Inspired by producers and award winning directors D. Channsin Berry and Bill Duke’s experiences growing up, Dark Girls shines light not only on society’s issue with colorism but African-Americans’ issue with skin color within their own culture.

The film delved into colorism and racism by addressing the history dating back to slavery, the impact that it has had on society and global cultures (the brown paper bag test, skin brightening creams, etc), familial influences, men and women’s views on dating and skin color preference, the stereotypes and stigmas associated with skin color, and the media’s role in perpetuating this. Featured in the film were various industry experts on race, actor and comedian Michael Colyar, Academy Award nominated actress, Viola Davis, along with varying interviews with Black women [and men] of various hues, expressing their biases and disdain for racism that has permeated their lives for so long.

In the audiences, you could hear the ‘umm mmms’ and the ‘yeah girls’ or even the loud gasps as to be surprised or appalled by hearing some of the ignorant stereotypes for the first time. Maybe because I was among some who have already been privy to experiencing or bearing witness to this stuff before. I laughed when it was funny but remained stoic the remainder of the time because it wasn’t unfamiliar to me.

Hearing these women speak about their experiences wanting to be light skinned or men not wanting to date them, reminded me of similar experiences I too had growing up. But I kept things in perspective, knowing that all of their truth wasn’t my truth and wasn’t the only voice for all women of color. Dark Girls offered one of many stories that some needed to hear.

After the film was done, the producers were welcomed back on stage to a standing ovation before the Q&A session started. They carefully crafted the stories told in this film, making sure to express that they sought empowerment of all women, not victimization of them, noting that all skin colors were beautiful. They offered a healing aspect at the end of the film, hoping this would lend way to honest and open communication amongst all people of color.

They also mentioned working on upcoming films, exploring more of this dynamic, including The Yellow Brick Road (contrarian view to Dark Girls, exploring struggles from light skinned women’s perspectives) and What is a Man?

Are their issues telling a story like this and should black men be the one always telling it? Mixed opinions would ring from all kinds of mountaintops so what I will say is this. Dark Girls created a[nother] space for more dialog but for the sake of all women across the world, I just hope it remains as open, honest, and empowering as the producers had intentioned.

The film is currently being shown in various cities throughout the country.  Learn more about Bill Duke, whom you may recognize from various acting credits including X-Men 3 and Predator, and D. Channsin Berry. For more information on viewings or to watch a preview, click here.

Are you interested in seeing Dark Girls? What are your thoughts if you’ve seen it already? Did you experience colorism growing up?

Healthy, thick, braided, cornrowed, extensions, pressed, trimmed, cut or styled are just some of the words that come to mind when I think about hair. It’s quite amazing how hair makes you feel. It is part of your person. You feel sexy, confident, smart, born to rule the world perhaps? Throw on a pair of jeans and white T, put your hair in a pony tail and you could easily be lounging around the house. Take your hair down, toss it, tease it, pull it, pat it and you feel like a completely different person. Anyone share that sentiment?

Half the time, I don’t know what to do with my hair so I end up putting it in braids and leaving it in for 6 months. First off, that’s terrible for your hair but I just can’t help it. The same excuses come to mind: don’t have time, waste of time, don’t have the right products, don’t have the money (big one this is), don’t know anyone that can fix it up. Any sympathizers out there? Fact of the matter is, if we want our hair to look and feel good we just need to dedicate time for it. With the advancement in communication channels its so easy now to look for new styles on the internet or even just watch a video about it. YouTube is a great source to learn new styles for all hair kinds. Type “natural hair styles” in the search box and be off to a merry start.  In one of my many endeavors to find out more about how to treat my hair to get it back to its former glory, I sit down with writer and blogger Kismit, of hairaboutthis.wordpress.com.

This interview is geared towards African/African- American hair. Kismet is not a hair professional nor does she claim to be the all knowing guru about hair. She has researched hair and the different ingredients that could possibly help stimulate growth as well as proper hair care. She has transitioned from cutting her locks of permed/relaxed hair to wearing her hair naturally.

Q: What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think about caring for your hair?

A: Moisture. Curly or coily hair tends to be a lot dryer than straight hair, so keeping moisture, protein and ph balance is very important for health, growth and maintenance. Of course, what you eat plays an important role also.

* Rebels I believe the best way to get protein or any form of nutrient for your body is always by consumption of food- can I hear organic? With our busy lifestyles there are always various other ways getting this such as a protein shake or supplements. For your hair specifically there are also protein replenishing packs that you can apply per the instructions on the pack. But again DO YOUR RESEARCH AND KNOW YOUR HAIR. One person’s regimen to glorious hair could be someone else’s route to baldness.

Q: So what does moisture in your hair mean?

A: Moisture for me is water. Drinking lots of water or eating lots of foods with water and actually putting water on your hair, whether its by washing it or using moisturizers or leave in conditioners with water listed as an ingredient. A lot of people think oils act as a moisturizer, but the oils usually help to seal in moisture or prevent water loss from the hair. A light oil like jojoba oil or coconut oil for example, is really good. It really depends upon a person’s preferences. Some people prefer jojoba, some like coconut, some like castor, carrot oil, aloe vera oil, or even olive oil. The choice is yours.

Q: How often should you moisturize your hair?

A: Its good to have some sort of regimen. Some people moisturize and seal twice a day, others once a day and some every other day. It’s what you feel your hair needs to survive and thrive. Sometimes just spraying water won’t work. You may need to actually wash your hair and deep condition or apply a hot oil treatments. It all depends on your hair texture and what it responds to. Deep conditioning, moisturizing, massaging the scalp and trimming your ends, while eating a balanced diet  will put you on your way to a good start. If problems still pertain afterwards then you should probably see a doctor.

Q: What are some common household ingredients you can use in your hair?

A: There are a lot of things with in our kitchens that we can use on our hair, like mayo, eggs, oil, honey, water etc. They can be used together as a deep conditioner or pre-poo. There are a lot of recipes for combination of house hold items to use on your hair that can be found on the internet. Do your research first, experiment and be a little creative. Use and find out what’s best for your hair. Some people even use coconut milk, yoghurt or beer for example. Research is important though. Don’t just go by what I say or what someone else says, because our textures may be different and what works for me may not work for you. I think the saying that everything in moderation is true. Everyone is different. Too much heat damages the hair and of course if you are going to use heat, you should protect the hair with some sort of heat protector. Now and then is good, but too much of it will over time cause havoc on those beautiful locks.

Q: What are some of the harmful ingredients to look out for in a hair product?

A: Look out for sulphates. Those tend to dry out the hair. You find them in shampoos for example. If your shampoo has this in it, you can dilute the shampoo or just make sure to moisturize or deep condition you hair really well afterwards. I prefer to not use shampoos with sulphates in them just because I think my hair thrives without it. Parabens are another thing to look out for and certain types of alcohols. You should also minimize mineral oils and products with synthetic fragrances in them. My motto is if I can’t pronounce the ingredients and eat the majority of them, then I should probably think twice about using it on my hair or skin.

Q: What are some of the signs of damaged hair?

A: Breakage, split ends, patches, clumps of hair coming out, very dry and brittle hair are some of the indications that your hair needs some more TLC. Causes of damaged hair could be medication, change in climate, change in diet, you name it. It’s good to catch these signs at the early stages and start treatment before it gets worse. Don’t be afraid to get rid of those split ends because an inch now can probably save you three or four inches in the future.

Q: What’s a good treatment for your hair after braids?

A: Prep your hair before you put them inbraids and take care of you hair whilst its braided. Washes or scalp cleanses and moisturize your hair as best as possible. After you take out the braids or the weave it really depends on if you are natural or have a relaxer as the treatments will differ.

If you have natural hair, be sure to deep cleanse and do a deep conditioner. If your hair is relaxed, then wash and condition, but wait a while maybe a few days or a week or something before you relax again to give the scalp a break. Again, clean moisturize and seal, especially those ends and maybe do a scalp massage. The scalp massage helps to stimulate the blood to flow up there. It helps in healthy hair growth.

Q: Parting words?

A: Do your research when it comes to your hair. Know what you’re putting on it. Healthy hair takes work, patience and time and sometimes less is more. Don’t go overboard with all the processing, flat ironing, etc. Sometimes just let your hair do its thing and try to do a style that requires less direct heat. Just like we mentioned earlier, everything in moderation. Also remember, that what you take into your body shows on the outside.

Rebels, if you noticed, we have stressed research over and over again. Just as you know your body or yourself, know your hair type and what works best for it to make it as glorious as you are. There’s a lot of information out there on how to take care and manage all hair types. Like all things in life, time, dedication and patience will go a long way to make a difference. Do you have a hair story that you would like to share? Leave a comment for the other rebels out there.

Stay true to your r’ebel.

-Lspyce

Well over the past year since moving to New York, I’ve been blessed, I mean absolutely and truly blessed from my rent being taken care of [without having worked a full time job yet], me still having the luxury to shop at [organic] grocery stores, shelter over my head, all while making my dreams into reality. Some of the things that I’ve been fortunate to obtain would make people question, “well how did you get that?” Or “you’re only paying what for rent and you live in the Upper West Side by yourself?” Trust me I know but it was no longer a surprise to me when things I wanted or desired were manifesting in my experience.

I consider myself to be a co-creator of my life and very spiritually in tuned now than I was two years ago.  I was frustrated with my situation but knew that I had the power to change it to what I wanted it to be for me.  So I thought about different things that could be, I started attracting people, like minded energies, books, etc. that lead me to the things that I have now and/or are on their way to me. The most recent books that I read this past spring and summer were The Seat of the Soul, The Power of Now, The Secret, and most recently Ask and It is Given: Learning to Manifest Desires. We all look at spirituality differently but the underline premise of all these books was if we tapped into the abundance within ourselves, was mindful of our thought energy, and remained in a state of feeling good, we could be, do, or have anything that we desired. I am witness to that.

At some point in your life, everything you have or has happened to you [AND I MEAN EVERYTHING], you unconsciously or consciously invited it to your experience including things, people, or circumstances THAT YOU DIDN’T WANT.  I don’t claim to be a sage or even God for that matter but for all the things that I’ve learned and have experienced, the best way to get what you want is to FEEL GOOD about what you want along with releasing that energy into the Universe. The Law of Attraction is real so if you’re not mindful of your thoughts, you will continue attracting things that don’t serve you or your energy.

Listen to your soul, it doesn’t lie. If something doesn’t feel right or make you feel good, be it work, relationships with family, friends, etc, then trust that feeling. Everyone and everything isn’t meant to be in your life. Pay attention to the energy around you. You are the master of your thoughts. You can always find a way to “leave”. Just don’t use CAN’T as an excuse. You CAN do anything you want but will you?

So I ask again are you spiritually in tuned?  Are you truly living the life that you want? Did you settle because you were afraid of the unknown or were appeasing others?

What experiences or aha moments have you had that made you realize things had to change? Share your thoughts with us.

“Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true.”- Brian Tracy (taken from the blog The Daily Love)

Through my [then] perfectionist thinking, I was afraid to try new things especially in the realm of relationships. I didn’t really date that many people because I wasn’t into the same things most people were due to my ignorance of them and/or lack of experience. Plus being the aggressive, assertive Leo lover that I am, there wasn’t anyone that compelled me to WANT to try anything new until a few months ago.  I finally grew into my own power.

Having this childlike curiosity for life again led me to do what I call radical love shit, defined by my own perspective. Radical love shit to me is revolutionizing and stretching my views of vulnerability; daring to love me  and others differently; loving myself and others unconditionally without expectations; and giving my love away because I recognize the abundance within me and around me.  If I got hurt in the process, I would open myself to love again. For me, that was radical, extremist even.

But what I realized contrary to popular belief was that radical love wasn’t about them but about me and removing all the barriers that I had to love (if any).

So one of my interesting stories I can share with you right now in this space is that I send handwritten love letters to a friend, spraying my delicious, smelling perfume on the envelope for him to remember me by.  I expect NOTHING in return except for the joy I feel when sending them. I’m all about radical love shit. Are you?

What’s the most radical thing that you’ve ever done for love (things that made you happy)?

To learn more about male Breast Cancer visit the American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org.

Peace, Love, R’ebellion

Ishshah