The natural hair shots here are almost aerodynamic in their structure and dimenson. The saturated colour of her lipstick and her accessories clashes in majestic harmony with the crown of gorgeous Afro hair.

With the natural hair the possibilities for beauty are endless. I am biased though. I’ve been part of the natural sisterhood since 2004 and have not looked back since.

1) Greater efforts to understand both of our cultures: I think the Afro-Sphere helps to support this because through an online media, people of African & African-Caribbean descent can work together to understand where we are headed together. If an African person does well, it is equally a victory for a Caribbean person and vice versa.

2) Encouraging each other’s work: I have another blog now about careers in communications in the UK. I stumbled across a blog by a Karel McIntosh called Caribbean Public Relations. I have linked to her work on my personal blog and my careers website because I believe in what she is doing and because I think we have to support each others work when it is great.

3) Brainstorming ideas on how we can further each other: This is the part where it gets tricky. It could be through volunteer work at black community centres. One thing I definitely want to do once I have my life settled is to do some mentoring for African & Caribbean young people in London at some point.

Eventually, I do want to work really hard at realising my vision of African-Caribbean Co-Development and this means going back to Africa or Caribbean for sure which I am aiming to do soon.

I was looking at my stats today for my blog for the first time in 2 days and I saw the title of this post as a way that people found my blog.

I love Denzel [1] but I have never discussed his hair. He is natural to me, like the way most black men are. I thinkt he fact that someone was curious about whether DW’s hair is naturally curly proves how important the question about natural hair is not only for black women, but for black men too.

I think black men have been shut out of the debate for a long time >> natural hair has become a mantra for black women only.

I encourage black men to take part of this debate too.

[1] – No jokes, Denzel is cute.

In our conversation, we noted this sort of awkward ‘silence’ between black people in the workplace.

Oh, does she expect me to chat her because she is black?
This is a place of work, I am not here for friends

I really think this hurts our chances of having successful careers. I have become really fascinated with the concept of having a successful career. Naturally, success is relative and depends on what you want. But my message for the black people at work who want to run away from their fellow brothers and sisters without even smiling, good luck with that because you make yourself more of a stereotype by doing that.

Black people worldwide need to work together in localised formats to push their careers ahead.

Amongst other things, Method Man says:

50 grand a month for some pussy is some bullshit. Ladies for real all you did was fuck your man. that money right there. A kid doesn’t need that much to survive. You trying to maintain your life style. That’s fucked up.

$55,000 is £33,000! A month!

Method Man also said:

Not to mention that he has got to pay this stanking arse bitch that he don’t even fuck with no more to look good for some other n/gga. That shit is crazy. That shit is ridiculous. And any chick that is doing that shit, that shit is foul.

Well….What do you think?

He died at only 14 years of age after being brutally murdered. I cannot begin to describe the horrific picture of how he looked after his murder. It is so grotesque that it doesn’t even seem real.

We have to keep struggling and never take anything for granted.

A beautiful young black man whose life was never fulfilled.

I came back from a job interview yesterday and I was on my way to Tesco. I must say, I was hobbling along because I wore silly shoes, with a big hard wedge on them.

Two young black boys walked past me and one trailed behind the other like an ant. The one at the front said to me, in my face:

“Have you been having too much sex?

If my feet didn’t cane so much, I would have taken my wedges off and trust me, the police would have been there. Why in the earth is that acceptable behaviour ?

Yes, I was hobbling along because my feet HURT! Any person walking on the road can see that when a woman has been walking in heels for a while, she walks slower because them things hurt! I don’t have my Beyonce attitude nailed down yet.

It’s no big deal, but again it goes back to the whole idea of the easy street harassment of black women by black men.

Where are these boys’ fathers to teach them it is not acceptable to verbally attack women like that? The assumption of his question to me was that I was hobbling along because I am a whore.

WTF????

I would like to hear from sisters and brothers about why in the name this is continuing to happen.

I love this picture.

Michael outside Bob’s house in Jamaica with Bob’s friends

Bob & Mike’s mum, Katharine

Well, look what I found today.

I typed black afro hairstyles as my search them and on the first page is ”do white guys like black girls with the afro hairstyle?”

Come on, now — seriously?

On the first page of Google?

Natural hair is sometimes too complex for words.

Just a short note to congratulate the Afro Spear & our members for reaching 50 subscribers.

Well done Afro Spear and a big thanks to everyone who writes posts, comments and takes notice of this blog.

In little over 3 months, we have added 50 subscribers. Pretty mind blowing if you consider that:

a) This is not a gossip blog

b) It’s a place that discusses ideas

That means that mathematically, we have had:

• on average 4 subscribers a week
• We have 33 email subscribers — 66% of our subscribers!

Keep working people and let’s continue to grow! A big thank you to everyone who subscribes.

Michael Jackson.

50 years.

Another shocking statistic, compared to the other one I posted the other day about black men in London being disproportionately represented as convicted rapists in gang rapes in London.

I just finished watching the excellent Dispatches: Rape In The City documentary on Channel4. It was illuminating and well made.

The lack of respect of women’s bodies mixed with a lethal view that hyper masculinity must be enforced at all costs may be part of the blame.

I am sure many men, especially Afro Spear male members, will be horrified to think that other black men are committing these atrocious crimes.

Is it about self esteem? Is it about misogyny?

Things need to change. I hope I don’t sound like I am preaching but as a woman, the whole concept of rape terrifies me.

Dispatches are showing a documentary tomorrow by Sierra Leonean journalist Sorious Samura about the increasing number of GANG RAPE, being committed by young black Men in London.

Samura notes in the Indy today:

In 1999 I witnessed a gang rape in Sierra Leone. I was forced to watch a group of rebel soldiers taking it in turns to rape a young girl in front of an audience of jeering men. It was the height of the civil conflict and rape had become a devastating weapon of war. When I moved to Britain I believed I had escaped such horrific sexual violence. As my Dispatches investigation tomorrow night shows, I was mistaken. Gang rape is happening here – and what I have found most disturbing as an African is that a disproportionate number of these attacks are being carried out by black or mixed-race young men.

Samura also cites the example of a young man who said:

One boy told me: “If she wants to go and meet a bag of boys then she’s probably a jezzie [slut], and if she’s going to a house it’s over – she’s going to get beaten [have sex].”

In other instances, as some of the victims in our film describe, girls can unwittingly walk into a trap, innocently visiting someone’s house to listen to music or watch a film only to discover that a group of boys are lying in wait.

Something as innocent as going to watch a film or listen to music, just kotching at a boys house crosses a thin line for some boys. This kind of behaviour of looking at a girl as a piece of prey, to try and trap her and force her to do something that she does not want, absolutely terrifies me.

Where has the lack of respect for black women’s bodies come from in London?

I have noticed recently in London the diminishing respect that young black men especially in poor boroughs have for girls. It can be something as little as intimidating behaviour at the bus stop, street harassment.

When did women and our bodies become the canvas onto which some insecure men assert their pseudo idea of masculinity?

For UK heads, Samura’s documentary is on Channel4 tomorrow night at 20H.

The Times have reported that Samantha Orobator, the Nigerian girl from London, has been given a life sentence for alledgely smuggling drugs 680grams of heroin into the country.

Samantha in custody at her trial this week

 Excerpt from The Times:

Survivors of Phanthong prison, where Orobator has been held since August, recently described the horrors of incarceration in the notorious jail where malnutrition, disease, abuse and torture are part of everyday life.

More description of the horrors that lie ahead

Kay Danes, an Australian who survived ten months in the same cell block where Ms Orobator is being held, said: “If she goes into early labour or starts miscarrying, nobody will come however much she screams,” she said.

“I’ve heard all the prisoners yelling at the top of their lungs, shouting for the guards when one of the inmates was dying, and nobody comes. Nobody ever comes.”

Samantha Orobator is due to give birth in October. There is a possibility that she may be extradited to the UK to serve out her sentence.

Edit @ 13.20PM: The Guardian is reporting that if moved to the UK for the case, she may be eligible to be out in a few years as it is her first offence and the defence of duress may apply.

Stay tuned at Afrospear for more news of the story as it develops.

Just checked the Guardian’s website. A great granddaughter of Charles Darwin (?), Ruth Padel, has become the first woman to win Oxford University’s professor of poetry position, which is revered here in the UK.

However, Derek Walcott, the St Lucian poet, was the frontrunner to win the position until an anonymous person[s] sent a letter to 200 Oxford academics. The Guardian writes:

after a dossier detailing sexual harassment claims made against him by a Harvard student in 1982 was sent anonymously to 200 Oxford academics.

This is so bizarre. I had no effing idea that this happened. Walcott subsequently dropped out of the race, citing attempted character assasination.

Does anyone know more about this? According to the student who alleges sexual harassment, the following happened:

The student alleged that while discussing her work with Walcott after class, he asked her to “imagine me making love to you. What would I do? … Would you make love with me if I asked you?” After rejecting his approaches, she was then given a C grade in his class.

What the F? My feelings on the situation are like this – and especially as a feminist, innocent until proven guilty. He is a respected professor and world renowned. We must be careful not to support witch hunts and why didn’t the people come forward with their identification?

I should reiterate that the allegations were never proven, however, Walcott was sued for sexual harassment in ’95 by a student of Boston University.

Why do it anonymously like that? Smells like sabotage to me. This is very sad and disheartening.

An academic at Oxford said: “”I’m also aware that Byron’s life was not stainless, or TS Eliot’s for that matter – would we turn them down?” — Exactly! Byron’s life was definitely not perfect either.

I am in no way condoning sexual harassment. I think it is wrong and disgusting. However, the allegations were never proven. I don’t see how that should have affected Walcott doing his job.

One of Charcoal’s regular readers, lifeisannoying, left a fascinating comment on a previous post that I’d like to share. Please do not judge her and I hope this can start conversation that’s healthy.

Ok, let me just get up on my soapbox!( shuffles, stumbles finds feet) i was natural from 2001 all the way up to 2006. it was long and very wavy, i loved it, BUT i found that i could not find a man. men thought it symbolised that i was worthy and a bit pious and not down a damn good time (this girl loves a good time!) they would always adress me like they would adress their grandmother. having my beneath the shoulder length natural hair was a turn off for them. so despite loving the look myself and feeling ashamed of compromising myself and my ideals i texturised it bone straight……. you know what happened almost immeadiately??? Guys who knew me on sight before were asking me if i was new in town, or if i only just started going out in the area. it’s sick to admit it and it’s shameful for me, since i loved my natural and miss it, but i like male attention and want male attention and that is what they want………… Trust me i am only alone because i want to be these days. It is sick, that some black men and women feel like this and maybe we all need to politicise our hair again so people can wake up. but me i am just human, principles are fine things……. loneliness is another. Please don’t judge me, if you have ever been truely lonely and hungry for love you will understand why i compromised myself.

lifeisannoying has raised a very important question with comment. I think that (some) black men (overarchingly referring to black men in the UK) here are attracted to girls with ’straight’ hair. And there is nothing with wanting to appeal to men. Women like to look physically attractive to men, it’s natural (and vice versa). I think what is different here is that to me, natural hair should be *enough* for black men who run for straight hair.

It should be *enough* because it is how our hair naturally grows. Any man who cannot see the beauty of natural hair is dunce in my opinion. I don’t apportion blame onto women per se because so much of female identity is still wrapped up in the patriarchy that controls the majority of societies in the world (RE burkhas etc). I think afro hair is beautiful because to me, it is blackness personified before manipulation. It is a shame some black men could not see the beauty of lifeisannoying’s natural hair. Hopefully, natural girls will find black men who accept their beautiful curls for who they are. Because whoever shares my bed needs to accept my Afro for what it is. And trust me, natural girls are freaks* *=not in a bad way, gentlemen!

The image above is from the June ’09 issue of Glamour magazine as Beyoncéwas on the cover, and she is my favourite singer. I love the scan above because I think it is empowering [to me at least]. I think the thigh high boots, the t-shirt and the laid-back almost ”I don’t care look” – and that is what is confident and empowering to me – it’s important for women and especially black women not to be scared to portray their sexuality (as long as it is in context and makes them comfortable).

For example, I think the thigh high boots are wicked. I would love to wear them. I would probably wear them if I was going out with my friends to a a club, out for a day excursion, but I would never wear them to church or to my mum’s house. As with all things, sexuality/sensuality has appropriate boundaries.

I think as black women we must strive not to put ourselves in a box because of our sexuality, fearing too much what the men next door or below will think. Sexuality is part of our human coding, just as much as PHP is part of WordPress. Why suppress it?

I read this shocking story on the Metro yesterday. Very scary.

Miss Orobator, 20, from London was arrested last August at Wattay airport in the south east Asian country.

Prosecutors claim she had 680 grams (1.3lb or 21 oz) of heroin in her luggage.

I am actually terrified for this woman. They are not sure how she became pregnant as she fell pregnant whilst in prison in Laos, at a prison notorious for being extremely dangerous.

Please can anyone who blogs link this story so we can get the word out amongst other black bloggers to highlight Ms Orobator’s plight.

[Source: The Telegraph]

Example #1: I went running in Hackney. As I made my way home, a man came up to me ‘asking if I was alright’. I said ‘yes’ and then asked him (firmly) to leave me alone. I continued to walk down the street and he followed me all the way to the end, and decided to try his luck again.

Him: I just want to talk to you

Me: No, thank you. Can you please leave me alone? I have a boyfriend.

Example #2: I went to Borders in Oxford Circus. The bus was packed so I sat on the top deck where I could find a seat. A man, from Algeria as he would later tell me. He was talking to me, so I answered with my normal one word answers. As I found myself in the magazine emporium that is Borders, I felt a tap on my back. I turned around and my bus buddy was standing right there. He asked me if I was doing anything today and I said that I was busy, and of course adding what I told Mr. Example #1: I have a boyfriend. I could not believe that he ACTUALLY followed me straight into the shop, the second person to do so. But it does not stop there…

Example #3: On my way home from another day attempting to jog, I have Beyonce’s Sasha Fierce songs ringing in my ear. I then spotted a bright yellow advertisement, and gave a quick glance. The man standing near the yellow ads must have thought I was looking at him, because almost immediately, I get that same tap on my person, saying hello. I was irritated at this point and must have scowled at him.

Him: I didn’t mean to scare you

Me: You didn’t.

I think all of the examples above constitute as street harassment and it is NOT fair. How can any person do this to another human being and think it is okay to continually harass someone when they have made it blatantly clear that they want nothing to do with you on the street?

I hope no one thinks I am trying to bash men but I do think some men need to think long and hard about how they treat women in public spaces. Approaching a woman with a perceived sexual interest must be handled carefully, and following the person around in broad daylight is very irritating.

I was getting so angry by the end of the week with these three separate incidents, that I ignored an Asian Pentecostal Christian who was just handing out a flyer for an event. I apologised to him, telling him that Walthamstow was just full of harassers. He looked at me with genuine understanding and concurred.

10. The sharp smell of smoke that was piping out of one patron’s head as she sat underneath the dryer! I never noticed how thick the plumes of smoke can get.

9. How the rattail combs poke in and out of people’s heads as they undo their braids underneath their long weaves.

8. The stitching together of weaves could be a metaphor of how we need to stick together as black people.

7. The hot comb in its’ burning parlour sticks to the hands of the stylists as they form curls and straighten them for paying customers.

6. The glee of young children running around the salon, as their mums wait to get served.

5. All the stylists (more than 5) had relaxed hair bar one.

4. The sandy-coloured barnet of one stylists is the lightest in the room.

3. The unveiling of a long weave by one patron, track-by-track, reveals a much shorter do. She instantly looked uncomfortable.

2. The only males present are the babies.

1. I’m the only Afro girl present.