What We're Worth

We live in America, a country where production and power reign supreme. If we don't achieve what seems to be the norm, we feel less than. That's not a mistake. That's what America is about. It's also wrong. The true value of a human is not what he or she can make, it's what he or she stands for. We (you and me and a lot of people) need to learn to value who we are, not just what we do. Part of our worth is our compassion, our desire to help, to make other people feel at ease, feel whole. Since when did my bank account speak for me? 
-- An out.of.my.head Contributor

Say It Loud: My POV on ...

"Meteorologist fired after defending her ‘ethnic’ hair"   

Below, I've posted a link to the above story, which appears on Melissa Harris-Perry's page on MSNBC.com. But first, I give my point of view. 

Here's the thing: I am more angered over the attitudes of black women and men when it comes to natural hair, short-and-natural hair especially, than I am angered over the attitudes and reactions of whites toward this look. 

Who are these black people who hold such narrow-minded perspectives on our hair, our skin -- and then openly and destructively express these views?! (Think Gabby Douglas.)

This striving-to-be-something-other-than-black has got to stop. Look, everyone doesn't have to be "natural." But if you feel shame and embarrassment when you see black women who do wear a natural look -- yes, even naturally dark skin -- I want to say to you: Shut the heck up about it!! Keep that to yourself, and go get therapy to work out that self-hating instinct.

 Below is the opening of the story, and the link to the rest of the piece follows. First, read the background by reporter Jamil Smith. Then, there's video of Harris-Perry's "teachable moment" on black women and hair. Now, I am sorry that her comment about Chris Rock's film "Good Hair" (on DVD) will discourage those who haven't seen it from wanting to see it, because I think in this age of Brazilian blow-outs that film needs to be seen by black women. But that's just a sidebar. In the video, Harris offers a needed lesson to non-whites on black hair. That needs to be done every generation or so. She also speaks with some other black women about the hair thing. 
Yes, it is we, ourselves, with whom we need to be having the conversation.

(I could write a more thoughtful and detailed piece about this. But I don't have time to do that. And I just needed to get it out of my head!)

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Meteorologist fired after defending her ‘ethnic’ hair

Jamil Smith, @JamilSmith

5:34 pm on 12/12/2012

In this screenshort taken from CNN, meteorologist Rhonda Lee reacts after KTBS TV station fired her after she replied to viewer criticism of her natural hairstyle.

KTBS meteorologist Rhonda Lee was fired last month from her job at ABC’s Shreveport, Louisiana affiliate–a position she had held for almost a year. It was not for anything she said on-air, or in the newsroom. It was for responding to viewer comments online regarding her hair, comments such as these from a viewer identified as Emmitt Vascocu, written on the station’s Facebook page on Oct. 1:

“[T]he black lady that does the news is a very nice lady.the only thing is she needs to wear a wig or grow some more hair. im not sure if she is a cancer patient. but still its not something myself that i think looks good on tv. what about letting someone a male have waist long hair do the news.what about that (cq).”

http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/12/12/meteorologist-fired-after-defending-her-ethnic-hair/

A December Morning

it's a grey morning, wet. but beautiful in its own way. luminescent. and quiet. trees are bare. i love seeing  them this way. strength and majesty in the undressed branches. there are leaves on the ground, still bright ... and beautiful.