American'S Are Against Locs Braids And Natural Hair? || Michelle Obama Shares Her Experience.

Too often when black people white people non-black Brown, whatever people are having this conversation, sometimes the arguments that are posed is that we are in this post-racial society. That hair is not that big of a deal habits of the past are somehow just up the past and they're, not something that we deal with on a huge or a large scale. This statement seems to imply otherwise all right. What'S good YouTube TP locks here, bringing you guys another video today? Yes, I've got a very interesting video for you all today, shell Obama, basically confirming that America is not ready for black hairstyles. If you're interested in that video stay tuned per usual. If you have not done so already, please hit that like And subscribe button right now. If you have hit that like And subscribe button, definitely want to make sure you hit that notification Bell to stay notified on all the posts. The moment I post all right you guys this video was very important for me because I think within the lock Community, we get into a lot of arguments about firming the black experience, particularly when we're talking about whether or not black people or white people should have Locks or people of other races should have locks. I think the Divide oftentimes comes from the lack of understanding of the black experience. I think this example with Michelle Obama provide a very real and reasonable example of this that I think we can all sort of understand and hopefully empathize with. Let'S get into the article. This article comes from the Washington Post. Michelle Obama says Americans weren't ready for her natural black hair. She wanted to wear braids but said she straightened her hair as the U.S adjusted to a black first lady right out of the gate before we get into the meat of the article there's some things that very clearly stand out. The adjustment to a black first lady and a black president far too often when black people white people, non-black Brown, whatever people are having this conversation. Sometimes the arguments that are posed is that we are in this post-racial society. That hair is not that big of a deal habits of the past are somehow just up the past and they're, not something that we deal with on a huge or a large scale. This statement seems to imply otherwise the notion that there is a very real resistance and oftentimes. A negative response to Blackness is sort of being affirmed within the first couple sentences of this article, and I just think that's interesting, okay comment below. If you have any thoughts. First, Lady, Michelle Obama considered wearing her hair in braids while living in the white house, but then she thought of the American people. They were just getting adjusted to having a black president in the Oval Office and and a black family in the White House would have been easier to keep her hair and braids Obama said, but nope they're not ready for it. She added recalling her thinking at the time. As a result, she sacrificed doing her hair as she would have liked, so her husband's Administration can focus on achieving its goals instead of sinking political Capital into putting onto a hairstyle-induced firestorm. Let me keep my hair straight. Obama said of her mindset at the time: let's get this Health Care passed, those you guys who remember the Obama presidency and Obama just coming into office. We know all of the xenophobia all the racism that he dealt with. They were mad at this brother because he was wearing tan suits. They wanted to see his birth certificate. It was Osama bin Laden's crony, like he was being called the Antichrist. All of these things for a lot of you guys out there you're saying well, he was elected twice by the American people. The electorate did not fail him. The system did not fail him. He was elected. Isn'T that a bigger story? Absolutely, I think, that's a huge story and it's telling for where we are and how we progressed as a nation, but I think it's very important to understand that there are two realities that exist. Two things can be simultaneously true. It can be true that we've made progress, but it's also very important to understand. There are places where we have not progressed, and this would be an example of that. In my opinion, when we're having these conversations, I think it's very important to affirm those moving forward. But again, that's just me all right, but let's continue on with the article Obama said her dilemma was an extreme example of the decisions black women make daily to navigate the politics and sensibilities of their workplaces. They often find it easier, healthier and safer to wear braids, dreadlocks or afros, but feel the pressure from White beauty, standards and workplace Norms to chemically straighten their hair for a more professional clean-cut appearance. We deal with it. The whole thing about. Do you show up with your natural hair Obama said that previous statement eliminates the ability for anybody to be able to say well bro, it's just hair, it's just hair. Why are you guys making such a big deal? Why are you trying to keep hair? Why are you reacting so emotionally about your hair, because for centuries, black women, specifically right we're talking about black women in a sentence have had to deal with respectability? Politics that have made not only their hair styles seem unprofessional, but they're, very hair textures. Quite often, we do cast negative aspersions on those black women for trying to maintain those natural styles. A lot of arguments out there that will you know assume that this is just a practical. You know manifestation of capitalism and businesses acting within their best interest, but we have to look at the history to acknowledge where a lot of those rules and stipulations have stemmed from, and I do think in reading this and hearing from these people, it should be reasonable For us to assert that no hair is not just hair hair has some very real political ramifications for some people and not all. Let'S continue attitudes about natural black hairstyles such as braids and dreadlocks have shifted. Earlier this year, the house passed the crown act, legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on someone's hairstyle, including those in which the hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled locks cornrows twist braids, bantu knots and afros. Although the bill stalled in the Senate, Alaska in September became the 19th state to pass legislation to protect black people from being punished or how they wear their hair. California'S original Crown act which stands for creating a respectful and open world for natural hair passed in 2019.. Here is an example of progress that we're making 19 states have acknowledged the crown act and believe that that change should be made moving forward, but of these 50 states that we have. That is 31 states that have not so just keep that in mind. Obviously, there'll be more states that make this change hopefully moving forward, but just understand we're not even in a space where the majority of the states can get this bill passed, and all this bill is asking for is the uplifting of discrimination based on hair, we're not At a place place where all 50 states can agree on that. So just please keep that in mind. Yes, there's progress, but there's plenty more to be had if you have a legitimate reason why dreadlocks or natural braid hairstyles should be prohibited in the workplace. Please leave them in the comment section below now. Let'S continue the article, despite growing acceptance of naturally warm black hair stories about hair based discrimination pop up regularly. In 2018, a six-year-old black boy was blocked from attending the first day of school because he wore locks below his ears later that year, a referee forced a black high school wrestler to cut his dreadlocks before letting him compete, and in 2019 a television reporter said her News director told her that her natural hair was unprofessional and pressured her to change it to what looks best quote unquote. There are a bunch of anecdotes at this point about locks, just not being welcome in society. You can go to private schools where they're not allowing kids to go to school. Look at these wrestling examples there's just plenty examples at this point and again the article didn't really need to share them for me, but for those you guys who often question doing the big dealness again more examples: okay, let's continue into Hearts the founder of career development Company for women of color told the Washington Post in 2019 about a conversation she had with a white Headhunter, bemoaning her struggles to recruit black women to become corporate directors. When Hart asked her whether she would be more comfortable with a black executive who wore a ponytail or a natural hairstyle like afro, the woman opted for a clean-cut ponytail. These unconscious and conscious biases keep us from even having the opportunity to have a seat at the table. We haven't even had the chance to introduce ourselves and there are via's assumptions about unprofessionalism heartset at the time. I'Ll be honest with you, I wear my hair straight. Probably 99 of the time, because of being in Corporate America, I've seen how clients who have braids and natural hairstyles can be looked upon. It'S very important to point out these biases, because you are able to see the bigger picture of how these biases can sort of affect the disparity of outcomes for certain individuals. I also think this is very telling, because so often black women will be getting just this toxicity about what are y'all mad about people wearing locks and braid styles and y'all out here wearing weeds. Clearly, we can see that in order to progress in this country, even at the very top level for someone as accomplished as Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama is literally the most pedigreed accomplished, educated first, ladies, we have ever seen to the point that Michelle Obama could probably run A pretty competitive presidential campaign in her own right she could literally probably be a pretty viable Democratic candidate right now that woman was discouraged by her hair. She felt like she needed to wear straight hair just to accomplish what she needed to accomplish in her role as a first lady. She ain't the president, just the first lady she felt like she would hinder her husband's ability to do what he needed to do because of her hair, the people that are still trying to bemoan black women for wearing weave. Obviously, there are some women, some people, that abuse weave extensions and all those things, but we have to acknowledge the foundation for them even looking at that as an option as a country generally speaking, we're not even ready for them to walk up into a room with Afros we're not if you're saying that we are, it's still only 19 States, that's really really about it. So, let's just legitimize some of these experiences moving forward. Okay, let me finish the article on Tuesday Obama discussed her hairstyle Choice as sitting first lady with Ellen DeGeneres, who moderated the sold out event after citing the 2014 uproar over her husband's tan suit Obama imagined The Fallout if she had changed her hairstyle remember when she Wore braids those are terrorist braids. Those are revolutionary, braids Obama said assuming the role of her critics nearly six years removed from the White House. Obama is now wearing braids, something she showed off in the middle of her talk with the generous by grabbing her hair and interjecting braids y'all flaws from the crowd. That is where the article ends. What'S crazy about Michelle Obama's experience was Not only was she catching hell because of the braid. She was catching hell for how she looked that people thought she was manly. You know there was a Senator if I'm not mistaken. That said that she was a man or called her or likened her to an ape I'll, find the exact thing that kind of happened. She ended up getting in trouble for that. Her experience as a black woman was terrible specifically because she was black and there's a lot of people that will argue that until they're blue in the face. Just to argue the point that we are at this post-racial Society. Where we don't have these problems. And if we do have these problems, it's just a small cult following of people that are still upholding them and maintaining them, nothing that has any real implications on black people in real life right. Do we have someone who has done everything right in terms of the quote-unquote American dream? They come from a two-parent background. They went to college Ivy League at the highest level. They devoted their life to public service and now find them cells at their highest level. Still dealing with racial microaggression, hopefully we can take this anecdote as an example of how much of a conversation, this still is. If a black man and a black woman at the highest level are still receiving the type of microaggressions that they're receiving, simply for being black. Simply for trying to wear their natural hair, we have to add more legitimacy. To this conversation, we have to be more empathetic, we have to be more understanding and we have to use all of that to bridge the gap. If we keep stalling there, then we're not going to be able to build that bridge, because we have perspectives that don't lend any Credence to one another that aren't able to concede to any reasonable points. America is not ready for a president with locks. America is not ready for a president with an afro. America is not ready for a president with braids got ta be honest about that, and we have to be honest with why that is the case. No more disingenuous arguments, no more trying to delegitimize the side. That'S trying to explain their experience; let's just take it for what it is, so we can move forward. Hopefully this video helped with someone's understanding today. I hope that if you were a person that came into it watching and you weren't empathetic, you became empathetic. I hope, if you've been having this conversation, you continue to have it. I just hope that this helps, if not obviously, I'm going to continue to do my job to try to help. This is something that we're going to continue to deal with, and I hope that we find positive ways to do so. If you guys enjoyed this leave your comments below it's TP locksm. What is going on you already know it's your boy. Backpack beats! If you like, the music on my homie tp's Channel, definitely come over to my channel. I got more of these. I'M making beats every week. I'M also DJing every week for the no more free beat show so definitely make sure you stay tuned in got a lot of stuff popping. I appreciate everybody. Who'S been coming from tp's Channel as well, I'm almost at a thousand subscribers. So I really appreciate y'all for coming through showing love it's nothing, but a community over here for real. We got the double Vibes, so definitely stay tuned to what we doing on TV Channel make sure you stay tuned to what I'm doing on my channel also, and it's going to be Fire Man. Dope beats Dope music dope Vibes appreciate y'all peace,