Hair Tutorials inspired by Traditional African Styles

February 1st is approaching which marks Black History Month (even though I believe the study of our history should be a 365 day endeavor). Anywho, because BHM is upon us I wanted to start making hair tutorials which are inspired by traditional African hairstyles. Below is the first part of my Cinnamon Bun Crown Updo tutorial. I hope to share more with you lovely ladies in the future. Don't forget to visit my channel AFROSTORY to watch the second part to this video.

As always,
Stay blessed :) 

Our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti need Our Help

Hello Ladies,

Just wanted to thank you guys for following the site. I haven't spent as much time blogging as I probably should. However, since this is a great way to network with folks, I really want to do what I can in spreading the word about relief efforts in Haiti. Now I'll be honest, I don't believe every relief effort has good intentions. That's why I'll only post specific ones that I believe will bring the money and resources to our people. Here's a few tips to better determine if a relief effort is reputable:

• Do they offer transparency in regards to how money or resources is dispensed?
• Do they have insider cooperation?
• Do they have an underlying agenda or are they linked to larger companies or services that get a "cut?"
• What is their track record for organization and proficiency in response to mass disasters?
• What do the people they help have to say about their services?

I decided to support The Yele Foundation because it passed the above checklist with flying colors. When you can, please visit http://www.yele.org/ to learn more about Wyclef Jean's Foundation. There you can make a donation or you can visit the wonderful blog http://www.clumpsofmascara.com/. There a donate button for the Yele Foundation will enable you to make a contribution.

If y'all don't know by now, I consider myself a part of the global African community. I am a firm believer in the Kwanzaa principle of Ujima --(Collective Work and Responsibility). I believe in order to build and maintain our community together, we must know that our brother's and sister's problems are our problems, and no matter where we are in the African Diaspora, we must solve them together.

The man of my life's family is from Haiti and my cousin's family resides there as well. Please pray a special prayer for them. Love you all and many blessings to you and your family.

Remember ladies, within all of us is a story. Black women we must tell ours or no one else will.

Avatar Revisted

Okay folks. As much as I love the Avatar movie, I can't avoid the different perspectives out there. If y'all are keeping up with the buzz (maybe I'm the only sci-fi junkie out there) then you've heard about the "White Messiah" theme in the movie. Now as much as I was enamored and still am with Avatar, I can't avoid talking about this theme. If I had to point out a weakness in the film, that I majorly ignored in my first blog, the white messiah theme would definitely be it.

But from a writer's standpoint, how would characterization and narrative structure change? The Na'Vi would fight the humans, a war against two species? I could see that. However, if I want to play devil's advocate, perhaps James Cameron did not want the invaders to be generalized by everyone being depicted as evil? Perhaps by one of them having a redeeming quality, he thought it could give his movie an added layer of complexity. Or is the message something else, and age-old punchline we've been forced to hear a million times?

To be honest with y'all, the white messiah theme definitely slipped my mind not after seeing the movie once but twice. Now that my eyes have been opened to it, I have to re-evaluate how I feel about the movie. Was that an underlying and covert message all along for us to subconsciously process? Or was I too deaf, blind, and dumb to see what was smacking me in the face all along?

Y'all be the judge.

Peace and stay blessed...

Hair Products: The Good and The Bad

There are numerous products out there marketed to women of color. Hair serums guaranteed to make our hair grow, conditions that promise to treat our damaged hair, and shampoos that supposedly give our hair the shine we've always wanted are some examples. Since I started my natural hair journey (last relaxer May 2007) I have questioned the promises many hair care products have on their labels.

I am a firm believer that as black women we should be skeptical of products made by people who do not know a thing about our hair. We live in a new era; there is a resurgence of black female entrepreneurs who like Madame C. J. Walker are creating hair care products for us. However, these women are raising the bar and creating hair care products for our natural hair using natural ingredients. It can't get better than that.

Here are a few quick tips that have worked for me when deciding on hair products:

Read the labels. If you cannot pronounce the ingredients, more than likely there may be things in the product that are not good for your hair.

Avoid Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Mineral Oil. One of the two most common chemicals found in hair care products. They're very drying and strip the hair of its natural moisture.

Sistah Support. Research hair products created by women of color. Kinky Curly, Carol's Daughter, and Miss Jessie's are some examples.

Cost Efficient. If all natural hair care products seem too expensive, look for hair products that are cost effective that minimize damage to your hair.

Experiment. I love ramsacking my pantry and refrigerator for everyday household products that I can mix together and use on my hair. Remember you know your hair best, so do what works for you.

 Until next time ladies remember:

Within every black woman is a story, if she never tells it, you'll never know the woman. So black women tell your story or no one else will.

Peace and Stay Blessed!

Loving the Natural Me Part 1

Hello Ladies!

In this video I get personal and talk about how I once struggled to love my body image. The events that led up to me going natural put an end to that struggle. To view the second part of this series please visit my channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AFR0ST0RY.

Thanks for watching and stay blessed :)