My Take on Black Americans & Africans

For some of us black folk, going to Africa better yet returning to Africa is a big deal. It is symbolical of  so many things-our ancestors achievements and struggles, their journey through the MAAFA. Returning home debunks the very idea that we would not return. The Door of No Return at Elmina Castle in Ghana, West Africa is not a door of no return but the very opposite. It is through that door that we symbolically reentered the history of our people. It is through that door that some of us seek to be welcomed home. Now I am not going to say that Black Americans welcome Africans from the continent with open arms and I wont say Black Americans embrace all other Black Americans with open arms either. But what I will say is that I noticed (even in innocent situations) there is always this subconscious attempt to create conflict between Africans on the Continent and Blacks in America. It's like someone is instigating an argument in order to let the African people say something about Black Americans that they (the instigator) wouldn't necessarily say on their own.  And sometimes, I have to check myself because when I feel Africans are being put on a peddle stool, being praised more than Black Americans, I become defensive. Another thing that makes me defensive, is when I hear Africans in the states talk about black people not getting over slavery while they partake in black culture because they identify with us more primarily because we are all now black in America.What provoked this post however, was a statement I heard in an interview. The African student said (roughly paraphrased) "Black people will not let go and move on from slavery''. Another student said "All Black people care about is HIP-HOP".

Now something in my soul said, this is a way to create friction and not actually encourage a healthy dialogue between Black Americans and Africans. I could have easily said "How you gonna say black people wont get over slavery and that all we care about is hip-hop when  you strive to live the life of a Black American every single day. And when some Black Americans tell you that they don't support BET, you say "BET does represent me". I could have said this, but I recognized the situation for what it was.

And I am nowhere near perfect. I still have biases and play into stereotypes. Making generalizations is not going anywhere anytime soon. I won't stand here and say trust every black man, black woman, African man and African woman you see because a reality where everyone looks out for each other is a fantasy, a utopia, a poetic stanza. Before we are black or any other race, we are human. And there are some black people who will take advantage your innocent pursuit of an African identity. Let's keep it real. Black or white, depending on your character, when you see an opportunity to get over, you are going to take it. So, I will not stand here and encourage anyone to be silly headed or blind.

But what I will stand by is the fact that slavery is American History. Period. You cannot talk about America's British roots without acknowledging its black roots too. Every answer you get about economic development/profit or inventions will always or should always include the history of free labor and exploitation of a people's ignorance due to their denial of an education. Now, what makes Slavery African-American history is the perspective given when telling the story. So its not about black people never letting go and getting over slavery, its about those black people trying to keep history and our story in its proper perspective. Yea, I can't feel anything black people felt 300 years ago. I truly cannot relate to being enslaved. I can't even relate to segregation or the racism experienced less than 50 years ago. I can't relate to my grandmother telling me she was called colored and that her mother had to use separate facilities. I cannot relate because it was not my personal experience. But what I can do is honor that experience and take pride in knowing that I come from a people who survived. Because truth be told, unless you are black you will never know the fear that comes with being black. You will never know what its like to wake up, knowing you have brothers, fathers and cousins, wondering if that day would be their last day. Whether they die from black bullets or blue bullets, the fear is the same. We need healing at home before we search for healing abroad. We need healing in Philly before we run to Gaborone. We need healing in Chicago before we go to Accra. We need healing in Wilmington before we go to Johannesburg.

With that said, some Black Americans (myself included) are looking to Africa for the wrong things. We are looking to Africa for validation as if we don't deserve respect simply because we were blacks born in America. Sometimes, we look to Africa for acceptance because we are not accepted at home. Sometimes, we don't accept ourselves. But no matter what, we need healing on our own soil before we return to the Mother Land. I cannot expect Africa to give me something I cannot give myself. And before I look to someone else's direct ancestors in Ghana, Somalia, or where ever, I need to look to my immediate roots. I need to know MY family history. I need to start compiling information from 50 years back before I jump to 300. I need to know who my grandparents were and who their grandparents were and if that leads me to a dead end because of slavery then so be it. But I cannot go to ancestry.com before I go to my aunt Catherine, a woman who is 97 years old. She has 100 years of knowledge that I can tap into. I need to start there first.

So, in trying to shift the perspective and not play into an instigated argument. My black people who say we need to get over slavery, I feel you. Because, correct me if I'm wrong, but what I am hearing you say is that we need to not "get over it" but surpass it. You are saying that we need to shift our focus from the hurt and the blame and the vindication and focus more on the solution. We need to accept that no one is going to change our conditions and no one can change our conditions but us. We need to get over our expectations of other people and get back to family and community. We need to redirect our attention not to the everlasting discussion of slavery and the who did whats but to the action of restoration. And restoring our own lives does not have to be violent or a case of warfare because when we expect violence, that is what we will receive. Just as when you expect failure, you end up failing. And if that is not what you are saying, then you need to explain yourself. But, what I am hearing you say is that we need to get some more faith even when all of our faith has been drained to the bare minimum. We need to get over the hump that is black and get back to being black.

Because, Black is a lower class race created by a superior group of people. Being Black is a beautiful struggle of surviving, restoring, retaining and uplifting the value of our black American culture while embracing the spirit of humanity. And this is what we should strive for.

Genetics-Related Apps: A Way to Engage The Youth

(Check out my latest post. This is from a blog site I manage for the Genomes Adventures Team)

If youth are your target audience, your teaching strategies should be engaging, fun and interesting. These basic approaches could keep your audience's attention and make learning more fun. Also, you may want to choose current modes of communication as your route to reaching them. For example, where do many youth spend their time?On Social Media! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, Snapchat, you name it. And how do they access these sites? Through their cell phones, Ipads, laptops, PCs and tablets. What all of these of these devices have in common is their ability to download and store apps.  Despite being affordable or reliable due to Wi-Fi accessibility, one of these devices is the most convenient to use. Which one could it be? You got it, the cell phone.  So if we can reach the youth through their cellular devices with the assistance of apps, we may be able to recruit more young and inspiring scientists.

We did some research two weeks ago, searching for mobile apps that covered a range of topics in the field of biomedical science (see the tables below).  We found several apps that have information on DNA, RNA, genetics, genetic diseases and amino acids. The information was vast and the cost of the apps ranged from free to approximately $4.99 and one app was $16. In addition to the cost which may discourage youth in Botswana as the conversion rate is $1 to 10 pula, the teaching approach may also be an issue. Going back to what we mentioned before, no matter what platform we use, our teaching strategies must be engaging, fun and interesting. Through research, we discovered that most of these apps were geared towards a knowledgeable and experienced audience (i.e. students, scientists and educators). This was discouraging for us because we need a platform that is going to attract and retain a not just the youth but the general public, those not familiar with medical and scientific jargon.

According to Coodinator of CAfGEN Project, Edward Pettitt, ''most of the available apps are reference-oriented, with a few being tools and calculators suitable for advanced tertiary students and/or scientists/clinicians. Very few are suitable for the general public and only one was a game (which was more fictional and not really educational). Therefore, it seems that there is a dearth of apps that are geared towards the general public and/or youth that have an edutainment approach." Additionally, we must keep in mind that mobile apps are an opportunity for independent learning to take place. Mobile apps must be programed to guide the learner through the various topics and aid in the learning process.

With that, we have discovered our own solution. Yup, you heard it here first. Genome Adventures is currently collaborating with fellow researchers aligned with H3Africa to develop an app that will help educate youth and the general public in Africa on genetics and genomics concepts, including the use of comics as an educational medium.

Although, only one app suited our approach many of you may find these reference based apps beneficial for your training programs, educational tutorials and research. Please see the tables below and pick the app that suits your needs. And if you have any information to share with us, please do so. 

 

 

 

 

http://genomeadventures.weebly.com/blog/-genetics-related-apps-a-way-to-engage-the-youth

My Loc Journey

I Am Not my Hair but My Hair is Me

Before I loc’d and way before I got my first perm, my mom would always plait my hair or give me big twisties with ballies and barretts. I was an oldschool child-I didn’t wear hair pieces or extentions. I wore my natural hair made manageable with water, grease and a heavy handed comb. I was extremely tender headed and  sometimes I would fall asleep on mother’s lap or in between her legs just to wake up with a sore scalp. Don’t get me wrong, my hairstyles were on point. I would always get compliments on how pretty my hair was. But the process of getting my hair done was a pain in the a%$. Do you know what it feels like to have a comb raking through tightly coiled and tangled hair? Do you know what getting cornrows feels like? Have you ever had someone almost knock you upside your head for squiriming and trying to run away? Do you truly understand the definition of ‘’OW!’’ Well, I do and I’m glad those years are long gone. I won't lie, I do miss getting braids and Mohawks but trust that I do not miss the pain, boul. Now, when I finally decided to loc, I was happy to have a hairstyle that reduced the amount of pain accompanied with styling. But avoiding pain was not the main reason I loced my hair. It was a contributing factor but not the main factor.

I was a preteen, a young girl growing up. Ballies and barretts were no longer for me. I needed something that was up to date, something mature enough for my age, something affordable for my mother and manageable for me. I thought a perm was the solution. It was quick, simple and easy to work with. So I begged my mom to let me get one and she did. During that time, having a perm was manageable in the sense that I didn't have to style it everyday. But I also was unable to wrap it every night. I didn't know how to put rollers in without denting my hair, eventually my hair shedded from split ends and the heat damage from the constant blow drying and flat ironing broke off my hair. In short, I didn't know what the hell I was doing with permed hair. It just didn't fit my lifestyle, I guess.  I had a perm for about two years before I reverted back to my natural look.

Carmel Treatment E'TAE Natural Products

From the age of 13-15 I began going natural.  As, I allowed my perm to grow out,  my hair broke off some more and became uneven. During that process, I tried Carmel Treatment, a "natural perm''. Basically it was a solution of ‘’natural’’ ingredients that gave you the same straight look a perm produced. I put natural in quotation marks because I honestly don’t know what natural is anymore. But anyway, I also I learned how to twist my hair.  Initially, I thought twisties weren’t  for me but I was ready to see my natural hair again and needed some kind of transition style.  I saw my aunties wearing twisties in so many different styles and colors. Coincidentally, several women at my highschool sported twisties...but something was different about their twisies and my aunts twisties. Their twisties could not be undone. They were called dreadlocs by many and locs by a select few. One teacher in particular was from Jamaica and had the most beautiful locs I had ever seen. Her tips were dyed blong, her locks were medium large and clean and she wore the dopest styles. It didn’t take me long to become a hair stalker. I was curious about this look-up until then I had never seen locs before or at least payed enpugh attention to know what they were. Whenever the time came, it would be my time to loc and I was going to do it right.

I was 15 going on 16 when I began to loc my hair. February 2015 made my it 7th year mark. It was a personal decision I made after two years of research and observation. Throughout my loc journey I learned how to retwist and style my own locs (saving aot of money). I also experienced a little build up, had to switch locing gels and twisting oils and I also had my hair cut a couple years back. If I had to give advice to anyone thinking about locing their hair I would say DO RESEARCH. There is no need to rush, this is a lifestyle not just a hairstyle.

Okay, I’m not Rastafarian and you don’t have to be Rastafarian to start your locs but locs require patience, care and concern. You need to be patienct with your hair during the locing and budding process. You need to care about your hair during the process and you have to be concerned about the health of your locs if you want them to last. Breakage, thinning and buildup is real, so real. And you need to be willing to paitiently discover a loctician who  you can trust and communicate with. One thing is for certain, if you cannot communicate with your hairstylist about YOUR hair without them thinking it's THEIR hair, there is a problem.

 Hair Safety & Love is important. It is something I adopted growing up after having my mother be so protective of my hair. I don’t let just any old Patty, Sue and Brenda touch my hair and I don’t depend on anyone to do my hair. That’s a fact. But there are a couple of locticians whom I have learned to trust and I appreciate their work on my hair. One woman in Philadelphia actually clipped my ends after I needed to release some negative energy. She was very Afrocentric and intuned with her spirit so I knew she cared about my hair as much as I did. Another woman in D.C styled my hair a few times and gave me the red streaks I asked for. She is also a down to earth woman who is concerned about the health of her client’s hair not just the look.

Call it a myth or crazy thinking if you want, but there is a spiritual component associated with locs. .My hair represents a part of my story. My hair is a part of my culture, my heritage and my essence as a black woman. My hair represents my courage and strength to be me and not a plastic Barbie you see in magazines. My locs are mature twisties. My spirituality is defined by my value and appreciation of self as my natural self IS good enough. Spirituality is when you care for something or someone beyond the surface of their existence. I care about who touches my hair and what I do to my hair. Spirituality applies meaning/value/worth and symbolism to objects. My hair has a story too.

On another note, let’s switch gears. I posted some photos for you. Check out the hair styles I have done over the years. Keep in mind, some photos are not in chronological order.

Note the length

Simply pulled back

Levels 

Making my short length work

Bun on top/ Hair hanging in the back

Freshmen year of college using rollers instead of pipe cleaners

A random style I did 

The back looked like a heart to me :) When you look close enough.

I loved this one too. This was freshmen year of college.

Sophomore year of college.

Bun up Hair down 

Gots to have curls 

Hair was done by a loctician in Philly. She clipped my ends and banded one of my locs

       

Loc Peddles 

Bang made from loc peddles 

Locs can be made straight again by dipping them in water. I prefer warm water just because. 

Mohawk 

Going to the Howard Bison Ball

Bun on top /Bun in front

Full Bun

Simple look made cute with a bandanna

Hair twisted  around pipe cleaners then released to full bouncy beauty

Pipe cleaners again

Used pipe cleaners in the front of my hair and plaited the back. This way I have gradual length. Short in the front/long in the back. 

Locs twisted around pip cleaners and then molded into a Shirley Temple style

Flat twisted on the side/Pulled back into a bun/Cover with a stocking cap/Bun Bang in the front/Flower on the side

Mohawk #2
Locs plaited in 3s then gathered to the front ending in a band made of plaits 

Where I am Now
Hair dyed and still growing 

Book Review

Hair Piecez The Anthology

Edited by Akosua Ali-Sabree& Otu Kwaku

Published by Ujima Press Real Communication

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania State

Hair Piecez The Anthology honored Sharon L. Goodman; the founder of the International Locks Conference: Natural Hair, Health & Beauty Expo. which I am proud to say was hosted at Imhotep High School (my high school) a couple years back. It was written for the 10th anninversay of the annual celebration of locs and natural hair care. This book was given to me by a friend  exactly one day before I left for Botswana. I carried it with me through customs, onto a plane into my homestay to my new campus and then onto my lap. It took a few readings for this book to grow on me but I’m so glad it did. Now I just want to go back and pick out my favorite  poems and share them with everyone. The pieces in this book that impressed me the most were There’s Hope by Rah-nia Ashanti and The Spiritual Journey of a Locksman by Nashid Alil

·    There’s Hope was a short story and personal testimony about a woman who loved her man more than she loved herself. Although this situation was temporary, she fell in love with a man who overtime began to belittle her cooking, her style and her hair. He made comments such as “You’d look pretty with your hair different’’ and ‘’I don’t like dreadlocks’’.  Mind you, her hair locs were 8 years old and she had them when he met her. Nonetheless, he made his request and she cut her hair to prove that she cared about his opinion. She got a perm, sported weaves and even changed her cooking ingredients just to please this piece of shit of a man. And she was miserable because she was not being true to who she was. Anyway, the guy ends up leaving for a job in Florida just to return hoping to rekindle the relationship even though he dislikes the fact that she started regrowing her locs. What I don’t like about this story is its ending. It ends with him returning home saying “what happened to your hair?” But it doesn’t say if she took him back or not.

   The Spiritual Journey of a Locksman is about a man who traveled to Paris during the summer in the 1970s and found a community of black students with natural hair. After meeting these students who studied at the University of Sorbonne, he saw a black man with a unique hairstyle, a hairstyle he had never seen until that day. They were locs, dreadlocks, Kongo Locks and all the other names.  So here you have a black man in Europe learning about locks and being inspired to loc. After returning to the states and being ridiculed by his college peers, he realized he needed for inspiration for this journey he wanted to take. He traveled to Jamaica, fellowshipping with Rastafarians and learning the true essence of being a ‘’Locksman’’. They gave him the spiritual insight he would need to make a confident and prideful decision. He locked his hair in the 1970’s and cut them in 1994. For nearly two decades, he had locs. When he finally cut them he said, “ti amazes me that when I cut my locks I discovered the kinetic effect locks have on one’s aura”.

 

Other poems that stood out to me were duafe by Syreeta Scott, In My Sister’s Head by Brendah  Eady and Love’s Canvas by Sakinah Ali-Sabree.

·     duafe was interesting because it made a good point about mothers and natural hair care. Everyone assumes that black mothers’ know how to care for their daughters’ natural hair. This is not true. Even my own mother had to learn from my aunt various techniques for braiding, styling and moisturizing. Taking care of natural black hair is a skill that must be learned over time. Duafe tells the story of a mother who knew little about natural hair and out of desperation she decided to perm and flat iron her daughter’s hair. Now should this mother be frowned upon because she did not have the proper skills? No, she shouldn’t. Black women are not born knowing how to manage coarse hair or any texture of hair. Hair care is something that must be taught or learn on one’s own time.

·     In My Sister’s Head shows how mothers, sisters and big cousins can be in communication with hair. In this poem, the main character is an older sister entrusted with the duty of caring for her sister’s hair. Although this appears to be a simple and straightforward task, it is more of a relationship. The sister communicates with the hair, humbly asking for permission to grow with it. She say’s it was in her ‘’sister’s head’’ that she ‘’learned to think’’ and ‘’saw life breaking off its bitterness’’. The hair or the head is like a life coach, someone who is able to provoke thought and make you reflect on your life. If life is breaking off its bitterness, then it is forgiving someone and healing from its pain. So, hair care could be therapeutic for both the stylist and the sistah’s head if the stylist is in communication with the hair.

 

·     Love’s Canvas is a really simply poem. It talks about women needing to love themselves before they commit to loving some man. That man who we think is head over hills for us may actually be looking over our hill at another woman. Or maybe we don’t have anything to give that man because we have yet to give it unconditionally to ourselves. What is ‘’it’’?  ‘’It’’ is love. We are so quick to love others, defend others, commit to others and sacrifice for others before considering our own needs. We are afraid to be selfish, to be honest and to be self serving. And every single time we move forward attempting to love someone else, we love the wrong person and our canvas is distorted with a misconception and emotionally unforgiving color of love. So, in the words of Sakinah Ali-Sabree ‘’if you can identify with this picture, let that nucca go because in order for you to grow he gots to go. Yes, sisters LOVE YOURSELF’’.  And even if you are a woman loving a woman, this still applies to you.

In addition to inspiring this blog post, Hair Piecez has made me reflect on my own loc journey. After reading selected pieces I was charged to renew my stance as a supporter of natural hair and healthy risk taking. I took a chance with locking my hair and learning how to style my hair. There was a risk that my locs would not turn out right, that I would be embarrassed and left to hear “I told you so, I told you so, I told you so”. But, I went ahead and did something that felt right to me. I gave myself permission to be me.

Loc'd up in Botswana

 

Loc'd Up not Locked Up

You didn't think I meant that literally right? Me locked up?! hunh hunh. I was talking about hair. You know, having locs, dreads, sister locs, cultivated locs, uncultivated locs and everything else. 

There will be very little commentary in this post. I want you to appreciate the loc journeys of people here in Botswana. I will not give my general analysis of the loc culture here in Botswana. But what I will say is Batswana hairstylist incorporate a tradition basket and weaving technique into their styles that truly reflects their tradition and culture.

With that said, I hope you enjoy the photos and interviews!















   

 

Matlhodi

How long have you had your locs and why did you start your locs? 

• 4 years
• First set of locs-trims them so they are manageable
• Had sensitive hair and the perm burnt her scalp so she decided to do locs

 

    How do you feel about being associated with Rastafarians?

"It’s okay. I am a vegetarian. I love Rastafarians.  I love their culture, the way they eat and everything. My adopted son was my inspiration for my love of Rastafarians. My son who is in New Zealand is a Rastafarian. He is a Motswana from Molapay. I have no trouble with him being Rastafarian. Last year my daughter cut her hair (her locs) and I was so touched because I love dreadlocks."

Would you ever cut your locs?  She would never cut her locks, never.

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Kebaneilwe

How long have you had your locs and why did you start your locs?

• Started second set of locs around 2009
• "I guess I had an interest in it. It's cheap to maintain and I like to look natural"

Would you ever cut your locs?
 '' No, (not the second set) because I like them, I think I look good in them''.


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Keineetse

How long have you had your locs and why did you start your locs?

·         4 years

·         ‘’My sisters and mother had the same hairstyle and im too lazy to do other hairstyles. Its simple and affordable.

Would you ever cut your locs?
''Yeah, soon very soon. Just to change the style and also my one sister cut her locs and the other one is about to cut ''

 



 

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MARK 

Exchange student perspective

How long have you had your locs and why did you start your locs?

·         3 weeks, they are very young

·         ‘’I got them because I’ve had some inner struggles with self esteem. I came out of my shell and become the person I am meant to [be]. Recently I wanted to [try] locs because I founded it very beautiful like getting your ears gagged. [Getting locs] made me nervous about how people would receive it” What influenced Mark to get locs was the Rastafarian background. In addition to that he said he had ‘’spiritual reasons and the biggest part of spirit is self’’. 

Would you ever cut your locs?
'' It’s questionable. I only planned on having them until May (after graduation) but it’s unknown at this point. But in the grand scheme of things, I would cut them’’. 

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Motswafere’

How long have you had your locs and why did you start your locs?

• ‘’I reconnected my hair in 2015. This is my second set of locks. I had my first set of locks in 2009 and then cut them off because of church. They thought the dreads had demons like I was possessed and because I am a musician I thought it would be authentic to be myself…I also sing in French. [Having locs] it is true to who I am."

Would you ever cut your locs? ''I don't think so.''

   

 

 

 

 

 

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Koketso

How long have you had your locs and why did you start your locs?
"I started twisting more than 5years ago, I always wanted long hair but I hated using a comb"
 
Would you ever cut your locs?
"I can't imagine myself with any other hair style, the locks are more me, they are more natural"

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Thato

·         Had her locks for two years. She loves the natural look although wearing an afro is too much work to keep up. She would never cut her locs for a man or anyone else. If a man did not like her natural hair especially after meeting her as she rocked her natural hair, then he would be the one getting cut.  If there were some health issues linked to her locs (ie. too heavy for her back, hair falling out, etc etc) then she would consider cutting them. The only way she would cut her locs  is if her hair stylist passed away. She is that serious about her locs and only trusts one person to care for them. Other than that, her locs are going nowhere. N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Nowhere.