresses that people will notice. If not, you’ll have a hot mess. Remember, everyday, you are a loc ambassador.

3. I will moisturize.
Oil your scalp. Shampoo them regularly. Use hot oil treatments. Drink water. There’s nothing more discouraging than dry, dusty locs!

4. I will tie my hair up at night—every night.
Other than moisturizing, this is the second most important thing you can do for your locs at any stage. Skip this every night, and your locs won’t only be dry, they’ll weaken and snap under the pressure. You’ve waited a long time for a beautiful head of locs. You paid your loctician a lot of money to get that maintenance. Now do your part! A silky, non-cottony scarf or a Loc soc will do. Tip: tie your hair up once you get home. You’ll start your bedtime routine early.

5. I will switch it up.
Try a curly style. Work an updo. Rock loc jewels. Accessorize. Try a rinse or a mild color if you’ve been thinking about it. If you’re bored with mature locs, doing this will keep yours—and others—interest.

6. I will nourish my locs (and my body) from within.
You are what you eat. Drink plenty of water. Eat foods rich in omega fats like salmon. You can even take vitamins. You only live once. You should do it in optimal health, not only for your locs, but for you.

7. I will express myself.
Locs are the ultimate expression of your hair’s natural essence. If you’re thinking about locs, and they work with your lifestyle, go for it!

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, locked, locks, locs, locstitch, moisture, natural, shampoo, sisterlocks, toni morrison, tresses

The Harriet Experiment Launch Party

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On the Eve of New Year’s Eve, a large number of women and men gathered on Chicago’s Living Room Lounge to celebrate a year-long journey into natural hair. The event kicked off The Harriet Experiment, the dream of local stylist  Emon Fowler of Sarah Bellum Natural Hair Suite.

During the evening, women with relaxed or transitioning hair went through the “Big Chop” (cutting off the relaxed ends) or could get loc maintenance (or start locs as one woman did!) The goal: as Harriet Tubman led 700 slaves to freedom in her day, The Harriet Experiment hopes to guide 700 participants from the bondage of chemicals to the freedom of their own natural textures. For a fee, each participant gets year-long stylist appointments, can attend special workshops, and ask all the questions they want to get all the information needed to nurture their natural tresses.

There was also poetry readings, soulful singing and the premiere of their launch video.

And the room was full of loc styles. Loc’d Life was there, capturing every moment from a loc perspective. If you’re on the fence about locs or thinking of another way to go natural, free yourself. And if you’re interested, there still is time to join. Visit www.iamharriet.net to register and for more information.

Loc’d Life wishes you a Happy New Year of freedom to embrace your locs.

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, moisture, natural, natural hair, shampoo, sisterlocks, toni morrison, tresses

Merry Christmas from Loc’d Life

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Our gift to you…a gallery of styles. Updos, buns, an interesting sculture, and a cavalcade of styles.

Keep your locs moisturized with spray water (if you can have it softened even better), shea butter, coconut oils, and conditioning mists.

From all of us at Loc’d Life, Merry Christmas and Happy Loc’dom! (Now on to those presents!)

 

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, locked, locks, locs, locstitch, moisture, natural, natural hair, shampoo, sisterlocks, toni morrison, tresses

Loc Gift Guide, Part 2

Here’s our second installment of more gifts and products for  you and your locs.

The Loc Soc
Known as the must-have accessory for locs, no loc’d head should be without it. The Loc Soc comes in a variety of colors and patterns to wear overnight to protect your locs from lint and dryness, as a headband, or as unique headcoverings. Get several to rotate them in your wardrobe. www.soclocsoc.com

Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soaps
This is also a staple for loc care. The liquid All-in-One is a combination of organic extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils, together with pure essential oils, to create a unique soap that cleanses locs with lots of lather, without stripping away natural oils or leaving any buildup. It comes in a variety of scents like peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, citrus and others. Get  a 3-bottle set for the loc’d one in your life.

Aveda Rosemary Mint  Set
This 3-piece set features the Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo, Conditioner and Hand and Body Wash. Rosemary stimulates hair growth and mint stimulates blood flow to the scalp. A great combination that tingles and leaves your locs and scalp invigorated. www.aveda.com

Make your own Loc’d Life Mix!
Here’s a unique gift: a  CD of empowering music to celebrate our locs.Here’s our suggestions (or if you want to wait, we’ll be offering it next year!):

I Am Not my Hair, India.Arie
Golden, Jill Scott
Jammin’, Bob Marley
Appletree, Erykah Badu
Cleva, Erykah Badu
Walking, Mary Mary
Try Jah Love, Third World
Strength, Courage and Wisdom, India Arie

Try these gifts for your loved loc’d ones. They’ll enjoy them.

Loc Q & A

Hi, I was wondering if it was alright if you dye your locs during the winter…my roots are starting to show, and I wanted to dye it back to the original color, but I wasn’t sure if it would damage my locs in anyway.

Coloring your locs  to your original color (if it is a darker color) is probably less damaging than lightening them to a lighter color—or lifting the color pigment from the hair. Your loctician can recommend a good product. If you’re doing it yourself and are looking for a natural alternative, try the Herbatint color line. These haircolors are naturally-based with no ammonia, low peroxide, no alcohol, parabens, perfumes, and other chemicals found in other commercial preparations with 100% grey cover. (I have used it in the past with great success.) You can find it at your local health food store, or  go online to search for a US distributor, as it is a British product.

Even with a less damaging color, remember to condition as the winter months are really drying to your hair. Hot oil treatments, essential oils during the week, and other conditioning treatments are a must.

Tags: african american hair, ankh symbol, Basquiat, beauty, black hair, black history, Bob Marley, brotherlocks, conditioner, cosmetic product ingredients, dread, dreadlocks, dreads, dreadz, Farai Chideya, hair, health, Jamaica, Jamaican, knotty dread, loc care, loc'd, loc'd hair, Loc'd Life Magazine, locked, locks, locs, locstitch, moisture, natural, natural hair, sisterlocks, toni morrison, tresses