Blog Action Day '14 -INEQUALITY (in the healthy hair community)

16^th October is Blog Action Day!!!!!! It is a day when all bloggers have one conversation. In the sense that, we all make posts on one topic/theme. It is my first time participating. I registered my blog and I am ready to just express myself! This years’ #BAD14 theme is 

INEQUALITY. 

Now since this is healthy hair lifestyle blog, I decided to make a post about INEQUALITY within the healthy hair community.

My phone dictionary app (don’t we just love technology?) as “1. The condition of being unequal. 2. Social disparity; injustice 3. Partiality.

I also think it can be defined as a way in which socially defined categories of persons are differently positioned or treated as a result of the category in which they fall. In the healthy hair community the different categories are “natural, relaxed, colour treated and white (yes! White! )

Different people on healthy hair journeys have at some point in their life found them unfairly treated because of their hair choices.

Now, as a relaxed black lady, I have found myself in many instances in situations or groups where I felt that I was being undermined because,

1. I do not keep my hair in its natural state
2. I have short hair.

I have personally committed myself to researching and exploring healthy black hair practices. Finding myself being unfairly treated or getting a different response as a person with unadulterated natural hair or a person with long relaxed hair surely does make me feel some type of way.

However, this is not to say that only persons with short relaxed hair are unfairly treated or discriminated against. Some long haired relaxed ladies have been vehemently rejected in some circles. I have heard stories and seen it happen first hand but, it is not in my place to go into specifics.

The natural hair community is not left out of this. In fact, I personally (I repeat, “PERSONALLY”) feel they are the most discriminated against. I will attribute this to the fact that the natural hair community is a relatively new one. Some natural hair ladies have received bad judgment because their hair isn’t “tamed.” I have heard stories first hand from natural hair ladies who lost job opportunities because they wore their natural hair out for job interviews. Others have also been warned in their workplaces because their hair wasn’t deemed “professional” enough.

Now about the white…..hm white. Some communities felt that they reserved the right to the word “natural.” They felt it was going beyond a certain limit if curly haired white girls or white people in the general used the word. I do not want to get into that.

That is that. It would be hypocritical to deny that these inequalities exist in the black healthy hair community.

We should all just learn to respect each other’s hair choice and support. It’s my hair it’s your hair but, we are one people. SUPPORT! TREAT EACH OTHER AS EQUALS!

Leave your 2cents in the comments. Share your experience. And I love a good argument. *wink

Blog Action Day '14 -INEQUALITY (in the healthy hair community)

16^th October is Blog Action Day!!!!!! It is a day when all bloggers have one conversation. In the sense that, we all make posts on one topic/theme. It is my first time participating. I registered my blog and I am ready to just express myself! This years’ #BAD14 theme is INEQUALITY.

Now since this is healthy hair lifestyle blog, I decided to make a post about INEQUALITY within the healthy hair community.

My phone dictionary app (don’t we just love technology?) as “1. The condition of being unequal. 2. Social disparity; injustice 3. Partiality.

I also think it can be defined as a way in which socially defined categories of persons are differently positioned or treated as a result of the category in which they fall. In the healthy hair community the different categories are “natural, relaxed, colour treated and white (yes! White! )

Different people on healthy hair journeys have at some point in their life found them unfairly treated because of their hair choices.

Now, as a relaxed black lady, I have found myself in many instances in situations or groups where I felt that I was being undermined because,

I do not keep my hair in its natural state

I have short hair.

I have personally committed myself to researching and exploring healthy black hair practices. Finding myself being unfairly treated or getting a different response as a person with unadulterated natural hair or a person with long relaxed hair surely does make me feel some type of way.

However, this is not to say that only persons with short relaxed hair are unfairly treated or discriminated against. Some long haired relaxed ladies have been vehemently rejected in some circles. I have heard stories and seen it happen first hand but, it is not in my place to go into specifics.

The natural hair community is not left out of this. In fact, I personally (I repeat, “PERSONALLY”) feel they are the most discriminated against. I will attribute this to the fact that the natural hair community is a relatively new one. Some natural hair ladies have received bad judgment because their hair isn’t “tamed.” I have heard stories first hand from natural hair ladies who lost job opportunities because they wore their natural hair out for job interviews. Others have also been warned in their workplaces because their hair wasn’t deemed “professional” enough.

Now about the white…..hm white. Some communities felt that they reserved the right to the word “natural.” They felt it was going beyond a certain limit if curly haired white girls or white people in the general used the word. I do not want to get into that.

That is that. It would be hypocritical to deny that these inequalities exist in the black healthy hair community.

We should all just learn to respect each other’s hair choice and support. It’s my hair it’s your hair but, we are one people. SUPPORT! TREAT EACH OTHER AS EQUALS!

Leave your 2cents in the comments. Share your experience. And I love a good argument. *wink

HHJ Kitchen Finds- BANANAS!!!!!!!!

Episode 2 of the HHJ Kitchen Finds Series. Today our focus is on BANANAS. Yes! Bananas! Sweet, sweet bananas.

Bananas are seriously such an amazing fruit. They provide various health benefits and are fortified with vitamins such as zinc, iron, manganese and potassium. They are very good instant energizers and help to lower cholesterol. They are used to combat stomach ulcers. One great thing about bananas is that it can be used to either gain or lose weight. They can be used to do opposite things depended on how they are used. Smokers can also use bananas to recover from nicotine addiction. And banana mixtures are great for hangovers. 

source: google

The benefits of bananas do not end in the body. This miracle fruit is used for beauty treatments. Banana face masks are known to promote younger looking, glowing skin. Bananas have good moisturizing benefits that they are used to treat dry, cracked heels. They are used in many foot treatments.

How amazing are BANANAS!

Hey, let me end there and get back to hair. How are bananas beneficial for my hair?

Besides the fact that bananas keep the body healthy and healthy hair thrives in a healthy body, bananas can be used in a number of D-I-Y hair packs. Bananas are rich in potassium, carbohydrates, natural oils and vitamins which leave the hair super soft and healthy at the same time, promoting hair elasticity and preventing split ends and breakage. After doing a banana a banana treatment expect to have amazing shine. (Bananas make me used the word “amazing” too much.) Bananas are awesome deep conditioners with moisturizing benefits.

BANANA DEEP CONDITIONER

1 ripe banana

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp honey

Mash all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Apply to damp hair, scalp and ends. Cover hair with a plastic cap. Let it sit for 10-25 minutes. Rinse with warm water and proceed to wash

source: google

• For Hair Loss- Bananas and Raw Yoghurt should do the trick. At least, twice in a month. 
• For Shine and Health – Banana, Olive oil and Egg mixture is recommended at most once a month.
• To keep hair soft- Bananas, avocado and coconut milk works wonders
• For Damaged Hair- Banana and almond oil.

Be sure to completely mash or blend all ingredients into a smooth paste. You wouldn’t want to be stuck with chucks of banana in your hair. 

Good thing about D-I-Y is the recipes are unlimited. Make yours and let me know in the comments below.

Stay Awesome (and amazing….. of course.)!!!!!!!                             

Updates

Hey loves, I know I have been away for so long. I’m really sorry. School just started for me and it took a while to get adjusted to this semester’s timetable. Changes were still being made but for now it is stable. I also had a problem doing some of my course registrations but by the grace of God that has been resolved. Wednesdays are my most liberal days and so I’m making it blog days. I promise to bring you good and insightful posts.

The HHJ Kitchen Finds series will come on Fridays. I’ll try my very hardest to be frequent with those.

What is new with my hair?

For the first two weeks after school started I was wigging it. I used a pixie cut wig cap because it was easier to style and I didn’t want to deal with my hair while I was stressed. I wanted to wig longer than two weeks but my cornrows needed to be redone every week since it messed up pretty quick. I was 10+ weeks post relaxer then and having my hair parted every week was not exactly fun. 

This is why I made the decision to get something less manipulative. Last weekend I got a full sew in weave installed. I was skeptical about this weave because I had never tried this style and I didn’t know how it would look. For starters it was longer than I’m used to, and then it is wavy. I can say so far that I love it because I feel pretty and I get complimented a lot. I’m going to try to keep this for a minimum of 4 weeks. It shouldn’t be hard because school work will keep me occupied.

What else is new?

My YouTube is in operation now. I have 2 videos so far:

 Do check them out. YouTube user ; miranisa wallace

Leave a comment. Subscribe. Thumbs Up. Let me know what you would like to see.

Stay Awesome!!!!!!