tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208311037268492632024-03-13T22:13:50.442-07:00I'm Not Mixed Up, I'm Fully MixedLiving Between the LinesShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-64049543566267896202015-08-31T15:34:00.003-07:002015-08-31T15:34:41.561-07:00New Day, New BlogHi All!<br />
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I decided to leave Blogspot. Check out my new blog <a href="https://shannonludersmanuel.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. I'll still keep this one up in cyberspace.<br />
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~Shannon Luders-ManuelShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-60473826506119603602015-08-15T21:27:00.002-07:002015-08-16T04:59:57.911-07:00My Response to Critics Regarding My For Harriet Article about Mixed Race IdentityOn Wednesday, For Harriet published my article "<a href="http://www.forharriet.com/2015/08/what-it-means-to-be-mixed-race-during.html#axzz3icLio2kO" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">What it Means to be Mixed Race During the Fight for Black Lives</span></b></a>." It quickly took off and has received over 23,000 Facebook shares/likes by the time of this blog post. I'm extremely humbled and honored to be sharing the experiences and viewpoints of so many mixed race people. Today I took the time to read what some of the critics had to say about my article. Here is a general response to the ones that seemed the most common.<br />
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<b>"Why is she using police brutality as a platform to discuss being mixed race?"</b><br />
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Response: When I wrote the article, I knew that many of my black and mixed friends were very personally upset by everything we have been witnessing on what is sometimes a daily basis. I felt that if I addressed my feelings about police brutality and racial aggression without discussing my mixed identity, some would say that my feelings weren't valid because I'm not a "real black person." I wanted to be honest about my mixed race vantage point while also doing the cleansing work of writing down my thoughts and feelings about what is weighing us all down right now.<br />
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<b>"She thinks she's better than us by saying she has good hair."</b><br />
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Response: I don't personally subscribe to the notion of "good hair," which is why I put it in quotation marks. I think that when we elevate people based on Western definitions of beauty, it harms the beauty that lies within the black community. That includes black people who see mixed race people as desirable because of their Western features, and white people who see mixed race people as desirable because of their black features.<br />
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<b>"So she only wants to claim blackness when black people are brutalized?"</b><br />
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Response: I claim blackness on a daily basis. If someone identifies as mixed race, it doesn't negate them also identifying as black. As simple as it may sound, a person cannot be a mix of things without being those things. I perhaps simplified it for the article as a way to express my sense of alignment with the black community in the wake of police brutality; however, I am proud to be black every day. That was something that was instilled in me both by my black father and my white mother.<br />
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<b>"You're not mixed, you're black." / "You're not black."</b><br />
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Response: These were the two most common types of criticisms that I saw in the comments, and it reinforces the notion that mixed race people have to make their own identifiers. Many think that those who claim a mixed race identity are turning their back on black people, but what they don't understand is that many black people don't want to claim us because we don't look like they do. Often comments about how we "should" define is only argued after we "do" define, no matter what that definition is. I see it not as understanding or of wanting to claim this mixed race person, but rather as stating that the person doesn't have the right to claim themselves.<br />
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<b>"Why is this important?"</b><br />
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Response: There's really no great way to explain this to someone who isn't biracial. The bottom line is, it isn't important at all. The only reason it becomes such a deep seeded and heated topic is because other people think it so important. If mixed race people were accepted for who they are, there wouldn't be a need to assert our identities. And like I said above, it's not a matter of what we assert but that we assert in the first place, which seems to get so many people upset.<br />
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I opened blogger to upload my video but ended up writing these responses instead! I guess I had a lot to say! For more information regarding my article and my stance, check it out below. And thanks for listening!<br />
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~Shannon Luders-Manuel<br />
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<br />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-30304570472054590292015-01-30T22:14:00.000-08:002015-01-30T22:14:03.441-08:00TransitionsWell, I stopped doing my Hairstyle Challenge, as I am camera challenged when it comes to getting good photos. And... I got a haircut instead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlAAsOiS51ifo4b057JQYCYX262-lEIau54IMqc5VrR6gPuwK6v2KJi5O1rm9z37uENFaHE3PxgcjfuiXXXj6sYmWUEqeIOB7_4QONEnj86DmRQvScsCkbwg5B5pjDUdrwUmXw3qrhr8/s1600/IMG_0687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlAAsOiS51ifo4b057JQYCYX262-lEIau54IMqc5VrR6gPuwK6v2KJi5O1rm9z37uENFaHE3PxgcjfuiXXXj6sYmWUEqeIOB7_4QONEnj86DmRQvScsCkbwg5B5pjDUdrwUmXw3qrhr8/s1600/IMG_0687.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my niece Holly</td></tr>
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But, I'm still posting. <a href="https://layovers.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/2015-los-angeles-kingdom-day-parade/" target="_blank">Here</a> is a collaboration I did with photographer Kimberly Abruzzo about the Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles, and <a href="https://mixedmemes.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here</a> is a link to a new blog I created called MixedMemes!Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-2722146315704651832014-11-25T00:25:00.000-08:002014-11-25T00:25:52.726-08:0010 Day Hair Challenge: Style #2One thing I'm learning about my 10-Day Hair Challenge is that everyone's hair is different. Neither of my styles have looked exactly like the ones from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9usFnx6Ow" target="_blank">the tutorial</a>, but they still provide enough of a change of routine to make it worthwhile.<br />
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Today I did hairstyle #5. The vlogger's hair seems to be a little less curly than mine, so whenever I do her cool side styles, most of the actual style gets lost in a sea of hair.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3PgIiHeMQcSiBRISHvIsTf6Wq1GVR3RJgQpYfASDiOZVUlwZ9XhWX-htcIb0U7J85jJOoOa06A2lCylP3V8dn-lfihD4jSvEyeX7dnUxToCZR2GoW-HoI7SC_8aXnL8WM865E5aJL0k/s1600/Photo+on+11-24-14+at+2.15+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3PgIiHeMQcSiBRISHvIsTf6Wq1GVR3RJgQpYfASDiOZVUlwZ9XhWX-htcIb0U7J85jJOoOa06A2lCylP3V8dn-lfihD4jSvEyeX7dnUxToCZR2GoW-HoI7SC_8aXnL8WM865E5aJL0k/s1600/Photo+on+11-24-14+at+2.15+PM.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front view of side twists before I pinned them back.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final look!</td></tr>
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As you can see, the actual details from the style aren't that visible. But the effects were more than I expected. Wearing my hair in a different style, even if noticeable only to me, gave me a feeling of purpose and of rediscovery. One thing I've learned so far from my move to LA is that while your interior will never change (both for good and bad, but I'm stressing the good), your exterior is something you can always reinvent and should present with purpose and bravery. It's a canvas on which to design the reflection you wish to present to the world. Some wear "Picasso," others wear "Kahlo," but those who seem the most put-together <i>know</i> that the body is a work of art and should be adorned accordingly.<br />
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I didn't expect that this 10-Day Challenge would result in soul-searching revelations. I merely wanted to stop being lazy and try something new. But, of course, that's when revelations usually occur.<br />
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Side note: Today is the day of the Ferguson verdict so I feel slightly shallow for posting on such an awful day. My heart is definitely with my brothers and sisters as we continue to demand that our voices be heard.<br />
<br />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-6099733436699278652014-11-20T20:54:00.001-08:002014-11-21T02:06:54.117-08:0010 Day Hair Challenge: Style #1A few days ago I spontaneously visited a friend in my building who had just put on <a href="http://moknowshair.com/flexirodstype4hair/" target="_blank">flexi rods</a>. She was a little embarrassed, but as a fellow "natural hair sister," I understand that our unflattering hair care regimen often leads to quite flattering results. Not to mention, her enthusiasm to try something new gave me a kick in the pants, as I've been donning the same two hairstyles for a coupe years now.<br />
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I checked out a YouTuber that the friend recommended, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKitkHRHplU" target="_blank">Mo Knows Hair</a>, but decided that at least in regards to that particular video, the styles were a little too sophisticated for "little ol' me." But it did prompt me to further my search, and I came across this video of "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX9usFnx6Ow" target="_blank">10 Styles for Short Curly Hair</a>." I'm guessing this vlogger is in high school, but her "cutesy" styles definitely fit my personality. I scanned through the video and decided to assign myself a 10-Day Challenge: I'll try each of her 10 hairstyles over a period of 10 days. Granted, I may not actually do them 10 days in a row, but I'm definitely committed to trying all of them. (Though two are my go-to styles, so those will be cheat days.)<br />
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Without further ado, here is Day #1 (Hair Style #4).<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">It's hard to tell, but this style has two side french braids that come together in the back. For some reason it's much easier to do a normal french braid than a side one, and the style looked good until my hair dried lost about 3 inches of length. But, a good style to keep toying with and to use maybe on Day 6 (the number of days between washes, where with each subsequent day the hair has more essential natural oils, i.e., is less frizzy).</span></div>
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Stay tuned for the next new do!</div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-74679863072496651712014-05-23T14:13:00.000-07:002014-05-23T14:14:23.995-07:00Mixed Remixed FestivalThe <a href="http://www.mixedremixed.org/" target="_blank">Mixed Remixed Festival</a>, formerly known as the Mixed Roots Literary and Film Festival, is holding their annual gathering at the Japanese American National Museum on June 14th, 2014. The festival is hosted by author Heidi Durrow, of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Girl-Who-Fell-Sky/dp/1616200154" target="_blank">The Girl Who Fell From the Sky</a></i>.<br />
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I am listed among the <a href="http://www.mixedremixed.org/readings-2014/" target="_blank">featured writers</a> for this year's event. Come see me present an excerpt from <i>Hambone</i>, an in-progress memoir about my life with my father.<br />
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<h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shannon Luders-Manuel</strong></h2>
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<a href="http://www.mixedremixed.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/mx14_shannon.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f96e5b; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;"><img alt="mx14_shannon" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-770" src="http://www.mixedremixed.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/mx14_shannon-225x300.jpg" height="300" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 24px 24px; max-width: 100%; text-align: right;" width="225" /></a>Shannon Luders-Manuel is a native of the Bay Area in central California and lived her first two years on San Francisco’s famously diverse Haight Street with her black father from Missouri and white mother from Marin County, California. She received her Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she focused on identity formation and the role of the white suitor in the “tragic mulatta” narrative. Shannon was a founding member of the all-inclusive Meetup group “Sisters and White Misters” located in Alameda, California, and is proud of her multiracial extended family which includes spouses and partners with ethnicities from around the globe. Shannon’s previous literary works include a postcolonial analysis of the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case in Vanderbilt University’s online academic journal, AmeriQuests. She is currently working on a memoir entitled Hambone about her relationship with her deceased father.</div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-91331656285495876052014-05-23T13:59:00.001-07:002014-05-23T14:01:04.360-07:00Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and OpportunitiesThere is truth to the adage, "Good things come to those who wait."<br />
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An article I got published on Teaching Tolerance magazine's <a href="http://www.tolerance.org/" target="_blank">website</a> has shown up on many other diversity websites throughout the years, and has now made it into a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diversity-Consciousness-Cultures-Opportunities-Copyright/dp/0321919068/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400829458&sr=1-2" target="_blank">textbook</a> published by Pearson.<br />
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I look forward to purchasing this book in the very near future and seeing what other gems it holds.<br />
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~Shannon Luders-Manuel<br />
<br />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-21659943969297687872014-05-20T00:38:00.000-07:002014-05-20T00:38:19.399-07:00What My Mother Has Taught MeIt's been almost a year since my second most recent post, "What My Father Taught Me." As a reintroduction to my blog, it seems appropriate to follow it up with a tribute to my mother, just a little shy of Mother's Day and the 2nd anniversary of her successful brain surgery.<br />
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1. <i>Beauty is everywhere.</i><br />
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Many women, including myself, notice man-made, artificial objects of beauty. My mother, however, never seems to notice these things. Instead, she sees every individual flower, bird, and tree on any walk she ever takes. Taking walks with my mother can be painfully slow due to these sightings, but her mesmerization and wonder at the beauty of nature inspires me to look past the pretty buildings and pretty clothes and see the tiny little blue flower peeking up from the cracked sidewalk.<br />
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2. <i>Disability doesn't determine capability.</i><br />
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My mom was born with a cleft lip and palate, and in the 50s, surgeries weren't as streamlined as they are today. As a result, my mother grew up with highly visible imperfections on her face, and children and adults alike assumed these imperfections affected her mental capabilities. In reality, my mother was the only one of her siblings to earn a Master's degree. She taught me not only to see people for their insides, but also to embrace their outsides just the way they are. I therefore naturally gravitated towards peers who were somehow different, because to me, they were just as normal as anyone else.<br />
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3. <i>Don't be afraid to cry.</i><br />
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When my mother was sad, she cried, and from a young age I learned that this was a natural expression of one's emotions. She never once told me not to cry, and this freedom has allowed me to be sympathetic toward others when they're feeling down.<br />
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4. <i>Books are a girl's best friend. </i><br />
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My mom still gets lost in a good book, to the point where everything around her fades away. After having received my Master's in English literature, it's hard to enjoy the simple pleasure of reading purely for reading's sake, but I'm determined to recultivate this pasttime with the vigor that my mom has never lost.<br />
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5. <i>There is nothing wrong with waiting in line.</i><br />
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My mom is an incredibly patient person. I have rarely seen her honk her horn out of frustration or get irritated by having to wait in line at a grocery store. She takes these inconveniences in stride, knowing that an extra thirty seconds is nothing to get worked up about.<br />
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6. <i>The grass never greener on the other side.</i><br />
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My mother has never expressed a wish to have someone else's house, job, car, or, well, life. She exudes contentment with everything, as if existence itself is a gift that has been bestowed upon her and not to be taken for granted.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-60434732458602392282013-11-08T22:04:00.000-08:002013-11-08T22:04:09.071-08:00DIY Cost-Cutting HaircutsLately I've been short on cash, so I've been doing what I can to cut costs. One of those cuts has been literal. After a full year of postponing a haircut until "the next paycheck," a few days ago I took matters--and scissors--into my own hands.<br />
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Following the growing advice of mixed race self-taught hair gurus, I've been putting my hair in about 10 to 15 twists each night, securing each with a hairband. Despite non-mixies assuming the twists <i>create</i> the curl, we mixies know the twists help keep our rebellious strands from turning into dreadlocks. On this particular evening, I grabbed my hair cutting sheers, usually reserved for "fairy knots," and cut the scraggly inch off of each twist below the hairband. This took all of five minutes, if that.<br />
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Granted, because my hair was in its twists, I had no idea if my self-grooming would turn out to be successful. But luckily, the next morning when I undid the twists, added my usual touch of water and my large touch of conditioner, those perfect curls sprang into a perfect line across my back. Success!<br />
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Now, I would be a fool to suggest that anyone follow my example unless, like me, they feel the risk is worth the possible blunder. But, as my mom says my grandma says, "Curly hair hides a multitude of sins," one being the "sin" of the hasty, unprofessional DIY.<br />
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Side note: Always angle your scissors as you cut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFaZ3qtnlDULiYxyYMZEyKpuevinW655H1y7tiYaZKhp6veg6oYUD792QduULRtTVAiI8MOyUdfY2f7l9KUwmFif5Lu6a4K52ZhGLwcdXEo7PwiNAIvfVylS7h9mzbCSZ_dgPmoFInmU/s1600/1376981_10153359836810623_360005152_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFaZ3qtnlDULiYxyYMZEyKpuevinW655H1y7tiYaZKhp6veg6oYUD792QduULRtTVAiI8MOyUdfY2f7l9KUwmFif5Lu6a4K52ZhGLwcdXEo7PwiNAIvfVylS7h9mzbCSZ_dgPmoFInmU/s320/1376981_10153359836810623_360005152_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, so this obviously isn't a real photo, but you get the idea, courtesy of <a href="http://www.bitstrips.com/" target="_blank">bitstrips.com</a></td></tr>
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<br />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-77655047560134556292012-06-22T00:44:00.002-07:002012-06-22T23:03:25.321-07:00What My Father Taught MeJune marks Father's Day, Loving Day, Juneteenth, and my dad's birthday. All of these special days remind me of my father, who passed away eleven years ago at the age of 71. Just like everyone, my father had demons, challenges, and setbacks. What he also had was an innate awareness of human interactions and a philosophical depth always two steps beyond his years. He was also wise, proud, stubborn, and loved his little girl to pieces. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnalnfkELNs4fMyt6dUUGfhE6cBW5lUynazXFuk90Auk03yEEEVznFXbht8xZ7QUge3ioBt7FuS6e31SNfsd9ZBKE1fc8EFhKjeJQG3gipt9AGpRVlzL7SXRWpWwc4-Ey3iMDRUCf1Jk/s1600/351_87784970622_1315_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnalnfkELNs4fMyt6dUUGfhE6cBW5lUynazXFuk90Auk03yEEEVznFXbht8xZ7QUge3ioBt7FuS6e31SNfsd9ZBKE1fc8EFhKjeJQG3gipt9AGpRVlzL7SXRWpWwc4-Ey3iMDRUCf1Jk/s320/351_87784970622_1315_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here, in no particular order, is what my father taught me:<br />
<br />
1. Make copies of everything.<br />
<br />
While this advice may be pretty obvious, it's served me well over the years. I make copies of all documents and forms before sending them to their recipients. If I need my tax information from 7 years ago or a bill from 7 months ago, I know just where to look.<br />
<br />
2. It's better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it.<br />
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I remind myself of this favorite line of his whenever I question whether to grab my coat, sweater, scarf, etc., before I head out the door.<br />
<br />
3. Follow politics.<br />
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My dad knew everything -- or at least it seemed that way to me. He read law books and studied history and watched the news. He knew that I, as a black female, would be affected by politics, and that knowledge is the best weapon a person can have.<br />
<br />
4. Don't drink the Kool Aid.<br />
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My dad knew ahead of time that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_jones" target="_blank">Jim Jones</a> was going to do something horrible both to and with his cult followers. He has taught me to question everything, no matter how innocuous it might seem to be.<br />
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5. Blacks should support gay rights just as much as they supported the Civil Rights movement.<br />
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In 1993, a gay student at my California high school wasn't allowed to bring his partner to the school dance without a fight; but my dad already understood that his own gay neighbors should be awarded the same respect that blacks had struggled to obtain in the 60s.<br />
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6. Have no regrets.<br />
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I could tell my father had regrets as he lay dying. The most important thing he's taught me is to have confidence, fight for what I believe in, and never take a single day for granted. Dad, this one's for you. <br />
<br />Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-82123701930672085912012-05-23T17:53:00.001-07:002012-05-24T22:37:00.984-07:00You Know You Have Black Natural Hair When...1. Your extra-strength hair bands don't last long.<br />
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2. You have a sweatshirt just for wearing while you comb out your hair.<br />
<br />
3. You <i>don't </i>wash your hair for a date.<br />
<br />
4. The longer you go before washing it again, the healthier it is.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumxsVBsDW_uOMydOQnMBokHGj9plfBzvHroFoaZMyHWT4wbmJ1Oo3mPVCWzbvLEjmDKYmkvZV4GzMQRnWSWA59f4xjISnMmH2R9RYxIEd2vCdMAmZZOo1GCykXjAUJouPW_lbFRKX4kg/s1600/Natural-Black-Hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumxsVBsDW_uOMydOQnMBokHGj9plfBzvHroFoaZMyHWT4wbmJ1Oo3mPVCWzbvLEjmDKYmkvZV4GzMQRnWSWA59f4xjISnMmH2R9RYxIEd2vCdMAmZZOo1GCykXjAUJouPW_lbFRKX4kg/s320/Natural-Black-Hair.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of best-styles.net</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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5. Strangers respond to your hair as if it were a cute baby or a puppy.<br />
<br />
6. When you book your stylist appointment you make sure she sets aside 3 hours just for you.<br />
<br />
7. Your stylist often needs backup in order to get through your 3-hour appointment on time.<br />
<br />
8. You laugh when your non-black female friend hands you her wire hairbrush.<br />
<br />
9. You wouldn't need a wig to be Marge Simpson for Halloween.<br />
<br />
10. Your hair works in the ratio of miles to inches: Miles of straight = inches of curly. <br />
<br />
11. Your nightly twists take a full episode of [insert your favorite TV show here].<br />
<br />
12. Caps and hats often don't fit your head.<br />
<br />
13. An earring can get lost in your hair for hours before falling on the kitchen floor.<br />
<br />
14. Your black friends insist that if they went natural their hair would never look like yours.<br />
<br />
15. When your black friends do go natural it's like coming out of the closet -- liberating and tremendously exciting.<br />
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16. You have a facebook album dedicated solely to your natural hair journey, and this album gets the most responses.<br />
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17. You would consider spending $200 for an <a href="http://www.ouidad.com/" target="_blank">Ouidad</a> cut.<br />
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18. You and female strangers bond over your mutual "awkward childhood afro phase" and "chemically-treated singed straight hair phase."<br />
<br />
19. You wish Michelle Obama would go natural but understand why she can't.<br />
<br />
20. You wouldn't have your hair any other way.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-81496988069607973192012-03-24T20:53:00.006-07:002012-03-24T22:35:24.520-07:00Elizabeth Smart and Trayvon Martin are 21st Century America's ChildrenAmerica has a new national child: Trayvon Martin.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LHflBfUPBORzbRSTSOIu-DesUO3bFGuWkn97IsIp8ixW0PN_VAabcTgBe5Ed3mvESE_zUGwVsMK1pFWtOBbcqb4q43otXKUBt9APguwlD8lKHOcOdbAXjP66hqf9h-OuHQcVePwaqgA/s1600/elizabeth-smart-1-435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LHflBfUPBORzbRSTSOIu-DesUO3bFGuWkn97IsIp8ixW0PN_VAabcTgBe5Ed3mvESE_zUGwVsMK1pFWtOBbcqb4q43otXKUBt9APguwlD8lKHOcOdbAXjP66hqf9h-OuHQcVePwaqgA/s320/elizabeth-smart-1-435.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of People.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In 2002, sentiment over the Elizabeth Smart case reached a fever pitch during her abduction, which led to national representatives and countrymen alike viewing her not just one family's daughter, but America's daughter. The beautifully angelic Elizabeth stood as a symbol for all we needed to protect, and as an academic who's written about her case, I'm delighted about her upcoming wedding. <br />
<br />
Trayvon's unnecessary death by homicide is the first national event surrounding the victimization of a child to gain so much media attention since Elizabeth's. Present Barack Obama has linked Trayvon to America in much the same way Elizabeth was when he says, "If I had a son he would look like Trayvon."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3RqlxF79mBhThKvmnAHawS1kwO0HJbSf9AVrDcRsP1U9xPPBqL2N9tie1Tgi3-FExFJoaiQ8o1DOT7w3UXsumFezsbk7hTMFDzwVre2BBfyJOmzssutZ0cFZEDZyPgnjADioud3jg7c/s1600/120313013941-trayvon-martin-story-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3RqlxF79mBhThKvmnAHawS1kwO0HJbSf9AVrDcRsP1U9xPPBqL2N9tie1Tgi3-FExFJoaiQ8o1DOT7w3UXsumFezsbk7hTMFDzwVre2BBfyJOmzssutZ0cFZEDZyPgnjADioud3jg7c/s320/120313013941-trayvon-martin-story-top.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of blacksnob.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
While both Elizabeth and Trayvon's experiences were tragic, I find comfort in knowing that Trayvon is receiving as much media attention as Elizabeth did. As a biracial American, Elizabeth resembles my own blonde sister and Trayvon looks just like a cousin I played with when I was young.<br />
<br />
Almost exactly ten years after Elizabeth's abduction, we have a black president stating that his son would look like Trayvon, in much the same way former president Bush's daughter would look like Elizabeth.<br />
<br />
While I can't speak for Elizabeth Smart, I'm sure she feels for Trayvon and, like much of the rest of America, wishes his unfortunate death can somehow change the national perception of what it means to be an American and the protection of life and liberty that each American deserves.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-45614131033124505652012-03-24T19:23:00.003-07:002012-03-24T19:25:44.694-07:00More Naturally Kinky Curly Hair Sightings<div style="text-align: left;">Sure, I'll admit it: Sometimes I read eHarmony advice columns. While I'm often disappointed in the quality of their articles, this one left me refreshed--both in content and in images. The very last page of the article, entitled "Ladies: What Men Think About Your Body," reinforced the notion that self-confidence and attitude are the biggest physical attributes a woman can possess. And what was the physical representation of this attribute? A woman my age sporting my <i>exact</i> hair--texture, color and all. (Not to mention the lavender shirt!) Finally, a sexiness I can truly get behind.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrrEYZHbfRocixVxiZJIJegE_6uU9MHhFm607jHE1-XDX6QgbHE7g51XxG-ePVvpWedXOGTqM5tPqJg5Xv5oq1_96aRYQmkXPtX2VvELSEp04NLFkAMm_AorDCwWH4U9qUZallRKYXp0/s1600/whatmenarewanting.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrrEYZHbfRocixVxiZJIJegE_6uU9MHhFm607jHE1-XDX6QgbHE7g51XxG-ePVvpWedXOGTqM5tPqJg5Xv5oq1_96aRYQmkXPtX2VvELSEp04NLFkAMm_AorDCwWH4U9qUZallRKYXp0/s320/whatmenarewanting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-78832456758813053192011-12-31T00:00:00.003-08:002012-03-24T20:13:23.675-07:00Beautiful flower clips for Curly HairAfter my hair fiasco, my dear friend Isha sent me a wonderful collection of handmade flower pins and earrings that she makes and sells on Etsy. They come in many different colors and styles, and I've been matching each flower with my outfit of the day.<br />
<br />
Get yours here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/IshasFlowerGarden" target="_blank">Isha's Flower Garden</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWIYH58_IorR5mAuYGnl_MIIfAiK-rp46x8CsyfPgGJweaHHND9DQXTTU85dWVRzCSZgzI-sTW6tQsveRLskNM2jqFbpnzY0JUlQGtMmAiU7bD7npd33W_CsTtVfYebvMUe20Rc8bPEc/s1600/600_86857922.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWIYH58_IorR5mAuYGnl_MIIfAiK-rp46x8CsyfPgGJweaHHND9DQXTTU85dWVRzCSZgzI-sTW6tQsveRLskNM2jqFbpnzY0JUlQGtMmAiU7bD7npd33W_CsTtVfYebvMUe20Rc8bPEc/s320/600_86857922.jpeg" width="178" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-55539219941776495922011-12-19T23:22:00.000-08:002011-12-22T02:04:52.989-08:00Will You Date My Hair?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivo8OyIj8GTEHWgazNRekK7UWOup49JSlpUzTglGao8jJfrPUWBnSt1xPc-fVra0HMCalvxhhAk2mA4DHrWnDVC8L1VUbR0urJRhcJz83psBuo19eGVspEefoOVk3sjpZ9X9HtGtE_jlg/s1600/graphic_imaj_hair_salon_washington_dc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivo8OyIj8GTEHWgazNRekK7UWOup49JSlpUzTglGao8jJfrPUWBnSt1xPc-fVra0HMCalvxhhAk2mA4DHrWnDVC8L1VUbR0urJRhcJz83psBuo19eGVspEefoOVk3sjpZ9X9HtGtE_jlg/s320/graphic_imaj_hair_salon_washington_dc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Finding a good stylist is like trying to find a good boyfriend. You want someone who "gets" you, who knows what they're doing when they touch you, and someone who makes you feel beautiful instead of ruining what beauty you already have.<br />
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I have no trouble rejecting men. I can usually tell within five minutes of a date if I'm going to like the guy or not. There's that instant chemistry (or lack thereof) that speaks volumes. If he's an hour late, that's one strike against him. If he forgets his wallet, that's another. If he pressures me to get into his car I know to run the other way, and if he wants me to drive an hour to his house on the second date with no plan other than coming over, I know not to get behind the wheel.<br />
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What's funny is that this confidence and intuition doesn't translate when I'm on a salon chair. I can pour out my sob story about how a previous stylist refused to do my hair or cut off uneven chunks at random, but every time I get in a new salon chair I'm convinced that <i>this </i>stylist will know exactly what to do. And it's not that I don't do my research. I just seem to be destined to have horrible stylists. Maybe they should make therapy sessions for people who have codependent relationships with stylists and who always seem to "choose the wrong one."<br />
<br />
Last Tuesday I went to a new stylist. This was an inevitable change as I'd moved from the Pacific Northwest back to California. I found her salon on Yelp as one that got high recommendations for working with natural black hair. My first faux pas was in not making sure I got the stylist recommended on the site, but instead booked an appointment with the one who answered the phone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykE1CwnyihjuGt9Q-rRofGoL27AmeLLC953DzS9Q-T32psCQBNvkmw01_mWsTkeazxiabDgdGshbzR-YGopgH7fWraAc0T31dHgb__VdIzZhQexbry7fo5rtY1gJQyfg2ITpPEz6FMRk/s1600/IMG_1836+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykE1CwnyihjuGt9Q-rRofGoL27AmeLLC953DzS9Q-T32psCQBNvkmw01_mWsTkeazxiabDgdGshbzR-YGopgH7fWraAc0T31dHgb__VdIzZhQexbry7fo5rtY1gJQyfg2ITpPEz6FMRk/s320/IMG_1836+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I got in her chair, chatted her up, and entrusted her with one of my most valuable and only painstakingly-replaceable assets. I went in for a highlight touch up at my roots and a simple cut. Four hours later all I'd received was the highlights. Though my previous highlights were only 6 or 7 small sections, this stylists kept going and going with what must have been close to thirty. My hair began to sizzle a little under the dryer, but I chalked this up to it being hotter than the one I'd been under at my previous salon, and fell asleep. After the normal 30 minutes under heat, I got my rinse, paid my money, and dashed out the door to work. Once I got to work I realized that the "copper" highlights were bright orange/pink. Once I got home I realized that I'd also been partially balded. Not only that but she'd charged me $20 more than what she quoted me over the phone and I came to regret my $15 tip.<br />
<br />
To make a long story short, I called her and she discovered that she wasn't supposed to put me under the dryer. She offered me a partial refund and a reconstructor treatment and then cancelled my treatment half an hour before it was scheduled because she wanted more sleep. Later that afternoon we each pulled up in front of her salon and I felt like I was in the middle of a drug deal as she handed me the cash. Once she saw my hair she insisted it was copper ("copper is orange, just like your [bright] orange sweater") and proclaimed my hair healthy even though it had been entirely sapped of natural oils and lay as dead on my head as if I had put my finger in a light bulb. (Yes, for kinky curly haired girls, "dead" does not mean flaccid.) <br />
<br />
I took my partial refund to a Regis which is the chain of my previous stylist in Washington. I had her on the phone at the new salon, and my stylist said to run away as fast as I could, which I wasn't surprised about as the woman took one look at my hair and didn't want to have anything to do with it. Not because of the color but because my hair is so thick and curly. My stylist's sentiment was reinforced when the woman behind the counter lost my hair band, searched the entire salon and couldn't find one, and then tried to give me a rubber band instead. In a <i>salon.</i><br />
<br />
I'm reading tragic mulatta literature for a graduate class and so I'm immersed in mulattas who do not feel like they fit in either white or black society (though by the end they often choose black). I'd like to say that this double-consciousness is long gone, only, through my discussions with other mixed-race women--and black women who have decided to go natural--we're finding that there is almost no one out there who is willing or able to touch our hair. I for one I have decided that I will give <i>myself </i>a haircut, and that the only other person I'll entrust with scissors is my Washington stylist when I next go up for a visit. She is the only white person who will cut my hair (yes, I've been turned away that many times!) and black stylists always fry it to pieces because that's they only way they know how to deal with their own hair.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>After a period of being worried that I would have to chop off my mane and start all over, home care, a well-placed hair wrap and a little bit of patience looks like it will slowly bring my hair back to a normal state. As for my mentality, stylists will now have to meet me, woo me, and prove their worth before I'll hand myself over.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYX6C4UZboyuncnOoWn-HGNR5Aj2WqIR-rlQah9eQ0RrADy9ktgfzlL-BPNJmnWAD-F5Hg41Wr09zYC19ct0O6WjWfaX5uJztugGPV0l-El1wANO8Hxq1-WcnQ6pYp161Hs3BniVfYAQM/s1600/hair_salon_shutterstock_126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYX6C4UZboyuncnOoWn-HGNR5Aj2WqIR-rlQah9eQ0RrADy9ktgfzlL-BPNJmnWAD-F5Hg41Wr09zYC19ct0O6WjWfaX5uJztugGPV0l-El1wANO8Hxq1-WcnQ6pYp161Hs3BniVfYAQM/s320/hair_salon_shutterstock_126.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-38273071123201763682011-07-17T15:39:00.000-07:002011-07-17T17:23:20.900-07:00How to talk to your mixed race friend, family member, or strangerWith America becoming increasingly diverse, there is a growing need for education about proper etiquette when approaching the topic of race with a mixed race contact. I myself have many white friends and family members who struggle to find appropriate and politically correct terminology when discussing race with me. I know their fumbling comes out of a genuine desire to bridge the racial gap and assert their acceptance of me and other mixed race individuals. Below is a crash course in what -- and what not -- to say.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIyOA-HgZT7jvpZ7Mmc5prR14cMBIaWuEOgpYqjGhH0mhh7cDzdMOG_DHZuxvd0H9js67edB5rVkrPz6PV1lWoc98TIFi9sUJEVy9lJcrZQVMEWjpcEl2dmmiEIvjoNl0z0NqEapujxM/s1600/benetton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIyOA-HgZT7jvpZ7Mmc5prR14cMBIaWuEOgpYqjGhH0mhh7cDzdMOG_DHZuxvd0H9js67edB5rVkrPz6PV1lWoc98TIFi9sUJEVy9lJcrZQVMEWjpcEl2dmmiEIvjoNl0z0NqEapujxM/s400/benetton.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
1. <span style="color: yellow;">Don't ask: "What are you?"</span><br />
<div style="color: yellow;"><br />
</div>Many mixed race individuals including myself will be offended by this question. While the question itself comes from a place of natural curiosity, the way it is worded implies that the person in question is somehow subhuman or defined entirely by his or her race.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: yellow;">Instead ask: "What is your ethnicity / ethnic makeup," etc.</div><br />
Many mixed race individuals (also including myself) <i>love </i>this question when worded this way. Are we being nit-picky? Maybe. But unless you're a minority yourself, you represent the majority and we represent the "Other." In general we love to celebrate our otherness with those who are genuinely interested and who show that they view us positively through the way they ask.<br />
<br />
<i>Caveat: Some mixed race individuals don't like this question at all, so the guideline above only works on a case by case basis.</i><br />
<br />
2. <span style="color: yellow;">Don't say: "You're beautiful because you're exotic."</span><br />
<br />
Again, such a statement may make us feel subhuman and more like an animal in a zoo. We don't want to be beautiful because of the way we differ from whites. Rather, we want to be beautiful of our own accord, and we believe a white person can be just as good looking as we are. In fact, if we are part white ourselves, saying we're beautiful because we're exotic means that half of our ethnic makeup is not beautiful.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: yellow;">Instead say: "You're beautiful."</div><br />
Who doesn't like to be told they're beautiful? This statement is sure to flatter the receiver and you can steer clear of race talk completely.<br />
<br />
<i>Caveat: Some mixed race individuals do love to be noticed for their exoticism, so again, I can't speak for everyone.</i><br />
<br />
3. <span style="color: yellow;">Don't say: "I'm color-blind" or "I don't see color."</span><br />
<br />
Mixed race individuals don't like this statement because we can't relate. We see color every single day, there is no way around it. We notice the one black student in the class, or the one Asian student at the party. We notice the races of all the characters in every TV show or movie, of every person in every commercial, and in every magazine ad. We don't notice these things because we are obsessed with race. Rather, because of growing up as an "Other," there is no way for us <i>not </i>to notice the races of those around us.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: yellow;">Rather say: Nothing. There's really no PC equivalent to this statement. Just avoid it!</div><br />
Even "I love every color of the rainbow" or "I appreciate everyone's differences" can be taken as an insult. Why? Because like it or not, every single human being has prejudice inside them, even us. We should all fight against it, of course, but not being at all affected by race isn't possible.<br />
<br />
4. <span style="color: yellow;">Don't say: "African-American." </span><br />
<br />
Once upon a time, African-American was politically correct. Much in the same way that homosexual was the PC term over gay. However, just as gays have taken back their original definer, so have blacks. African-American is now passe, because it's an irrelevant definition. After all, we don't call whites European-American, and many of us have ethnic roots in America that go all the way back to the 1600s.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: yellow;">Instead say: "black."</div><br />
Remember the Black is Beautiful movement of the 60s? Well it's back. <br />
<br />
<i>Caveat: The plural of "black" is most often "black people," not "blacks." And especially not "the blacks." Again, this may be a nit-picky criteria, but no one wants to pull a Donald Trump and say "I have a great relationship with the blacks." We're not one unit, we are all individuals.</i><br />
<br />
Mixies: What rules of etiquette do you have to contribute? Are there any here that you disagree with?<br />
<br />
<br />
--Shannon Luders-ManuelShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-77827371156205957262011-07-09T23:37:00.000-07:002011-07-11T13:59:40.695-07:00Catalog Models with Natural HairI've noticed a pattern in my online shopping habits. If a black woman is wearing a particular item of clothing, it makes me pay more attention to it. And if she has natural hair, I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside my chest like I am not a freak of nature but a catalog-worthy beauty, wild mane and all.<br />
<br />
Here are some examples of natural beauties rocking the pages of online catalogs.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aQqX-bN5glPXxKCpl1ZxA3KBOhK7eQmjKQvED-Fg8YrDvBNJeHhobXMJrVHM-j0ZU-4yH36z8VVzcJBxPDxe5BXdZIwFSjwWLyzFXq9sqcvuu_3M_-71grPJU8nEE8KzENfj2myrELg/s1600/Z0952GY.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aQqX-bN5glPXxKCpl1ZxA3KBOhK7eQmjKQvED-Fg8YrDvBNJeHhobXMJrVHM-j0ZU-4yH36z8VVzcJBxPDxe5BXdZIwFSjwWLyzFXq9sqcvuu_3M_-71grPJU8nEE8KzENfj2myrELg/s400/Z0952GY.1.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out this Venus vixen. So chic!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcuKL8-AObgM4vrR9ZEH-DqsaQdufJrOYS7kq_eScCODD4mlKNeJBMshlHMcHmWi1UFc87-U8MW51XTYnLzXwHO9OtBLfB9cl3mhtch6R2gkBsdk0_aRsRkGeWXL6ZRxzU4SOmYPy8HI/s1600/gp848971-00vliv01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcuKL8-AObgM4vrR9ZEH-DqsaQdufJrOYS7kq_eScCODD4mlKNeJBMshlHMcHmWi1UFc87-U8MW51XTYnLzXwHO9OtBLfB9cl3mhtch6R2gkBsdk0_aRsRkGeWXL6ZRxzU4SOmYPy8HI/s400/gp848971-00vliv01.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I first noticed this model a couple years ago and wrote Gap a big thank you!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT25LgjQ61PJtpoI-um8UuDAH56LrH2Az78KvKGWVTa1ZcQ7dE-L5vAqWCTRceDUJmYt0Xg6YQy3J5SLsIM7iX1rjhronbKvHZf7XCBAIfLIyCsYwVnPh-3hzPac0aJzQMcEuWg_SD-E/s1600/Nordstrom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT25LgjQ61PJtpoI-um8UuDAH56LrH2Az78KvKGWVTa1ZcQ7dE-L5vAqWCTRceDUJmYt0Xg6YQy3J5SLsIM7iX1rjhronbKvHZf7XCBAIfLIyCsYwVnPh-3hzPac0aJzQMcEuWg_SD-E/s400/Nordstrom.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light skinned and still able to embrace her literal roots for Nordstrom. Sweet!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_xWlDpJmtOkoRU1jPkYefTHO3KdtRX9ZR7OwC99v13eqAQcgyaoeFPfvWrKBqbff7Ov56uBDNTv-errekOS2OVJdQjqVQ_yI6ioZd0DCBUrlebSlDwVeDAtFKnL7ScxXxXkx-D5Iugw/s1600/backinstock_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_xWlDpJmtOkoRU1jPkYefTHO3KdtRX9ZR7OwC99v13eqAQcgyaoeFPfvWrKBqbff7Ov56uBDNTv-errekOS2OVJdQjqVQ_yI6ioZd0DCBUrlebSlDwVeDAtFKnL7ScxXxXkx-D5Iugw/s400/backinstock_image.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forever 21 has this fierce model on its front page, though I can't find her actually modeling anything.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Well, catalog world, it's a start! Do any of my readers have more naturally nappy model findings to share?<br />
<br />
-- Shannon Luders-ManuelShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-81881064371596545262011-06-11T20:04:00.000-07:002011-06-18T03:09:03.410-07:00Should you get strabismus surgery?I'm going to deviate from my normal topic for a moment and discuss my rare eye condition, as I know there are others out there like me who look for information about it on the internet. Here's my story, in completely lay terms:<br />
<br />
I was born with Duane's syndrome (my right eye can't look to the right or to the left). I used an eye patch briefly when I was a kid and wore special glasses to help make the eye stronger.<br />
<br />
I was born with both eyes able to look straight ahead when my head was faced straight ahead. As I got older, I had to turn my head increasingly to the left in order for my eyes to line up and work together. If I didn't turn my head, one eye would be focused on the object in front of me and the other would be off doing its own thing. For the most part I didn't notice it. It happened so gradually that it had just become second nature to me. But as you can see, over the years it had become pretty severe:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguywSHf8L11fArjM-jebk21oCutLEwDphYbqyuQ_-Q_cth46_g2qWWH60i-sDAOcXrFk83RmEEpx9SEO9uMQQADo8f93qB-6I3YQGE86vV1tfpOERRpC3cbZroeke8fVGM5LZimB8yTys/s1600/n864450622_7314853_6182551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguywSHf8L11fArjM-jebk21oCutLEwDphYbqyuQ_-Q_cth46_g2qWWH60i-sDAOcXrFk83RmEEpx9SEO9uMQQADo8f93qB-6I3YQGE86vV1tfpOERRpC3cbZroeke8fVGM5LZimB8yTys/s200/n864450622_7314853_6182551.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking "straight ahead"</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I conversed this way, read this way, and even drove this way. A couple years ago I went to a top medical school and had surgery to correct the strabismus. It was a Children's Hospital, as strabismus affects mainly children, but the surgeons there will of course fix the problem at an age. I was put under general anesthesia and my pupils were sutured and pulled into a correct position.<br />
<br />
While I am for the surgery and not against it, here's some information you'll want to know ahead of time to help make your decision and to make sure you have the best recovery possible: <br />
<ul><li>Don't take any Ibuprofen for a week before the surgery as it acts as a blood thinner.</li>
<li>After the sutures are in place, you will be asked to wake up and wait for the anesthesia to wear off, and then the opthamologist adjusts the sutures as necessary.</li>
<li>As you're coming out of the anesthesia, it will take awhile to be able to open your eyes, and if they put a breathing tube down your throat, you may have a hard time talking at first.</li>
<li>If it's too painful to get the sutures adjusted while you're awake, it's possible for the anesthesiologist to put you back under for the surgeon to complete the procedure.</li>
<li>There will be a lot of post-op bleeding (bloody tears) that may take several days to go away. </li>
<li>Your eyes may feel sandpapery for several days.</li>
<li>If the sandpaper feeling doesn't go away after a couple of weeks, you may need to go in to get the exposed end of the suture trimmed, which is not painful.</li>
</ul>While my recovery was more difficult than most, the outcome was definitely worth it. And while it is mostly a cosmetic procedure, insurance does cover it. Or at least it does in some cases... I can only speak for myself! Now that my eyes are aligned, I no longer need 10 and 12-strength prisms. I look invested in the person I'm talking to instead of annoyed or flippant, and I have become a better driver.<br />
<br />
Hope this helps!<br />
<br />
--Shannon Luders-Manuel <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKvs2jd5CBqrR1QOh3RxrVtfDLJYk0KUDkIx58OsoBK9tjqBlm29u6rLXCIV_JsVFtEpsIrQtRVtv3Su7GqVQie8hgA1z1autpHzxrXcauuJqmPUMueyCf8eGOVvrXp9hPJ2nNIp2r1Q/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKvs2jd5CBqrR1QOh3RxrVtfDLJYk0KUDkIx58OsoBK9tjqBlm29u6rLXCIV_JsVFtEpsIrQtRVtv3Su7GqVQie8hgA1z1autpHzxrXcauuJqmPUMueyCf8eGOVvrXp9hPJ2nNIp2r1Q/s200/010.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-op</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-11873174986038720912011-06-07T05:51:00.000-07:002011-06-09T19:57:34.138-07:00The Garnier GirlsIs it just me, or do the women of Garnier Fructis commercials have better hair <i>before</i> they "use the product"? Here is an example, not of one I've seen on TV, but of one I found on youtube:<br />
<br />
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u_Tong0RCDo?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u_Tong0RCDo?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="500" height="390"></object><br />
<br />
We seem to have two parallel trends going on right now in fashion. One is a continuation of straight haired women being pressured to iron their hair even straighter, and the other is a comeback of big hair on the trendsetting platform of the runway. Granted, neither straight hair nor curly hair is better than the other. But in my opinion Garnier would be better off to show women with a lot more distressed hair in their "before" footage. Healthy hair, like a healthy body, should always be the goal no matter what form it comes in.<br />
<br />
Women of the world: let's celebrate our curls!<br />
<br />
--Shannon Luders-ManuelShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-23021581853134220402011-04-30T23:01:00.000-07:002011-05-01T20:26:56.651-07:00I Support Elizabeth SmartThe following article of mine was reprinted without my permission and I don't endorse or support the blogger's theories on Elizabeth Smart:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thefraudulentelizabethsmart.blogspot.com/2010/11/who-is-more-disturbed-gerry-mccann-or.html">Who is more disturbed: Gerry McCann or Ed Smart?<br />
CAPTIVE AMERICA: SMART, ROWLANDSON AND THE COLONIAL SENTIMENT<br />
Shannon Luders-Manuel </a><br />
<br />
I'm posting my statement here because there is no way to contact the blogger or to post comments on her site. Elizabeth, I am so very sorry for what happened to you and that there are those who claim your abduction was all a propagandist scam. My article in no way supports that theory. <br />
<br />
The original can be viewed on Vanderbilt's website, here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ejournals.library.vanderbilt.edu/ojs/index.php/ameriquests/article/viewArticle/149/166">AmeriQuests, Vol 7, No 1 (2010)</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2_bL5kJKYb9e6OidixZF-tdje0clFPd5xLtdCKuexwyWDSw7yDzq8m18NVq4G1-tHUXnG1JB1OJuGVGKMGuxelvPMgw7ZuHNSn0e6395Dc12lmnCmVTP3bTyBWy3SNNQ1ZcTMg2nuZM/s1600/No-mistrial-in-Elizabeth-Smart-case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2_bL5kJKYb9e6OidixZF-tdje0clFPd5xLtdCKuexwyWDSw7yDzq8m18NVq4G1-tHUXnG1JB1OJuGVGKMGuxelvPMgw7ZuHNSn0e6395Dc12lmnCmVTP3bTyBWy3SNNQ1ZcTMg2nuZM/s320/No-mistrial-in-Elizabeth-Smart-case.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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-- Shannon Luders-ManuelShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-26438313762733545862011-04-17T02:00:00.000-07:002011-04-17T16:56:43.137-07:00Big Hair Makes a Comeback on What Not to WearTonight I sat down on the couch in my sweats and watched one of my favorite shows: <a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/what-not-to-wear">What Not to Wear</a>. They've had black women on the show before, but Amanda Rodriguez is one of the only clients I've seen with natural hair. I was nervous for her when it got time for her hair makeover. I was sure the stylist was going to cut off major length and iron her beautiful curls straight, especially since he usually irons even relatively straight hair. I relaxed a little when I saw Ted Gibson pop up on the screen -- the black stylist who has replaced the much loved Nick Arrojo. Normally I prefer Arrojo, but Gibson being black made me hopeful that he would let her keep her god-given curls.<br />
<br />
Not only did Gibson honor my wish, but he actually made her hair <i>bigger</i>. Instead of killing her curls, he used a diffuser, advised her not to shampoo her hair every day, and to use leave-in conditioner. Teri LaFlesh, author of <i><a href="http://www.tightlycurly.com/book/">Curly Like Me</a></i>, says it's best not to use a hair dryer at all (which I don't follow or I seem to have water dripping down my back) and to leave in actual conditioner and not leave-in conditioner (which I do follow and it's made a world of difference). But regardless of slight variations of upkeep and styling, his advice to Rodriguez, which was also advice to the millions of viewers, was a breath of forward thinking fresh air in a behind the times hair world, much like Urban Outfitters <a href="http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/jump/category/WOMENS/index.jsp">high rise jeans</a> that actually look cute <i>and</i> get rid of the 21st century faux pas of female butt crack. But that's another story for another time.<br />
<br />
While I haven't seen every episode of What Not to Wear, I have seen only one other where the stylist made a black woman's hair bigger than it already was. Granted, most of the few black clients who come on the show already have chemically straightened hair, so there is no curl left to work with. Even though I had seen that one previous episode, the one I saw tonight stood out to me more. Maybe because Rodriguez is my age, or has my body, or has my exact hair texture. Maybe it's because, like me, she's a compulsive smiler even when her pet dies. Whatever the reason, the fact that Ted Gibson celebrated her curls, is, for me, a step forward in mainstream culture accepting us curly-haired women just as we are. <br />
<br />
After finishing the show, I broke the cardinal rule and went out to Walgreen's in everything What Not to Wear said not to wear. But hey, it was 1:00 a.m.<br />
<br />
--Shannon Luders-Manuel<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqPU_PpOOI6znSrNRGHDHzK07YxiEyxbJUgPtJEwBLkjqYHmRltQWnN_EBLjE1y3cKaNEg34jAOtz38Qn8LaVFqnXn6AiwrAcpIB_tKT7nF3O3ON6zKv6vA3v94_k-Ij8S8vjAG8sP-A/s1600/amanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqPU_PpOOI6znSrNRGHDHzK07YxiEyxbJUgPtJEwBLkjqYHmRltQWnN_EBLjE1y3cKaNEg34jAOtz38Qn8LaVFqnXn6AiwrAcpIB_tKT7nF3O3ON6zKv6vA3v94_k-Ij8S8vjAG8sP-A/s320/amanda.jpg" /></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-60554629340747734662011-03-01T00:33:00.000-08:002011-06-23T01:55:59.928-07:00The anti-anti-processed hair movement<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_1GxjySXrYN1o2osxbRXgZ-_0YYTOSB0DKTDXKsVazaABVyhGbAV4J9JOuTC1AbDd_nMiu6cHHHAKfvpJx_8-ONQFKjrPXHtCW8Xn8eAYLX5yy1mNX1dtfytu9wTabnBgwYYno2DN9I/s1600/5145_519620110326_35500824_31011770_5139032_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_1GxjySXrYN1o2osxbRXgZ-_0YYTOSB0DKTDXKsVazaABVyhGbAV4J9JOuTC1AbDd_nMiu6cHHHAKfvpJx_8-ONQFKjrPXHtCW8Xn8eAYLX5yy1mNX1dtfytu9wTabnBgwYYno2DN9I/s320/5145_519620110326_35500824_31011770_5139032_n.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rachel Jessica Daniel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In grad school, my friend Rachel sported a magnificent afro. As each year went by the gravity defying circle atop her head grew at an excitingly alarming rate. She prided herself on her natural nappiness with fervor akin to the black is beautiful movement of the 70s. Because of this I was very surprised when Rachel decided to give up her natural fro and sport a long, sleek weave instead. On her facebook page, she stated that black women should not be defined by their hair. Since reading this statement I have come to ponder over her words and develop my own opinion as to the validity and strength behind her statement. My question to myself, and now to you the readers is: Is defining ourselves by natural hair just as restricting as our predecessors who defined theirs by their ability to make their hair behave?<br />
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I myself admit that I am guilty of judging black women who keep their hair in what I term to be the self-oppression mirrored to us by white society. I wonder how these women can perpetuate the notion that our hair must be sleek and shiny in order to fit into Caucasian society. I want these women to caste off the shackles of hair slavery and create new lives for themselves dictated by their own definition of what is beautiful. So when I read Rachel's words, I automatically felt that her new position had let me down. How could someone so dedicated to the cause just give up like that? How could she turn her back on us and call <i>us </i>women who define ourselves by our hair?<br />
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But do we, as biracial women, perhaps use our belief in the beauty of natural hair in a way that undermines our more fully black sisters with kinkier manes? Just as people come in all colors, so does hair come in all textures, and those of us who have one parent with straighter, sleeker hair are of course bound to have looser, spirally curls. And many of us biracial women--myself among them--are on the front lines of supporting mixed race marriages which, while natural, is a choice to step outside of the more socially acceptable mores of one's race.<br />
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And going one step further, perhaps claiming that only natural hair is beautiful is just as limiting and dangerous to black expression as saying that only weaves or chemical treatments are. After all, my decision to go natural coincided with a decision to adorn myself with a nose ring, painted fingernails, and makeup -- all anti-natural modes of self-representation. Sure, all those things are supposed to enhance natural beauty, but they in and of themselves are not natural. So why is altering one's hair any less socially acceptable? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Hearing my friend Rachel's words hasn't changed the way I want to do my hair, but it has challenged my quick judgments against other women for their own hair choices. Perhaps the freedom to go natural and the freedom to alter comes from the same place: namely, the freedom to make one's own choices. I have to admit that when I do get my wonderful curls ironed straight for a haircut, I'm blown away by how sleek and shiny my own hair looks and I revel in being able to do the things other girls do, like tuck my hair behind my ears or run my fingers through it without it frizzing up. I love my curls too much to straighten them permanently or add a weave, but now I won't beat myself up at getting a blow out every now and then. After all, those with naturally straight hair don't question their race loyalty when they take out the curling iron. Yes, Rachel, our hair does not define us. Our power comes from the knowledge that we can make our own hair choices, and create our own unique looks and be whoever we want to be.<br />
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--Shannon Luders-Manuel <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9PogNFUnI16qWreUa95ZQExVe02XF-SDFbxor1qSn2DJtTzExUBp67c0aWAcmRdwKiLhmMJTmORXI8jmst-DgCaPR2MyoRXwAuQpvTCOdoGBHyZrimxeWDuy1MO3AxIbGKOqow6_sc0/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9PogNFUnI16qWreUa95ZQExVe02XF-SDFbxor1qSn2DJtTzExUBp67c0aWAcmRdwKiLhmMJTmORXI8jmst-DgCaPR2MyoRXwAuQpvTCOdoGBHyZrimxeWDuy1MO3AxIbGKOqow6_sc0/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfndNOB0Mo-omMUj-EI5Hzl9ONqdZCptPzEvwAasHj6X5lfK5V2QBNLJN28LH-4IrBMd6t3Mfn7tUPiLU80w_fAiIGAdThLWLbAvSUSdIrDXoYabHRNXYD_F8KwFqePxvnLH0Gpk1mC0/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfndNOB0Mo-omMUj-EI5Hzl9ONqdZCptPzEvwAasHj6X5lfK5V2QBNLJN28LH-4IrBMd6t3Mfn7tUPiLU80w_fAiIGAdThLWLbAvSUSdIrDXoYabHRNXYD_F8KwFqePxvnLH0Gpk1mC0/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Set...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-NNQOurBilV_V29wwstpgy3b1DMohNwL9pOzNHSDbLrEiuQI2S7WVt9cCwmFxzVNkr0i3vKA1Wx3DgCwnHxoA4hE1ijLDVJXuarylOu5gjq1C8UDZ-WJImEM-RdcWbAhbockFXkg4Ew/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-NNQOurBilV_V29wwstpgy3b1DMohNwL9pOzNHSDbLrEiuQI2S7WVt9cCwmFxzVNkr0i3vKA1Wx3DgCwnHxoA4hE1ijLDVJXuarylOu5gjq1C8UDZ-WJImEM-RdcWbAhbockFXkg4Ew/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-72287281821878322252011-02-15T16:11:00.000-08:002011-03-01T15:37:54.266-08:00From Pullman Porter Grandpa to Conductor MeThanks to Teri LaFlesh, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Like-Me-Healthy-Strong/dp/047053642X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297814900&sr=8-1">Curly Like Me</a>, my blog has gotten new followers and a tighter focus, namely, that wonderful thing called biracial hair and the beautiful women who sport it. Soon I will interview Teri, who was kind enough to feature my hair on her blog with a link to mine. Right now, however, I want to simply offer up a bit of firsthand advice based on her haircare system.<br />
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Because of Teri, I now braid my hair every night to keep the curls healthy and contained. No more dry combing and ruining my ends with tugs and pulls. On days when I don't go out, I often like to leave the braids in. And, lets face it, sometimes even when I <i>do </i>go out I like to leave them in, instead of running palmfuls of water and rubbing conditioner through my huge mane. This is especially true when my day only consists of picking up a prescription at the drug store or buying a carton of milk.<br />
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Since I most often make six braids -- three on each side of my head -- I can't just walk out of the house with my hair as is. No one wants to look like Medusa while they're standing in line at the store. A couple months ago I tried on a "conductor hat", almost as a joke, but realized right away how fabulous it looked on me. That $14 purchase is now one of the smartest I've made. I simply pull the hat over my head and viola!, Not only do I look put together, I look fabulously stylish. An excellent replacement for my ghetto-looking bandannas. (Hey, I'm not knocking the ghetto... I used to live in East Side San Jose!) I recommend such a look to all the biracial ladies out there. Who says we have to be tied down by our hair?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMmWUoyLV9_RsA2bSINmB7TlOot3TTXqiszqUDtUnubqmauu5nXQaZskG2kGaF-MDLPyPNuV8nkL79AupYJu_vwZLlKPCYhoY9P8qe6IzQlFxIfEOzpt8I5cIjZ0qXVSxLZ9Qlsu7qxg/s1600/Snapshot_20110124_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMmWUoyLV9_RsA2bSINmB7TlOot3TTXqiszqUDtUnubqmauu5nXQaZskG2kGaF-MDLPyPNuV8nkL79AupYJu_vwZLlKPCYhoY9P8qe6IzQlFxIfEOzpt8I5cIjZ0qXVSxLZ9Qlsu7qxg/s320/Snapshot_20110124_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Target doesn't have this particular hat anymore, but here is a similar style:<br />
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<a href="http://www.target.com/Threads-Loose-Knit-Hat-Brim/dp/B002B7RC7O/ref=br_1_7?ie=UTF8&id=Threads%20Loose%20Knit%20Hat%20Brim&node=13913591&searchSize=30&searchView=grid5&searchPage=1&sr=1-7&qid=1297814593&rh=&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchRank=salesrank&frombrowse=1">Target Knit Cap</a><br />
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I know I'm not the first to realize the awesomeness of these hats, but if you're as slow to find fashion as I am, maybe this will help you along.<br />
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--Shannon Luders-ManuelShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-88940084670090403152010-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:002011-03-01T15:38:28.583-08:00Hello, World<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_Fzdx6pT7rN5evSldXv-yX5h6H1BN_m8itlViWmTfQydKhKComWjkmEVcPcd8z9bH2mEQzlXr8nAI7N4eJN6AEjXxHuR0Zrez-7EUYhc7-T6cJ559gEtlbeFpo6y0RpAK8ZJ509kA04/s1600/11117582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_Fzdx6pT7rN5evSldXv-yX5h6H1BN_m8itlViWmTfQydKhKComWjkmEVcPcd8z9bH2mEQzlXr8nAI7N4eJN6AEjXxHuR0Zrez-7EUYhc7-T6cJ559gEtlbeFpo6y0RpAK8ZJ509kA04/s200/11117582.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>I haven't written much lately because I've been working on an anonymous blog, and because I'm suffering from "stage fright" with this one. When I began my online journey, at <a href="http://www.shannonluders.com/">www.shannonluders.com</a>, I was fresh out of college with a stack of newspaper columns under my belt. A friend had been pressuring me to get a website for years, and I had finally assented, because I finally had something worthwhile to say to the masses. That website is defunct now with no way of updating it due to a stolen computer, so a couple years ago I started this blog, not so much as a way to <i>blog</i>, but as a place to link all my outside articles into one destination. Now that these articles are being published in such professional places, getting my name out there into cyberspace, I'm a bit at odds about what I want this actual blog reel to be. Type my name into google, and you'll find a plethora of pages, and with my hyphenated name, there is only one me. I now face the moment in my professional career where I withhold my last name from people I date until I'm ready for them to have access to my public persona. And as an almost-graduated, now long-distance student who's laying low until the next phase of her career starts, there's really not a whole lot to share.<br />
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So until I figure out the next stage, peace out to all my beautiful readers. The future awaits.<br />
<br />
--Shannon Luders-ManuelShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1320831103726849263.post-23679660466865276482010-03-11T06:07:00.000-08:002011-03-01T15:39:03.649-08:00Flaunt What You've Got<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-YVyVgaWc-EIFMLPrpjS4Subeo1e0kZE7l_nrOjMzUPQQNyAoHdKrOeVDPjIvqdNcQkBiMXk8cYghyphenhyphenHiW7sr6mkXR5hzwiOYTvuNFSoISfKu8LhQSo3vj11uUcjMOX9dbyaPw1OEW1Y/s1600-h/cw-at14-prt-gabrielle_063331-9ef445-281x374.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448802174124156674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-YVyVgaWc-EIFMLPrpjS4Subeo1e0kZE7l_nrOjMzUPQQNyAoHdKrOeVDPjIvqdNcQkBiMXk8cYghyphenhyphenHiW7sr6mkXR5hzwiOYTvuNFSoISfKu8LhQSo3vj11uUcjMOX9dbyaPw1OEW1Y/s200/cw-at14-prt-gabrielle_063331-9ef445-281x374.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 150px;" /></a><br />
After two hairstylists turning away my naturally curly hair in Amherst, Massachusetts, I've returned to the West coast and found someone who shapes, snips, and shampoos my hair fearlessly. She and the manager ooh and ahh, asking if they can touch my corkscrew splendor. The stylist gives it fresh layers, which no one had done since I moved to the East coast three years ago, and at the end of the appointment she actually invites me to return.<br />
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What is it between East coast and West? It's not a matter of town versus city, for I found my life-changing hairstylist in a little town in Oregon. Maybe it's a West coast celebration of working with what you've got instead of trying to be someone you're not. Or maybe it's just the luck of finding gems in an industry that doesn't learn how to embrace black hair in its natural fashion.<br />
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Today was Ty-Over day on Top Model. As always, a number of girls came out of the salon with extensions. I understand the workings of the modeling industry, but as she is a proud black woman, I wish that Tyra could impart a proudness of black hair in all its frizzy glory. Sure, modeling is all about adopting a persona, but maybe if Tyra let the girls be nappy they would be more happy and not tear each other to pieces every cycle in the model house.<br />
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March (or late February) also marked the month of Chris Rock's "Good Hair" documentary on DVD. Just as Indian women work in (I assume sweat shop) factories to provide our provocative Victoria's Secret underwear, those same women have their heads shaved in religious ceremonies, and, unbeknownst to them, have that precious hair sold on the "black market" in America. Black women cherish these weaves as if they were cherished poodles. The weaves do just as much for their social status as the pets do to "celebutants" in New York and L.A. But poodles poop, and hair comes off, and what are we left with? The adornment of another creature's precious locks.<br />
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There is a biracial model by the name of Gabrielle on this cycle of Top Model, who actually entered the competition with her own hair, and got to keep that same hair after the Tyover. While her hair is dyed, yes, each strand is actually her own. It falls about her face in curly ringlets that are just a little bit out of hand. My cousin calls her look angelic. I call it a breath of fresh air.<br />
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--Shannon Luders-ManuelShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04924980119673941843noreply@blogger.com1