Here is my finished piece on the color shift of African Americans.

My first subjects

Well you know how it goes, you ask people to show up and they don’t.  However that’s ok because life happens.   That’s why there always has to be a plan B.  After my shoot on Sunday I reached out and utilized all of the resources I could even think of, Facebook, Craigslist & friends.  People have been very responsive and hopefully my Saturday and Sunday shoots go well and are on schedule.  I am so proud of the photo frame and stand that I made.  I went through hell to make it but it great to actually see my concept come to life.  The next step that I need to take is printing.

As far as the hair portion of this project goes I’m just going to have fun with it.  I have all different textures of weaves from straight, curly, to kinky. So I’m going to take the different textures of hair and photograph them in the studio.

-Gather different shades of African Americans

-Create a standing frame

-Shoot in 2 groups for 2 weeks

-Put images together on a grid

- Print/ Mount images in frame you made

PLEASE CLICK ON ME. I’M SMALL.

This project stemmed from an idea that I had, involving me and my own identity.  I wanted to do a series of self-portraits.  The first series of pictures where going to be taken with my natural hair and the second series of pictures with straight hair.  Then I wanted to make a diptic of the two and present the question witch do you prefer?  So from there the Idea for this project was developed.

In the black community we consist of many different colors an we even have a variety of different facial features, hair textures and hair types.  A majority of blacks are mixed with Caucasian, Native American, Asian and many other ethnicities.  I think its beautiful.  However we still cant get along.  I call it internal racism where light skin individuals think of themselves as better than dark skin individuals or vis versa.  Unfortunately this is something that has been present since slavery, the slave mentality.  Light skin slaves were permitted to work in the master’s house and the darker slaves had to work in the fields.  Moving forward in history during the Harlem Renaissance there was a group by the name of the Blue Vein Society.  This group consisted of prestigious light skin blacks.  To join you had to be rich enough and light enough.   Presently the media has a lot to do with how blacks a perceived as far as skin color.  Take for instance the fashion industr, there is commercial fashion and high fashion.  High fashion tends to use darker skin models like Alek Wek and the commercial industry uses lighter skin models like Trya Banks.  Commercial fashion is more mainstream holding a greater influence on the way people see black beauty.  Taking it one step further I would like to point out rap videos.  The lighter skin video vixon is always the love interest or the one with the most attention.  No wonder there is a wedge between the two, one skin color is put on a higher platform than the other.   Darker skin people have been under represented as being beautiful.  The closer to white you are the better, right? We are all the same but have qualities that make us uniquely different.  We can’t move forward until everyone understands and celebrates this.  I want everyone to be represented and accounted for.

I want every color from Aber Rose to Grace Jones represented

So I thought about my lighting set up its going to be a 1:1 lighting ratio.  All of my subjects both male and female will be wearing white wife beaters.  Each subject will be placed on a black background.  All subjects will make direct eye contact with the viewer.

I was thinking of having this as my format with 15 to 20 people in each of the boxes.

I’ve also taken the first step and thats getting my idea out there.   I’ve posted some stuff on my facebook page. It was real informal and I intend to go farther with contacting people.  1. My facebook page 2. telling friends and family about my project and 3.  Asking people to pose for me and be my subject.

Last week I had the great pleasure of attending The Transforming Race Conference.  This conference was jammed pack with lots of thought provoking questions. It was a wonderful way to start conversations on issues pertaining to race.  There arn’t very many open forums dedicated to talking openly about race and issues dealing with race.  The only way that we’re going to grow is through talking and understanding others, that’s why racism exists because people simply don’t understand what’s different from them. Dialog = listening for understanding. We are all biological the same the only thing that separates us is our cultural differences. With that said we all still have differences within our own cultures as well.  That’s what motivated me to do this project.  I also learned that in order to change we have to come together as a people regardless of our differences and stand up for what’s right.

In an open group we discussed questions such as  “Did the election of President Barack Obama transform American race relations? If so, how and if not, why not?”  My table answered and said that the election of the first black president has simply sparked conversation and has shown a light on those who spew viol comments.  One person said, “Healthcare is just healthcare, then I thought maybe its him.” I attended several workshops and panels such as Can Popular Culture Transform The Way We Understand Race?  The guest panel consisted of four well-known individuals that deal with racial issues on a day–to-day basis.  During the discussion each person presented their viewpoint and as a group we dissected articles, campaigned ads and mainstream media.  While looking at television ads we took an in depth look at the tone of the ad, images used and specific wording.  This was great because most of the time we watch TV ads and don’t think it has any affect on us. We then touched on how these ads play on our subconscious mind and in some cases play on our fears, especially with the campaign ads.  At the end of the panel each member concluded that popular culture can transform race, it’s a powerful tool.  However Hollywood/ the media has turned toward the negative and there is still lots of work to be done.  I also attended several other panels and work shops that dealt with preventing recidivism, fair housing for low income families, the structure of the U.S food system, and a women’s poetry slam.  Honestly I walked away with a lot of content, so much I cant even fit it all on this blog.  One of the highlights of the conference was the Sarah Jones performance at the Lincoln Theatre.  Sarah creatively addresses race in her one-woman show.  She found a unique way to portray several different people all from different ethnic backgrounds and express how they feel about race and racism from their eyes. She’s using her show and talent to enlighten others. Great show it was worth the $40.00!!!!!!  Special thanks to CCAD & Charlotte for giving me the opportunity to expand and grow.

Please check Sarah Jones out!

Good Hair Reflection

Ultimately what I’m fishing for or trying to get at is feeling.  How do people feel or what are people thinking when it comes to this subject matter.  I guess this has sparked my curiosity because I have natural hair and I know that it makes some people uncomfortable but I want to know why?  It seems kind of crazy to me that black people or any one for the matter cant or won’t embrace natural hair.  In the 1970’s and 1980’s natural hair was celebrated and then something happened. Less and less black women have embraced their natural hair and have embraced the relaxer instead, thus making it harder for natural hair to hold its own and be embraced the same way.  I want my hair to be seen as beautiful just the way it is and not have it be seen in some else’s eyes as not being politically correct.  In my own perfect world I would love to see the relaxer and natural hair as being viewed as equals and not as enemies. The reason why I say this is because I love having options when it comes to my hair.  I can wear my hair in its natural state, afro in all its glory.  I can braid it.  Heck I can even sew it if I want to.  At the end of the day I still have my natural hair in it’s healthiest state.  I don’t have to worry about damaged unhealthy hair.

The documentary Good Hair covered a broad variety of issues dealing with black hair care. Black people only make up 12% of the population but we contribute/buy into 80% of the hair industry. Through out the movie several celebrities were interviewed and asked questions pertaining to black women and their hair. Dr. Melanye Macline dermatologist commented by saying “ Black women are on a quest to conform to a more European look, the straighter hair the better.  We’ve been coached with that mentality since childhood.”  Chris Rock focused on the relaxer, a chemical hair straightener for a portion of the movie, often times it was referred to as “Creamy Crack.”   All of the women in the movie admitted to the relaxer being addictive, even little girls as young as two are getting them.  Chris Rock interviewed a three-year-old little girl that just started getting relaxers.  He asks her “Why should my daughter get one?” The young girl responded by saying “ Cause your suppose to get a perm.” I personally remember getting my first relaxer when I was six years old.  Like so many other mothers out there my mother just did it.  She didn’t ask me if I wanted one.  After that first relaxer I had to continuously get them to keep up the appearance and to maintain “healthy hair”.  Relaxers are a process; they take work and have to continuously be maintained.  Unfortunately chemical relaxers are made with sodium hydroxide, a highly dangerous chemical that can burn through a pop can and even a chicken breast.  Sodium hydroxide breaks down protein in hair, if it gets down to the scalp it will kill hair at the root and the scalp will be left with bald spots.  Some women described the burn of a relaxer feeling like fire.  So the question that I was left with is why put it in your hair if you risk unhealthy hair, burning and bald spots? Raven Simone said, “I think we are trying to blend in trying to make everyone fill comfortable.  Relaxed and not like Oh My God! What is that?  That’s what a relaxer does, it relaxes people.” Shela Bridges commented saying “ I think the reason hair is so important because our self-esteem is wrapped up in it.  It’s like a type of currency for us.  Even though the standards are completely unrealistic and unattainable especially for black women.  You have to have conviction with it there are so many pressures to straighten your hair.”  I always think that its interesting that to keep my hair the same texture its looked at as revolutionary.  Why is that?”

I gathered from this movie that relaxed hair equals comfort period not just for women but also for others around them as well.  That’s why women do it. Most black women have been doing it for a majority of their lives. With that said it’s hard to stop relaxing hair for fear of being different, not fitting in, and transitioning into one’s own natural hair.  The aspect of being different is just feeding into the fear of facing self-identity. How ever I also know that black women do it for manageability purposes.

I need to start making contacts and getting the word out there about my project.  I was thinking bout having about 10 to 15 people pose as my subjects so it would be wise for me to start gathering people.  I’ve learned that its pretty difficult to get people together and work around their schedules.  It would work best if I set up 3 to 4 shoots to keep myself on schedule.

Often times people are placed inside of boxes, stereotyped.  So I was thinking of making a wooden box to frame each subject as I photograph them.  In the mean time I need to figure out what supplies are needed and how I’m going to get this frame to stay.  Am I going to suspend it or will I mount it on something?  Will I build it or will I buy it?

I also wan to go beyond skin color I would like to touch on different hair types as well.  I was also thinking of photographing my subjects hair at the same time.  Along with that I also need to think about how that will be set up and presented. Charlotte suggested that my project be presented with more content and substance. I’m a curious person by nature and often times wonder how others think and feel and why they feel that way. So it would be great if I could pick my subjects minds and interview them to see what their experiences have been with skin color.  To further along my research I’m going to watch Good Hair is a recent documentary that takes a look at black women and hair care.

I borrowed the following content from the African American Registry

The history of “Black Hair and Beauty Culture” mirrors the intricacy of both African and American cultures. Over the years, African American hair has been associated with the ideology of white visual conception. Some people say that blacks have embraced hairstyles and beauty methods that reflect popular European standards of beauty. However, Blacks have used their West African roots and their own artistry to create styles and standards that reflect a unique black culture.

Around 1441 when African slaves were brought west to the “New World,” they were confronted with their first loss of identity. It was then that the one and only identity they had, was stripped from them. The standards of beauty that they encountered were the privilege of fair skin, straight hair, and thin features, in contrast to “African” dark skin, curly hair, and wider noses and mouths. Some slaves had to get accustomed to the European beauty styles to survive (literally). Often times they would serve as barbers and/or beauticians for their white owners. Other slaves attempted to stay with their traditional African hair customs like braiding hair using African patterns and using natural herbs from trees for their hair and skin care.

More at… http://www.aaregistry.com/detail.php?id=2395

Chris Rock Good Hair

Deana Lawson is an African American photographer who explores the identities, relationships, political views with in the black community.  I found her to be encouraging and would like to further look into her work.

KiP Fulbeck has a book out called part Asian, 100% Hapa where he looks a t the Asian identity.