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.

To Watch While My Father Danced

I can't hand-dance. It's the unofficial state dance of the District of Columbia. I can't do it. 

With that said, here's this story.

The first time someone told me that my parents used to dance in their party days was maybe about ten years ago. I couldn't believe it, and I sure as heck couldn't picture it! 

So the other night, at a party celebrating his 80 years and the milestone birthdays of other family members, when Daddy's cousin pulled him onto the dance floor my first reaction was sheer panic.

Ummm, wait a sec. He ... uhh, I don't think he ...

Everyone was standing around the dance floor in a big circle three or four rings deep, singing and laughing and celebrating. I was trying to push past people, trying to get to my father and his cousin to tell her not to pull him onto the dance floor. 

How presumptuous!

But why was I in such a fit? Even with his aches and pains, he's not feeble. 

The thing is, I didn't want him to make a fool of himself. As a loyal daughter, I felt obligated to stop this. Who wants to see an 80-year-old man embarrass himself trying to dance?

I was way back in the third ring of the big circle, and no one was paying attention to me. I watched helplessly. My father hesitated at first, and then graciously gave in to his cousin's tugging. He moved onto the floor. 

Ohhhhh, Lord.

I was holding my breath, kind of. It seemed to be happening in slow motion. Where was my mother, my brothers? Did anyone else feel me on this?

Ever watch a kid get on a bike, slip and fumble and try to find their balance? And just when you move forward thinking that you will help steady them, they take off without your help. Zoom! ... off they go, not looking back, riding free and easy, as if they've always known how. 

It was like that from where I stood. It took my father a couple of secs to get his groove back, and then -- just like riding a bike, there it was! THERE IT WAS! Cool, smooth, flexible, fluid -- no aching back, hips, neck, or knees. He'd always known how.

Hey ... wait a minute. He's ... he knows how ... God! He really can dance!

My mouth was wide open. I was frozen. My 80-year-old father could dance ... really, really dance! 

Ha-ha-haaaaaa! I bet all these people thought he couldn't!