RESPECT THE 'FRO
In July I attended Respect The Fro, a natural hair event organised by The Calabash Hub and Naturally Nubian.
The event included a screening of 400 Years Without A Comb, and I was asked to be on the panel for a Q&A session following the film. The event was a brilliant one so I'm looking forward to Respect Fro Part 2 which is coming up next month but for now here's a review of what happened in July....There were a lot of us there to watch the film, and although the acting was pretty cheesy at points, there were a lot of very interesting facts that I learned such as how slaves had used cornmeal and cotton wool to get rid of dandruff, or washed their hair with dishwater because it contained oil, to help soften the hair.After the film, myself and Charmaine of Black History Studies, helped to host a quick Q&A session with the audience.
Image Courtesy of Black History Studies
It was my first time being on any sort of panel, but I look forward to doing it again soon.
Image Courtesy of Black History Studies
Following the Q&A, Belinda of 4Nappiness4Eva gave a wonderfully encouraging talk, taking us through her natural hair journey from Big Chop x 2, right up to the present.
The wonderful thing about Belinda was that so many of us were able to relate to what she said. Her talk included a clip from Spike Lee's Malcom X the movie, as well as her own hints and tips.
Belinda of 4Nappiness4Eva
After Belinda, we were also introduced to Dr Arouushka James founder of Mama's Marvellous Medicine for Hair. She told us about her new range of products which I'm looking forward to finding out more about.
Dr Aroushka James of Mama's Marvellous Medicine for Hair
I loved the whole event but one of my personal highlights was the opportunity to meet Artist and Poet Cezanne. I first came across her work last year at an exhibition of art by Black female Artists, at the Alexandra Galleries in North London. I have to say I fell in love with a lot of her work, and so did many of my friends who saw my photos from the exhibition. Back then I couldn't afford the originals, but at Respect The 'Fro, Cezanne had prints of her work on sale, which I bought later on.
Art by Artist & Poet Cezanne
Cezanne talked us through 2 of her original works before reciting one of her poems for us.
I love artists who include #NaturalHair in their depictions of Black females as Cezanne does. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for her work.
Before the end of the day Kapeni of Greenshack Productions spoke to us about his books Peter Sankofa And The Family Afro, and we all took part in a game called "Pass The Fro" - This involved everybody contributing a minimum of at least one word before "passing the fro" (microphone) on to the next person, to eventually form a story. Prizes went to those who gave the most creative contributions to the plot, and by the end we'd created a story about young Black boys and girls in Africa, who ate jellof rice, and sang 'Aint No Stopping Us Now' under a star shower in the 1880's! It was madness but fun.
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| Sister E of The Calabash Hub |
After a quick "Product Swap" we all took part in a "Mini Fashion show" from our seats. Sounds strange but actually it worked pretty well. Everyone had to describe their hairstyle and give a quote in relation to natural hair. It was a lovely idea and to my surprise I won a prize for best quote. ...
My Prize
"What Does The Black Spectator Identify With When His Mirror Image Is Absent, Or Present Only As Other?" (K.Mercer)
I'm looking forward to trying my prize as it was highly recommended by the lovely lady sitting next to me on the day who was saying how much she really loved Evelyn products. Before leaving we were each handed a goody-bag with a keyring, Bentonite clay and other goodies.
Me & Co-Organiser Michelle of Naturally Nubian You can see all my pics from Respect The 'Fro in the complete Photo Album on the Crystal Afro Facebook Page.
My heap of goodies from the event.
Look out for Respect The 'Fro part 2 in October:
*Check out all my pics from Respect The 'Fro on the Crystal Afro Facebook Page.*
Related Links:
- TheCalabashHub.com
- NaturallyNubian01.blogspot.com
- BlackHistoryStudies.com
- 4Nappiness4Eva.blogspot.com
- Mama's Marvellous Medicine for Hair
- CezannesArt.co.uk
- GreenShackProductions.com
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