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Earlier this month fellow BlogHer CE Kim Pearson wrote about the importance of Black History Month. She believes it provides the opportunity to retain and enhance the cultural significance of African-American history that everyone benefits from during the month-long celebration. While in theory I agree with her, the older I get, the more I wonder if it does any good. I don't think people are learning. Here is an example.
Last weekend I saw Chris Rock’s Good Hair. This was a free screening as part of Toronto’s Black History Month activities. What compelled me to go was the panel discussion taking place right after the documentary in which black salon owners would be sharing their observations. I loved the documentary, and for the most part, laughed my ass off. While I was still uncomfortable that a male comedian (whose wife is a big fan of the lace front) chose to combat a delicate subject, I enjoyed it.
The panel discussion consisted of two Toronto-based prominent black hair salon owners (the third panelist, who runs a natural hair care salon, didn’t show up). The questions that were posed were not that deep, but it was interesting how the owners answered the questions. To make a long story short, both panelists lied, not-so skillfully avoiding pointed questions or replying with answers like, “I’ve never even heard of that term, 'nappy.'”
Based on previous experience getting my hair done at one of their salons, I did not believe their assurances that every client gets a full consultation before her appointment and that they would never, ever perform a procedure that would damage a client’s hair.
Interestingly enough, both salon owners have reputations for being rip-off artists who run disorganized, overpriced salons. When questioned about how realistic the documentary was, they pointedly avoided the social implications and seemed more concerned about the percentage of lye in each bottle of relaxer.
They were not concerned with or interested in discussion of the more socially impacting elements of the film -- like the unsettling emotional attachment black women had to their hair pieces -- and went out of their way to avoid the issue. Neither the moderator nor the panelists wanted to discuss that a good portion of the hair sold in North America for human hair extensions comes from impoverished women in India –- granted, some of it is sold after it has been shorn in religious ceremonies, but there is also a thriving black market in which women have their hair "stolen" while sleeping or sitting in a darkened movie theatre. No one wanted to look at the fact that while the black hair industry is a billion-dollar business, hardly any of that money goes back into black communities.
And no one asked the question, "Why are black women getting our hair straightened, spending our money on weaves and wigs to conform to a beauty standard that we will never really achieve?" Based on John Mayer’s remarks about black female beauty, it seems like a fruitless attempt to make ourselves appealing for a world that doesn’t really give a shit about us.
A week earlier, I saw social / political activist Angela Davis speak. The crowd, primarily white, was rapt with attention, yet the two young black girls who sat beside me were too busy texting, chatting and surreptitiously taking pictures on their phones using flash –- even though the audience was explicitly told that no photos were to be taken. When the flash went off and irritated people turned around, the girls would duck down in their seats. This went on for duration of the 45-minute talk. I wanted to ask them if they knew how fortunate they were to even be able to hear this woman speak.
What bothered me about those irritations is not the spirit of Black History Month, but the cavalier attitude that my generation and younger generations seem to have towards it. The events that are put on in Toronto seem to be more focused on showcasing the same group of struggling black artists via meaningless talent shows (at least throw in some negro spirituals, please). That they constantly focus on the same issues (black/black relationships, interracial relationships, the importance of Martin Luther King, hip-hop and of course, Caribbean cooking) shows that the organizers either do not know anything about contemporary black culture or are too lazy to care.
But what is worse is that
