#ghetto hairstyles

[jenntastic10]

Fulani Braids 💆🏽‍♀️🎀🐴

[hello-manii]

Happy new years 💕🤎

[faithloss]

💜 new album october 31st 💜

[creatingblackcharacters]

"It takes HOW LONG?" Black Hair is an Art (pt.2)

(This is part two of the hair lessons, focusing on writing/narratives. If you want to know how the styles LOOK, refer to part 1 and its addendum)

Now that you know what our hair actually looks like, we’re going to discuss incorporating that into your writing (original fic, fanfic, webcomics, anything with a narrative). You don’t HAVE to give us a dissertation on "how you studied 'The Black People’s Hair'" in your story. That’s not what I’m asking you to do. I’m just asking you to CONSIDER the effort and existence of it. The same way you put effort into discussing nonblack hair textures? Should be the sort of tenderness and care you put into discussing ours. It does not stand to reason that I have read thousands of stories describing "the silky, black/blonde tresses/waves that fell down their pale back as their lover ran their fingers through them", but Black readers have nothing of the sort to compare to without seeking our own authors out. Our hair deserves some loving and adoration too!

This is a very long post describing hairstyles and how they can correspond to your character's design and decisions, so I'll put a read more here. The sections are organized into 'Twist Out', 'Afros', 'Locs', 'Braids', 'Black Men', and 'Straight Hair' if you Ctrl F. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take your time to read all of this at some point though, as I put a lot of resources and explanation into this. I'm trusting you!

The History

As I discussed in the last lesson, our hair is incredibly important to us, and part of that includes the vulnerability and trust that comes along with access to it. This is due to a long history of oppression. There’s a racist history of making Black women hide our hair, as if it would ‘tempt white men’ away, regardless of it were due to actual attraction or the (more likely) rape of Black women. There’s a racist history of touching our hair, as though we are animals or zoo exhibits. We aren’t just going to let anyone touch our heads, so DON'T write that, unless you are doing so to show that it is a microaggression towards your character. Even now, cultural appropriation is rampant. If I were to wear cornrows with hoops, it'd be seen as 'ghetto' or 'gang-like'. Meanwhile, it is a fashion statement for white women. When Miles G Morales showed up in Across the Spiderverse, animators specifically chose cornrows for him, but many people mistakenly took it to me that he was 'rougher and tougher' than the original Miles. This was a racist perception! Hearing the Fade get hyped up in the news as the 'Travis Kelce', when Black men and especially NFL players have been wearing it for DECADES to crickets... it hurts lmao. Point is, you can describe and respect Black hair without being racist about it. Okay? Okay.

Vulnerability

YOUR CHARACTERS NEED TO BE CLOSE BEFORE ALLOWING THEM TO TOUCH THEIR HAIR!!!

It needs to be someone they TRUST wholeheartedly. Again, do NOT let a stranger touch their hair unless it’s meant to be an uncomfortable situation!

Consider CONSENT! Consent is ALWAYS beautiful! Have your other characters (Black or not) ASK to touch your Black characters’ hair! And not in the ‘Oh can I touch it?’ way. But if they’re really close friends or dating, have them ask to help do their braids, or wash their hair, or even just to stroke their hair and face! Or if your Black character is injured with a head wound, and they have to tend to them, have them ask! The asking shows a level of care and respect for your Black character and their body! At any point the consent may be revoked, and that needs to be respected! If they let them tend their head wound, but then smack their hand away after, that’s not ‘rude’- they’re allowed to do that, especially to signify that they aren’t at that level of trust yet. That's still angsty!

One great example of love from a Black character is doing their partner’s hair, or allowing their partner to do their hair. The ‘Hair-washing’ fic is a common thing in fanfiction; we all understand how that shows the depth of the trust in the relationship between the characters. How would you write about that trust with a Black character, if you don’t know what goes into taking care of their hair? If you don’t even know what their hair looks or feels like? The lack of awareness will show, and what should be a beautiful, deep moment will fall flat for Black readers. I wrote one once for my character with locs, and it honestly made me tear up because I realized that I’d never seen one, at least not in the majority white spaces that the fandoms I was in were.

Think about it- how often have you read a hair-washing fic with a Black character? Was it accurate? Would you know if it was accurate? Have you spoken to or heard anyone Black in your fandom space talk about it? Do you know anyone Black in your fandom space to ask? It’s things like this that we have to consider!

If you have a character that is nonblack in a relationship with your Black character, that honestly reveals even more trust because there’s a long history (again) behind that NOT happening! In life, we can’t go to the same places. I can’t go to a white hair salon or barbershop. They won’t know what to do! People are allowed to go through hair school without learning how to work with different, thicker textures. It’s not right nor fair, but it’s a part of the casual, systemic racism in our lives.

My feelings on what Lestat symbolizes aside, the scene where he plays with Louis’ curls in AMC's IWTV was an intelligent way to show that closeness, and how a nonblack character would affectionately play with a Black character’s hair! How he works with the curl in his fingers, rather than trying to pet Louis or run his fingers through- it was an intelligent move on Sam and Jacob’s part as actors to understand that THAT’S how that would go down!

If you have a character that wants to show a violation of your Black characters’ space, touching/harming our hair is cruelty on a very personal level that will generate an extreme reaction.

Think About Your Character!

When thinking about your Black character’s hairstyle, you need to think about your character themselves! What do they do every day? What are their hobbies? Are they Type A, Type B personality? Do they have a lot of time? Are they always in a rush? Are they noncommittal? Are they self-conscious? Artsy? Serious? Are they in a time period where the means to care for their hair are limited?

People make jokes and comments about how Black women don’t like getting our hair wet and dismiss our concerns. But it’s not out of ‘silliness’ or vanity. What you consider ‘just hair’ may have taken days of planning in advance and HOURS of our time! We put a lot of thought and effort into our hair, and it will easily shatter the illusion for your Black readers if you describe our hair poorly or create an unlikely scenario with it. It’s not a joke!

Some Terms:

Protective styles- a style that allows our hair to ‘rest’ with minimal manipulation

‘Tender-headed’- some people’s scalps are more sensitive to the tightness of styles, so it’ll hurt a little bit more and require some more gentleness (Regardless it’s still going to hurt for a bit after a fresh style)

Bonnets- a silk/satin cap of varying lengths that we wear at night to protect our hair and keep the moisture in

Loc Sock- same idea, but for locs

Durag- keeps short haircuts protected; can even help create the wave pattern that many Black men enjoy

Scarf- same idea as the bonnets, except scarfs can be used specifically for straight hairstyles to wrap them up to keep it straight and neat

(It'll seem real legit if you include your Black characters wearing their headcoverings at night! I remember laughing while reading Twilight because I knew that if Edward snuck into my room at night, he'd see me in my scarf or bonnet lmao.)

General Hair Care:

While I don’t completely agree with some of the advertising in this first one (it’s the internet. Can’t go nowhere without someone trying to hawk something) it’s cool in general to explain how our hair looks the way it does.

If you have Black children OCs, it’s important to consider that their parents have to do their hair, and how that will be its own experience! (It can be very stressful for Black children to get their hair done, as it takes a long time and can be physically uncomfortable. There are plenty of stories of burnt ears and tugged tangles and not very nice old women. Children are children! Keep in mind how they may behave while getting the style of your choice.

Moisturizing to keep healthy

Twist Outs

Cute twist out styles

Twist outs are a style that takes overnight to hold, or maybe even a few days! The cool thing is that the twists themselves can be the style! So the tighter you want their curls to be, the longer they’ll wear the twists in. If you want to describe your character with tighter curls, there needs to be a section of time where their hair remains in the twists! If your character has an event, and they want twists… this needs to be done in advance. Your character will NOT untwist them the day of, unless they want weak, limp curls (or you want the scene to compose of them having weak curls).

How long they'll last depends on the activity of your character! If all they do is work a desk job, or they don’t sweat very much, the twists can last some time! But if they sweat, or wear hats or caps, it’s not going to last long. Maybe a week.

Pros: Very versatile! If you have a character that loves trying new looks and enjoy being spontaneous, twist outs are for them! Easy! If your Black character is younger, or haven’t done their hair before, this is a great way for them to start working with their hair! Doesn’t take long (to do)! If your character is in a rush, and they do their twists, they can go just about anywhere. If they’re not self-conscious, this will be just fine.

Cons: It cannot get wet again, or the style will puff up back into your natural texture. It does not last long enough to say “oh my character went on a two year long fantasy adventure with this style.” If you want your character to have a twist out the whole time, they’re going to have to take time to do it. It would be cool if you incorporate a scene where they’re working on their hair, maybe in the background while everyone’s discussing plans or something. Just a reminder that their hair isn’t just staying magically twisted (unless they have the magic to do that).

Afros

Afro Style Guide, Style Guide for Men (works for any gender though)

Wash & Gos are just that- wash it (or really, condition it, you don’t have to shampoo it every time) dry with a t-shirt (to prevent breakage), put some oil and a light crème on it, fluff it up and you’re good to go! Maybe an hour at max and can be done while getting dressed in the morning!

Pros: Easy! If they’re doing a full, combed out afro, it’s not as simple, it will take more time. And at night it has to be plaited so that it maintains its length, otherwise it will tangle. But other than that, that’s still not all that hard. They can show off their curls! Black characters can and should have pride in their hair. It’s beautiful. This is the opportunity that you as an author can describe the pure texture of their hair, how it shines in the light, how the coils look, how soft it is! Romanticize Black hair the same way you do anyone else’s!

Cons: None really! Afros are wonderful! Just make sure that your character has a way to keep their hair from getting tangled. Just because it’s easy doesn’t mean there’s no maintenance! A pick, a bonnet, oil and water go a long way!

Locs

Five stages of locs

A person who does locs is a loctician.

Can be palm-rolled or interlocked/crocheted

I cannot emphasize enough that you do not want just anyone doing their locs! They can really mess up someone’s hair if they don’t know what they’re doing. I say that to say, for your character, if they don’t trust the person doing their hair… they should. They should not be walking into anyone’s place to get their hair locked; they’d do research first.

The time it takes locs to ‘bud’ (that is, to actually form the loc) depends on the texture of their hair. But it can take up to 3 months to even a year for them to actually ‘loc up’. So if your character just got locs, they’re not going to look neat. They’re going to be frizzy.

As long as they’re washing their hair, keeping it moisturized, and not using wax products (DO NOT HAVE ANY BLACK CHARACTER USE WAX PRODUCTS IT IS BAD FOR BLACK HAIR) it’ll last forever! Locs are incredibly strong, especially the thicker they get! It is recommended that locs are retwisted every six weeks, but if your character has freeform locs, doesn’t have the money or time right now, or they just aren’t that pressed, they can grow indefinitely.

Something cute to write in your stories: sometimes locs do just… fall out. Not the whole thing! But the same way thin hair gets everywhere… sometimes the ends of thin locs just… fall off! You’ll find little buds on the ground. This happens especially in the budding stage.

Pros: Very low daily maintenance! At most they’ll need a bonnet or loc sock, and oil/water mix to spritz and massage in. Strong style that can hold any look- buns, curls, etc. They can be dyed, though it will take a long time to do so. I say that to say, if you want your character to have bright green locs, go for it!!

Cons: Low daily, but HIGH wash day maintenance! So if your character has a fancy date or something to go on, they should not be getting their hair retwisted the same day, or at least not so close to. It’s going to be shiny, oily, and tight, which can cause discomfort. Give them the day to let the hair settle!

Locs are PERMANENT!! This isn’t a bad thing, as much as it is a ‘KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING BEFORE YOU DO IT’ thing. Technically they can be combed out, but that would take a very long time and very precise effort, and most people aren’t going through all that. They’re just going to cut them off and start fresh. If you have a character that would balk at such a choice, locs aren’t for them. If you have a character that’s picky and choosy, that likes versatility, that can’t make up their mind, do NOT give them locs unless they’re making the conscious choice to commit. (Again, this is subjective! Maybe they have locs because their mother died and it reminds them of her! Okay! That works!) If you have a character that’s vain, or at least doesn’t like looking awkward… unless they’re going to style up the awkward stage, they’re not going to want locs. (Awkward stage: the first two stages get considered awkward because the locs look messy. This is because they’re turning from curls to locs!)

Braids

Styles

How long braids can take depend on the style. Box braids can take 10-12 hours to do! Microbraids? You HAVE to have multiple people or you'll be there for damn near a day (and that's assuming you have a masterful braider!)

How long they last depend on your character! If they're like me as a kid, I didn't care how I looked, so my mom got me cheap braids and let me run free for two summer months. So if your Black character is a carefree child! Go for it. But if they're a teen or adult (or are very concerned about how they look) a month to six weeks is about how long braids can stay in before your new growth shows. A character that is usually trimmed and proper having loads of new growth over their braids may symbolize that they don’t have it all together anymore.

Pros: Protective style! Great way to let your character have minimal daily maintenance; oil and water and something to cover it. SOME braided styles allow for high activity and even rain without changing. It depends on the hair that’s been braided in, as well as the style. Incredibly versatile! They can have multi-colored braids, long braids, short braids, beads, trinkets… if your character is creative and bubbly and likes to experiment, the sky is the limit! That can symbolize their artistic expression, just by describing what they look like! So long as they have the time, they can have any look and style they want. No need to commit too long.

If your character is capable of doing their own braids (and locs, btw), they’re amazing. Like… that’s mad respect for them. If you describe your character being able to do their own braids, they’ve got amazing arm strength, patience, and skill. That skilled dexterity can be revealed as a trait of theirs through that alone.

Cons: They take a LONG TIME. Your character is not going anywhere. If they’re getting braids… they’re not going anywhere. If you write your character doing anything fancy the day of, depending on the type of braids, Black readers are not going to believe you. Even if it did get finished, it would be very tight. I currently have a poll going on, and so far, a good majority of the 10+ answers are braids! It cost MONEY. It is NOT CHEAP to get braids done! If your character is poor as a church mouse, they will be doing those braids with their friend in front of youtube. Because it can be in the hundreds of dollars. (Don’t get me started on hair culture right now; BACK IN MY DAY IT COST-)

Hairstyles on Black Men

I want to specifically give space and applause to these hairstyles on Black men, because we REALLY don’t give Black men enough credit for all the creativity they show with their hair! And again, with The Killmonger being the choice style in all these damn vidya games despite almost no Black man I know choosing it as a look… PLEASE LOOK! WE HAVE OPTIONS! Try describing how gorgeous these looks can be on your Black men characters! It would be very nice.

Straight Hair

Well, I was going to explain, but ol ‘Guest Writer’ here pretty much lays it all out! So just go ahead and read this article lol.

Just to re-emphasize, straight hair is NOT something that just grows out of our head that way! It takes effort! So if you have a character that doesn’t feel like maintaining straight hair, they shouldn’t have it! If your character has natural hair and lives in a rainy or humid city, they’re going to be fighting that weather to keep it straight- make sure that’s consistent with their personality!

My best friend used to wash and flatiron her hair every day. Like, laser focused on looking that good, Type A shit (she’s a top money banker now, so I guess it worked out). If you have a character like that, it’s fine! If they’re lazy any other time of the day, they’re not suddenly going to be waking up at 5am to flat iron their hair. It’s not consistent.

Conclusion

That’s pretty much what I have! I’m not the guru on all things Black hair, and I obviously cannot encompass every potential scenario you may have for your characters. Really, my intention here is to get you to think about how our hair reflects our character and personalities, and how when you write and/or draw a Black character, you have that ability! And when you’re able to incorporate that naturally, it makes your Black readers feel seen, like you actually cared about that character enough to give them just as much description as your nonblack characters. You don’t have to be a master at it! Just… occasionally the little things that we can go ‘oh, yeah!’ at would be nice. An equivalent effort would be nice.

Remember, it’s the thought that counts, but the action that delivers!

[afromeda]

White women 5-10 years ago: Haha black women wear wigs cuz they have no hair and their hair is always ugly see we have naturally luscious Garnier™ hair and we wear extension pieces cuz we don't need weaves and all that extra stuff and ugh black women hairstyles are so Ghetto™ lol we can do flat ironed hair and wand curls and those are the only acceptable ones

Black women: *continue to do their own thing*

White women now, sobbing, throwing up: But who said white women can't wear wigs or have curly perms and why can't we wear the same braids and styles we degraded for decades and centuries why are black women so mean like what if we want to wear the Ghetto™ hairs too and change formulas in products and give established hairstyles new names after acting very much Christina Columbus about it plus we've struggled so much like other white women insult our hair if it's not perfect and that's black women's fault and one time a black girl said we have hair like straw after we called her hair a nappy piece of cotton it's just hair c'mon please let us do the Kardashian braids like we don't understand—

[lunityviruz]

It’s just too much for me to handle honestly, our clothing, our hairstyles, our language, our features, our food, our music. All of it. All of it is seen as ghetto low-down trash unless it is used or rebranded by a white person. It only takes one white person to colonize what we have and turn it into something digestible for other white people enjoy. As soon as a white person gives the green light on it THEN it’s okay for a white society to indulge in it.

[elliesangel222]

GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!

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word count: 1k

part one 

 Colorful lights and blasting music bounced and flashed around the busy sidewalks. The illuminated sign outside flashed pink, it read “girls!” flashing a neon pink to make everyone aware of what lay inside.  You were walking up to your new workplace, it wasnt your usual style. It would do though, before this you had a day job waitressing, all the creepy men telling you that you had a body to die for, and that you would make a great stripper. You had finally taken it into consideration. Hours of classes, youtube tutorials, installing a fucking stripper pole in your living room, calloused hands and feet finally landed you a job at the Cathouse, a strip club rated three and a half stars settled in the most ghetto neighbourhood in California, you had crawled your way here and you were not about to let all that money and work and sore fucking joints go to waste, you didnt let the appearance of the club ruin your mood, you just hoped there was no rats inside.

You opened the door and walked inside, trying to seem comfortable. Your heels sparkled in the dark rosy glow of the club and you were first met with a bouncer. She was tall, maybe 6’1 and her auburn hair was pulled in a half up half down hairstyle. Her skin was covered in freckles and her green eyes pierced your gaze, her black uniform hugged her arms and form in all the right ways, and oh boy did you notice.“Hey, Are you the new dancer?” You nodded enthusiastically and shook her hand, she was pretty. “I'm supposed to bring you to the dressing rooms, do you have a stage name yet?” You stared in shock. “N-no.. I completely forgot oh my god” 

“Hmm, is there a place or thing you love?”

You blurted out the first thing you thought of, meadows. They reminded you of that one twilight scene.

The bouncer smirked, “Okay Meadow, follow me” she smiled and spoke in a raspy voice. You followed her like a lost dog and finally you had made it to the dressing room, the bouncer opened the door for you while you walked in, then left. As soon as you walked in, everyones eyes met yours. Dozens of girls stopped curling their hair to stare at you. It made you nervous as hell. 

 “H-hi.. I’m Meadow” you waved nervously and let out a chuckle. 

Were you sweating? You didnt know at this point.

They all immediately smiled and waved back, “I’m Bunny, This is Cat and that’s Cinnamon. Pandoras over there..” She continued to list off everyones names, only you lost focus. A girl was glaring at you, staring daggers into your eyes. Fuck, what was her name? Oh, Cat. You moved your gaze from her to Bunny who was still telling you their names “Oh and the last one is Princess!” You said your hello’s and asked where you should put your stuff, Bunny led you to an empty vanity. “Okay, I'm on first, then up goes Cat, then you’re on. Is that okay? Gives you plenty of time to get changed”

  You nodded and started to get ready, glittered shadows brushed over your eyelids and you felt completely on display while you put on your little outfit. A red glittery latex two piece which hugged you perfectly. You glossed your lips and tied up the ribbons on your heels just before your name was called. Cat strutted backstage and gave you another glare. ‘Okay, so that's how it's gonna be’ You heard your name called and got up and walked on stage, winking at Cat as you strutted by. Your curled hair bouncing against your chest as you walked.

The song you chose played as you strutted around the pole seductively, caressing it as you walked around it.

‘You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you’

'You let me penetrate you'

'You let me complicate you'

You moved in perfect sync with the song, your hips swayed with the beat and the amount of eyes on you was a total adrenaline rush, You loved it. You swung around the pole skillfully as the bills flew and piled up on the stage floor. The sight excited you. You were aware of every eye on you in the audience, except for one. The bouncer stood by the door and watched your every move, looking you up and down as you moved so confidently on that stage. She so badly wanted to see what else you could do with that ass- No! That's dirty, she cut her thoughts off and kept her eyes on you as you swayed, mesmerized by you.

‘I broke apart my insides

(Help me) I've got no soul to sell

(Help me) the only thing that works for me

Help me get away from myself’

The beat dropped and so did you, you leaned and bent over, giving the audience a perfect view of your fleshy ass.

   You swayed your hips and continued your dance. By the time it was over your heart was pounding and your arms throbbed. The guys in the club clapped as you bent over grabbing handfuls of cash from the floor, you didnt notice the bouncer with a hefty bag standing on stage with you, analyzing your every movement. She passed it over and you thanked her with a kiss on the cheek.Your stickly lip gloss made a visible mark on her cheek, she didnt wipe it off. You had noticed that as you piled the cash in the bag. “Mind if I get your number sweetheart?” The bouncer asked. That made you giggle “I dont even know your nam-” She cut you off. “Ellie, now may I get your number?”

“Nope” you responded quickly, you liked Ellie. You just wanted to see how far she would go for you..

Ellie grinded her teeth in response, she walked off stage and you winked at her. 

This was going to be fun.

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next chapter

[sanyu-thewitch05]

Black women and girls: *speaking in our natural AAVE* *doing our hairstyles* *doing “ghetto” fashion & makeup trends* *literally having a natural big butt*

Lgbt+ and cishet yts:

[davekat-sucks]

about hic, but wasnt that the point? to illustrate how feferi and meenah were different and yet the same? they are both opposite ends of privileged rich women being racist

feferi, a princess soon to be queen, is like your average american nu fan, acting like the savior trope and taking care of minorities because they dont know any better and she pities them. daenerys targaryen basically.

and then meenah is a wigger, or like you said those white rappers acting ghetto living a fabulous life style. like billie eilish or eminem.

condescending compassion vs condescending mockery. both grew up to be tyrannical empresses that conquered planets via genocide, thats what their characters are illustrating, imperialism and colonialism.

The most common reason that people see Meenah and The Condesce by extension, as black-coded is only her speech and mannerisms, but because ONLY BLACK PEOPLE CAN HAVE BRAID HAIRSTYLES. And yes, that reason is stupid as it sounds. Worst take I have seen is people saying the highblood is suppose to represent POCs being in the high class compared to white people and Asians.

[auntymurda]

one of my favorite pictures in the whole wide world. Sumn about this photo always screamed ‘ghetto, but peaceful’ to me. The side profile… the color scheme of the photo that lets you know it was taken in the 90s… the ghetto hairstyle, Snoop just being ghetto as hell himself (lol) the closed eyes… I just wonder what these photographers tell people to get them to make their photos so powerful. To me, this photo has always been sacred. Right along with that picture of Snoop holding his first born. His hair was out all over the place and you could tell he was in awe about his child. Straight up beautiful, seriously

[fancylala4]

I see people are having a mid off between the creators of winx and miraculous ladybug.

We have a guy who whitewashed two of his own characters, allowed racist shit into his show (the infamous making fun of an black hairstyle scene) and made horrible decisions like thinking season 5-8 was good vs a guy who allowed racist shit into his own show(making a black character named ghetto blaster), cries on twitter because he can’t take any criticisms and can’t write a good story to save his own life.

[nadiegesabate1990]

What a nice girl!

This was my hairstyle in 2001. Medium-length hair and bangs on my forehead. People would see the photo and say, "That boy is homosexual." My father and mother twisted with laughter when they saw the photo.

To belittle me, people would say, "You look like your mother."

No!!! I look like my father. But I don't like to compare myself to anyone.

It's the only photo I have of myself as a child. Because my idiot mother lost it.

At the time, I used to look forward to getting home early and turning on the TV to watch cartoons. I remember Astroboy, Batman Beyond, and Spider-Man. But my father sold the satellite dish. I was very sad.

Then I bought a scooter. That toy was the best of all. But I realized that I was annoying people. I would ride on other people's sidewalks and I know they didn't like it. I had to get rid of it because it rusted and I still miss it a lot.

During party season, my grandmother's house would be filled with people. Relatives would come to visit us. I didn't like to see those people in my house, but my grandmother did. She was a whore. The good side was that she would let me lick the spoon when she finished making cakes. I would get a stomachache. The only good thing she did for me was when she told me that I had to drink orange juice so that I wouldn't get sick in the future. I also had another one that I called grandma, I liked her more. She was a very beautiful black woman. I had to distance myself because she was very sick and didn't recognize me anymore. She suffered from Alzheimer's.

I loved my school but going to school is very boring because there were subjects that I didn't like and I had to read or study. I was getting sick. I went to school in the morning, switched to the afternoon shift, and then they sent me to another school. My friends were very boring. I had a black classmate who told me, "Everyone in the class has traveled to the United States and if I didn't go it's because you're poor." And then I realized that she didn't want anything to do with me and I replied to her, "I don't want to go to the United States. I want to go to Argentina because only white people live there." I know she took it as a joke. But behind all of this, I just wanted to be close to my father. He was a teacher. I would skip a lot of classes, especially religion class. I would say I am a Jehovah's Witness. Then I would go to a video game arcade owned by a relative and spend some time there. I would play a cowboy game called Sunset Riders. At the time, I would pay 50 cents to play for half an hour. It's funny because I never skipped a physical education class. Until one day I gave up on all of that.

Here I am, Nadiege Sabate, 33 years old with a mohawk haircut and hair gel. People might think I'm a punk wearing my worn-out headphones and shirt, and with this peculiar hairstyle.

What else do you think of me? I'm just a scowling young woman making an irritating yet good sound, (And I don't share this with anyone). I'm influenced by the heavy sound of London rock and punk. Looking at me in the picture, some idiot might think; poor girl! Or they might think I'm a rat in the basement. But with my new music, I hope to get out of this ghetto and into the opera houses.

And some people say; you're from Pernambuco. No one will listen to your music. You're a Nazi! Remember?

You're right; I don't succeed because I'm from here.

But listen to my music, I combine an operatic voice with aggressive lyrics accompanied by punk rock and metal music.

[therichantsim]

I will always bombastically side-eye how society demonized and called our hairstyles, vernacular, and swag ghetto, and now it's a part of pop culture. ...and don't even get me started on the uppity black folks who were embarrassed by it because they bought into the "upstanding model negro" bullshit.

[breezingby]

Talking Heads ~ Life During Wartime LIVE!

Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons Packed up and ready to go Heard of some grave sites, out by the highway A place where nobody knows The sound of gunfire, off in the distance I'm getting used to it now Lived in a brownstone, lived in a ghetto I've lived all over this town

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco This ain't no fooling around No time for dancing, or lovey dovey I ain't got time for that now

Transmit the message, to the receiver Hope for an answer some day I got three passports, a couple of visas You don't even know my real name High on a hillside, the trucks are loading Everything's ready to roll I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nighttime I might not ever get home

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco This ain't no fooling around This ain't no Mudd Club, or C. B. G. B. I ain't got time for that now

Heard about Houston? Heard about Detroit? Heard about Pittsburgh, P. A.? You oughta know not to stand by the window Somebody see you up there I got some groceries, some peanut butter To last a couple of days But I ain't got no speakers, ain't got no headphones Ain't got no records to play

Why stay in college? Why go to night school? Gonna be different this time Can't write a letter, can't send a postcard, I can't write nothing at all This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, This ain't no fooling around I'd like to kiss you, I'd love you hold you I ain't got no time for that now

Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock we blended with the crowd We got computer, we're tapping phone lines I know that ain't allowed We dress like students, we dress like housewives or in a suit and a tie I changed my hairstyle, so many times now I don't know what I look like! You make me shiver, I feel so tender We make a pretty good team Don't get exhausted, I'll do some driving you ought to get some sleep Get you instructions, follow directions Then you should change your address Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day whatever you think is best Burned all my notebooks, what good are Notebooks? They won't help me survive My chest is aching, burns like a furnace The burning keeps me alive Try to stay healthy, physical fitness Don't want to catch no disease Try to be careful, don't take no chances You better watch what you say

[peter3swifey]

yeah no. in america its a problem bc we were stripped of our culture and us black folks dont like non black ppl wearing our hairstyles and such bc we have just now slowly stop getting ridiculed for it. the same white girl that wants braids now would make fun of a black girl not too long ago about her braids being "ghetto". idk about other countries but here in america yall white ppl took ur culture away by choice so YOU could own slaves. YOU want to be US when its helpful to YOU. YOU want to wear box braids bc it makes u look "gangster". you can think somethings beautiful without doing it. You don't see me doing a Quince all because I think its a beautiful tradition. That's THEIR culture that THEY can enjoy. and thats my take.

[bookishfeylin]

Hi, I wanted to know your opinion about white people wearing box braids.

I just heard my mother hurt several human and minority rights just to defend a famous white woman who wore box braids. I really don't know what to think, as I hear a lot of people say that this is wrong, but my mother says that a black woman said that this was an exaggeration and that it would even help people who do box braids.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but it's because I really wanted to know your opinion on this.

(And sorry if the term is wrong, but I went to Google the name of the braids and this is what it gave me.)

Hi anon! You're fine, and I always welcome honest questions about racism :)

So the main issue here is cultural appropriation (defined by google as: the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society). The issue with cultural appropriation is not ALWAYS the actual action of adopting something from another culture necessarily, but it's also that people from that culture cannot practice it without being "punished" by society in some way. In the case of black hairstyles like box braids specifically, when white people wear them, they are exotic, trendy, and cool, but Black people wearing them--a hairstyle both culturally significant to us and a style designed to protect our hair--gets us labelled "ghetto" and even denied jobs. It's fun for white people, but can have nasty ramifications for us despite being made for and by us, which is why it's very upsetting to watch white people walking around with them.

This is another really good post about it that I totally recommend you read if you're curious.