Revolutionary Greetings The article of Cde Hope is accurate and well crafted during this Cultural month. I recalled an article that I once read from Elder Kgalushi Koka ( African Ancestor) about 'run away from self 'syndrome that emerged in the late 1960's and also in the early 1990's, persons such as the late wacko jacko, felicia mabuza-suttle, and patti labella, also tried to fake their indentity. Another annoying tendecies from African people is when you wear dreadlocks - their all associated it with uncleaness and madness hence the then apartheid regime passed draconial laws on our human dignity and personality. Dreadlocks simply means, dreadful and that our wool hair are natural and strong. This fake hair that our African Sisters are wearing is indeed a betrayal to our african indentity and a praise to western indentity. Uhuru Gideon Sipho Mantula
--- On Thu, 9/30/10, Dominic.Tweedie <[email protected]> wrote: From: Dominic.Tweedie <[email protected]> Subject: [YCLSA Discussion] Hair To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010, 9:01 AM African-hair identity Hope Mankwana Papo, Letters, Business Day, Johannesburg, 30 September 2010 Following a long, protracted struggle for freedom, in the era of the African renaissance and transformation and retracing of our suppressed and lost identity, why are some of the black African people dumping their natural African hair and trying to look like Asian and white women through long artificial hair and wigs? This is contrasted by a very small number, if any, of Asian and white women who want to have their hair look like that of black women. Some black people even sport long blonde hair. What really motivates these hairstyles? What is the difference between these hairstyles and the mentality which motivated the misguided and colonially inspired use of the abominable skin lighteners in the ’70s and ’80s? Some people argue that they have a choice and can afford to do all sorts of things with their African hair. Granted, but I think this choice has to be exercised and informed by available hairstyle options, which retain the essence of who we are as Africans and an understanding of the terrible apartheid history of being called monkeys, baboons, barbarians and not being good at anything. This choice has to be informed by the humiliating and racist practice of the pencil test through the texture of the hair, to see if a person was a black African or a coloured. Did we struggle for some African people to consciously and unconsciously ridicule our rich African identity? Does freedom mean always having to conform to the practices of other people? Should we accept silly arguments that people feel uncomfortable with their African hair? Is mimicking some of the mannerisms of some of the African-Americans, influenced by an inferiority complex, correct? We cannot talk big about being African when we cannot deal with basic things which are within our control, such as our attitude to some of our natural attributes like hair. It is a recorded historical fact that African people contributed immensely to human civilisation. Does changing our hair to look like the natural hair of Asian and white people enhance this history? While issues such as health, education, fighting crime and corruption, rural development, creating decent work and poverty eradication are important to continue addressing, we cannot do that outside the context of understanding who we are and our background as Africans. As we part with the September Heritage month, we should ask whether we are ashamed of our African identity. Being African is an important aspect of building a nonracial SA. Hope Mankwana Papo Johannesburg From: http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=122366 -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
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