Dreads are gorgeous—a true phenomena of natural beauty. However, as many of you know, “natural” doesn’t always mean “easy”, and even though dreadlocks are often thought of as a maintenance-free hairstyle, all dreadlocks do need to be kept clean. Due to the porous and spongy texture of dreadlocks, an apple cider vinegar rinse is recommended about every other month or so, as a natural clarifying treatment. The apple cider vinegar rinse is highly effective at clearing away product residue, mold spores, and dirt that may become buried within the dreadlock. When the apple cider vinegar rinse is complete, the hair and scalp are left feeling lightweight and clean. Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse Recipe for Dreadlocks Ingredients: 1 Gallon of Purified...
So the camp is divided once again, and it comes as no surprise. We have what many would call an opportunity to make an impact with the boycott of the 2017 NFL football season. Like the proposed boycott of “Black Friday 2016” the “Standing with Kaepernick” boycott is being met with resistance from members within our black community. There is no clear consensus as to whether black people and her allies are “Standing with Kaepernick” or “Sitting in their Loveseat on Sunday”—le sigh. Nearly every Black person and ally can agree that racism upsets him, but no one seems to be able to agree on what exactly to do about it. We long to fight with the patience, valiance,...
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), marijuana related arrests in NJ skyrocketed from 2000 to 2013. In 2000 the number of marijuana related arrests were 19,607; that number jumped to 24,067 in 2013.1 Over the last ten years, NJ has spent over a billion dollars to crack down on marijuana users in particular. These aren’t top level drug dealers either; 90% of those arrested are just recreational users or undiagnosed cannabis patients.1 It may come as no surprise that Black New Jersey natives were 3 TIMES LIKELIER to be arrested than their white counterparts for crimes such as possession and/or intent to distribute. According to the report, someone in New Jersey is arrested for possession every 22 minutes.1...
It is totally legal for one to relax her child’s hair AT ANY AGE. It is totally legal for one to dye, or apply a permanent to her child’s hair AT ANY AGE. However, right now, based on a decision reached by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, an employer can legally discriminate against an employee for having dreadlocks. One cannot be guaranteed a living for having a natural hairstyle. Let that sink all the way in for those of you who know all about dreads. [1] That’s right; your natural hair is grounds for termination and/or expulsion, but we are not an organization that spreads negativity without a solution. Sign the petition, to stand against the 11th U.S....
TheAmazingBlackWoman had the pleasure of attending Afropunk 2017 in Brooklyn this year, and it was absolutely…well…amazing! Aside from the beautiful people and wonderful music, was an overwhelming spirit of inclusion and diversity that is characteristic of New York City--but in this instance, uniquely lead by Black people. Many Black people are fiscally democratic, but the majority of us are socially conservative. Afropunk is a delightfully progressive movement that is diverse in nature, creative, but black lead. Independent artists, musicians, DJ’s, and vendors were everywhere as beautiful, strange individuals lined the streets and concert fields dancing freely being their queer, black selves. The people were truly the most beautiful thing featured at Afropunk. There were so many talented artists, and...
