The low down on natural hair and professionalism

Hampton University Bans Dreadlocks

Hampton University's ban on a hairstyle - dreadlocks - is down right comical. I know it has been in effect for a decade now but really it's time for Hampton to reflect and reverse this policy. The focus should not be on a hairstyle, it should be on proper grooming. To classify people with dreadlocks as unkept and unprofessional is to perpetuate self hate and self denial - two things that an HBCU should not promote.

I have worked in corporate settings, in management for well respected companies at the top of their industries. My hair has NEVER been a barrier.  It seems that what Hampton wants to teach young African-Americans is that they must assimilate completely in order to be accepted in corporate America. Shame on Hampton. If you are going to be denied a job because you are Black, trust me, your hairstyle won't matter.

Something to ponder... Is the fear of African-American men by White Americans valid?

I was watching Chris Hayes on MSNBC tonight and he was digging deeper into the right wing narrative on systemic racism. Bill O'Reilly, of course... well... just check out the video here.

Anyway, tonight Chris stated the following statistics...

According to the FBI expanded crime statistics in 2010, Blacks were responsible for 8% of the murders of White people while White people were responsible for 14% of the murders of Black people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control 2010 statistics there are about 200 million White people in America.  Of that approximately 200,000,000 White people, 1179 were killed by Black people.  During that same year, 20,815 White people died from accidental poisoning, 16,385 White people died from accidental falls and 2382 White people died from accidental drowning.

"In other words, Bill O'Reilly, you have more reason to be afraid of your own swimming pool than any young Black man you see in a hoodie." Chris Hayes

Nuff said.

Chris Hayes for President........................................................................

I'm feeling particularly good...

Despite the tone of my last post, I am feeling particularly optimistic tonight. Lots of reasons why that I will share in later posts but tonight its off to bed. Let me leave you with this little tidbit from one of my favorite and most inspirational leaders - Nelson Mandela.

The Baby Santiago Case

The Baby Santiago Case (Click on the link to read the story)

So it seems that as the story unfolds, the story is one African-Americans know all too well. Two Black teens accused of heartlessly shooting a baby because a southern White woman wouldn't give them any money. Turns out that the evidence shows this never happened and the mom, in fact, may have actually killed her own child for insurance money. When in doubt, blame it on the Black kid.

Sigh...

Golden Race 3.0

Golden race is a phrase my inner circle uses to categorize multi-racial Americans.  Before getting offended and screaming, "Wait a minute, using the phrase golden race is just another way of putting groups of people in the metaphorical box in an attempt to define the characteristics of that group." I can see that.  However, when my inner circle says golden race it is more of a way for us to analyze what we think race will mean in the future with the wide scale injection of this group for whom race can not be defined.  I mean, how would the grandchildren of two multi-racial people (the Golden Race 3.0) define themselves in terms of race?  Are you 1/8 Cherokee, 1/8 African, 1/8 Latino, 1/8 Italian, 1/8 Japanese... I mean seriously, where would it end?  At which point does it border on silly to use race as a definition for any group? Will the era of the 3.0 finally usher in a post racial America? Things to ponder. I don't have the answers but I find the dialogue on whether or not we continue to use race to differentiate ourselves a fascinating one.

The Privilege

A friend posted something on Facebook that got me thinking about the privilege.  Some say White advantage. It's a polarizing phrase. Just like the bigger discussion on race in America, very few people want to talk about it or even acknowledge it exists. Any reference you make to the privilege, your White friends feel betrayed and immediately go on the defensive.  Is that shocking though? Not at all.

Truth is, most racial minorities, generally speaking, aren't blaming the recipients of the privilege but they are saying that the fact that the system supports the privilege at their expense shouldn't be ignored, minimized or dismissed. It's simple really but accepting that the privilege exists means accepting that your parents may have been wrong, all the people you love and respect may have been wrong, you may have been wrong and you certainly have benefitted. It's a hard pill to swallow, no doubt, but what about the oppressed? They swallow this pill and live it all day, every day. No breaks.

30 Black Bloggers You Should Know - From TheRoot.com

An interesting and informative bunch