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Thanks to my new friend, I am now in the loop of amazing African-centered events in the Richmond area. Friday, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Cornel West at Virginia Union University’s The Forum on Religion and the Contemporary World! His lecture was titled LIVING AND LOVING OUT LOUD
Who is Dr. Cornel West you ask?
Cornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, and civil rights activist. West currently serves as the Class of 1943 University Professor at Princeton University, where he teaches in the Center for African American Studies and in the department of Religion.
West is known for his combination of political and moral insight and criticism, and his contribution to the post-1960s civil rights movement.
The bulk of his work focuses upon the role of race, gender, and class in American society and the means by which people act and react to their “radical conditionedness.” West draws intellectual contributions from such diverse traditions as the African American Baptist Church, pragmatism and transcendentalism.(1)
As I sat in the lecture, I took a few notes…
Expelled from School
Dr. West described himself as a young gangster. In his youth, he was kicked out of the 3rd grade for punching a teacher! He knew of his uncle that was lynched, and wrapped in the US flag. His teacher asked him to stand, and solute the flag. When he refused, his teacher slapped him, and he retaliated. Although he was blessed with a full loving family, he still had lots of rage. He explains his past “gangster” mentality is a form of rage.
As a child, braids were the norm. Little Black girls had cornrows. My mom didn’t like beads. Instead she laced my hair with colorful yarn (short lived style of the 80s).
Naturally.Elemental brought to my attention a story of a young girl. A young girl who believes she was attacked because of her braids. This is almost as ludicrous as the teacher who cut off a student’s braid. I am sure we don’t know the entire story, but the concept of being attached because of a hair style is an interesting one. Click ‘Read More’ for the video.
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“I was tired of black sistas feeling subject to having their hair pressed and straightened, and damaged with relaxers, and heat.
So I wanted to make short and nappy hair fashionable, and let the industry know that there is nothing wrong with the texture that we have been born with. So I plan to grow it out to the big beautiful nappy hair that I have.”
~Chrisette Michele
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Ms. Simone ordered a Kinnks Tee and we got to electronic talking! I quickly learned about her hustle selling jewelry on Naturally.Elemental! I got a few pairs myself, I’ll have to post my pics!She sounds like a kool mom too cause she’s sending her son to Japan! Anyway, please give a warm Kinnks welcome to Ms. Simone!! She shares her story of her BC below…
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Monday, June 14, 1993, 9:15 am: “Ma, can you watch Jay for an hour. I have an errand to run.”
“Sure.”
Ten minutes later I was standing the main workroom of the local beauty college explaining that I had one inch of new grow and I needed the 10 inches of relaxed hair shaved off. I needed the best student in the class to do it. I handed the girl my $10.00 and smiled.
“What?”
“I want my head shaved please. I want nothing on my head when she’s done but the one inch of new growth.”
After a hushed consultation in the back of the room and the instructor looking over her glasses at me to see if she could determine if I was intoxicated, a student was found, I was seated and apparently, I was the impromptu lesson for the day.
