WTF: Oakland Salon Beating Victim Refuses to Testify!

 

Cavenia Bryant has been arrested for her involvement in the Oakland beauty shop beating posted on You Tube. “We’re close on bringing them in. We don’t want to scare them by releasing the names publicly,” said Jeff Thomason, Public Information Officer for the Oakland Police Department.

The May 5 assault took place around 5:50 p.m., but the victim, Melissa Seals, didn’t call the Oakland Police Department until around 7 p.m., Thomason reported. Officers responded and took Seals’ statement: six women entered her Oakland hair salon as Seals cut a customer’s hair, they locked the door from the inside, then two of the women proceeded to beat Seals for several minutes. Three other women watched the attack and a fourth videotaped the beating.
After giving her statement to the responding officers Seals declined to press charges or identify any of the women involved in the attack, according to OPD records. Seals’ refused to press charges for the misdemeanor assault; the officers were obligated by department policy to take a report and close the case without further investigation.

 

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: oakland salon beating,black news headlines,african american news

Kim Kardashian Gets new hair

Kim K was spotted strutting down the streets of NYC with a new hair color and an attitude to match! If it wasn't for the unmistakable crowd behind her I would swear she was in the middle of a photo shoot or something! You better work bitch ;-)

Technorati Tags: kim kardashian,black celebrity gossip

Black News: Queen Latifah’s Legal Problems with her Stylists

 

Hip Hop star turned actress Queen Latifah is being hit with two separate lawsuits from former stylists for a total of roughly $1M dollars.  In both cases, the women claim that Latifah owes them back fees for consulting with her on her Covergirl and Curvations lines. 

What’s worse for Latifah is that the suits threaten to expose her lifestyle “whatever that may be……” Should be interesting to see what the cases expose.  This could be even worse for the Queen’s bottom line.

Technorati Tags: queen latifah,black news,african american news,black celebrities,african american celebrities,black celebrity gossip

Huh? Has Cassie Lost Her Damn Mind?

Nope your eyes aren't playing tricks on you that's Diddy's chick Cassie all half shaved. Now I am not sure what the hell she was thinking maybe she was trying to be like Amber Rose or maybe she just got bored, but then again what else is a girl to do when she is irrelevant. Peep some more pics of her new look below.

I ain't even gonna hate on her she is definitely pretty enough to rock this look
Someone needs to tell her that the "Partying Like a Rockstar" trend is over

Technorati Tags: diddy,cassie,hip hop,black celebrity gossip

Different Hairstyle, same Look: Sasha Obama's Look-a-like

Ariel Binns is cute, smart, outgoing and looks remarkably like first daughter Sasha Obama.

Young model Ariel Binns, right, resembles Sasha Obama.

The similarity has not gone unnoticed by the fashion industry. Harper's Bazaar magazine cast the 6-year-old Brooklyn, New York, first-grader with model Tyra Banks in a photo spread showing an African-American family in the White House.

Binns, a child model, was peering out from under a big wooden desk in an image reminiscent of John F. Kennedy's time in office.

When it comes to fashion there's nothing like a powerful brand to boost sales, especially if that brand is a dynamic first family.

"Marketers are finally waking up to it -- you know -- black is beautiful," says global branding expert David Rogers who predicts African-American models will play a more prominent role in fashion photography as a direct result of the Obamas. "It's just going to become part of the fabric of the fashion imagery of pop culture, which is a great thing," says Rogers. Watch young first daughter look-alike model »

At Wilhelmina Kids, a modeling agency in New York for kids and teens, agents say there is increased demand for first daughter look-alikes.

"It's a trend because, what little girl doesn't want to emulate the first kids?" said Marlene Wallach, president of Wilhelmina, which represents Binns.

Unlike the Bush twins or Chelsea Clinton, global branding experts say the appeal of the Obama girls is unique -- and infinitely marketable. After the first kids appeared in their J.Crew outfits on Inauguration Day, the company's Web site got so many hits, it crashed.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: barack obama,obama family,sasha obama,black news headlines,african american news,black news

Black women and beauty: Make Up Apps for Black Women

Technorati Tags: black beauty tips,african american women,black women,black beauty,black hair,african american hair

Black Hair Style: How To Sleek Wrap and Roller Wrap Your Hair

Wrapping the hair is a concept well known to many Black women, but some people either have never tried wrapping their hair, or just don't know if they're doing it correctly. Here's a quick how to from BlackHairMedia.com:

Sleek Wrap

A wrap set is a great way to get a sleek look! You will need a comb, setting lotion and hair clips (these are optional depending upon how long your hair is) and/or some paper wrap strips.
Step 1: Shampoo and condition your hair and apply setting lotion
Step 2: Use your comb and comb/wrap your hair around in a beehive or
circle, blending the hair together all around your head
Step 3: Secure where you hair joins with hair clips, or you can place a
wrap strip around your head to secure your hair in place
Step 4: Dry your hair under a hooded dryer, remove clips or wrap strip and
comb and style


Dry Wrap or Roller Wrap Set

To do the roller wrap set, also know as the doobie, you will need to roller set your hair, dry it under a hooded dryer, take the rollers out, then comb/brush your hair around in a wrap). Leave it wrapped for a while and when you comb it down, you will have big loose wavy curls with lots of body.


(Here's a video on how to do it)

Black Hair should be a Black Business

The Black Hair industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. This industry has created other revenue generating vessels such as, conferences, schools, distribution, competitions, marketing, and even research. With an industry that is so huge and driven by the black dollar, one would expect that this industry would be under the direct control of those that make it successful, the black race. However, it is not. Though blacks still control many of the hair salons and barbershops, there is still a major disparity in many of the other businesses within this industry. Plus, recent trends have begun to emerge in the marketplace that threatens the ownership of those two entities. There is a new business model for salons, Korean-Owned and Black-Operated. This new model is growing rapidly and becoming a success among the community. While customers can continue to receive services from a familiar black stylist, the dollar ultimately goes to the Korean community.

It’s absolutely not a bad thing that Koreans are becoming fierce competitors and business owners in this black industry, so standing on the sidelines boycotting these establishments or calling for them to discontinue is a way that further perpetuates the blacks’ “right to survivorship” thinking. Blacks should not expect to be able to merely sit on a golden egg that was handed to them and not expect others to want a piece of it. The golden egg must be protected and guarded like the lion guards its kill from the hyena. Since the system we live under a capitalist system, the way a person or group rises to great wealth and sustainability is through competitive edges. Is this true? The retail segment of the black hair business is another entity that works to cipher the dollar from black community and be sent elsewhere. After research of over 800 black served beauty supply stores, we uncovered an ownership base of less than 5%. Of these same stores during a 6-month evaluation we found more than 97% of black consumers.

Is this a huge snowballing problem that should be addressed? Do blacks have the resources and opportunities within their communities but are simply not harnessing these opportunities? The problem of a low number of retail stores does not begin there. It begins at the distribution level. There is still a significant amount of black manufacturers of products but once these products leave the black manufacturers, they are placed in the hands of Korean distributors then the problem begins. Once the Korean distributors get a hold of the products they do two things: 1. They selectively distribute the products to retailers and sometimes at different prices. 2. They study the black products and soon create prototypes and begin marketing these prototypes to their huge Korean retailer base. Lucky White, CEO of Kizure Products, has boasted this as being one of her major dilemmas in her business slowdown. She is not only being competed against by other equipment manufacturers, the distributors are acting as lobbyist for her competitor.

In an industry that resulted in billions due to pioneer, Madame C.J. Walker, a black woman born into poor conditions in the early 20th century, one would expect the blueprint to this industry to be studied and executed by blacks across America but sadly this has not been the case. Why? It is not as simple as setting up shop and waiting for high profits anymore. Retail storeowners are facing many competitive obstacles such as capital, a large selection of products, and pricing. In most cases, getting an account with a Korean distributor as a Black person means you face an uphill battle. First, the distributor must approve your location before agreeing to supply your store. If they agree, now payments must be made in cash upfront with no delayed terms of payment. This is perhaps the hugest obstacle a new black storeowner faces. Then, this is a rippling effect. If distributors are consuming the capital instantly, then there is less available for the new black owner to obtain an abundant variation of products. Lastly, the pricing advantage many Korean stores are able to provide for the black consumer keeps them coming back over and over again, showing very little regard to a black storeowner down the block. This pricing advantage is also a resource for the Koreans because of the relationship they have with the Korean distributors.

However, the nail has not yet been driven into the coffin of the black lockout of their stake in this industry. I am living proof. I emotionally entered into this industry when I was thrown out of a Korean-Owned beauty supply store while I was attempting to make a huge purchase for my salon. The owner felt uncomfortable with me browsing and being selective. His frustration grew to rage so he then threatened me with a golf club eventually throwing me out of his store. Like many black men, I didn’t know of the huge lockout that took place in this industry until I had already signed a $5,000 lease for a location. My uphill battle began as distributors wanted cash and many didn’t even return my phone calls. Little did many of them know my persistence is abnormal. I took daytrips on airlines to physically walk into locations in New York and Miami until I got what I wanted. My goal was to give our community options in shopping while receiving the respect they deserved. My one location turned into three in 18 short months. Trial and error was my ally. As I learned, I perfected. Here a few things that an aspiring owner can implement.


Communicate with other owners – Find other owners willing to communicate with you in your market and even throughout the country. They are more than willing to share valuable information with you and you should do the same.

Automate the Store – In this fast-paced era, do not rely on spreadsheets and manual inventory tracking. This can slowdown your customer fulfillment process and tie up valuable time that could be used elsewhere.


Be a competitive and creative owner – Do not do what the next guy is doing, do what he isn’t. Establish store niches.

Establish Non-Competitive Clauses – Secure your market share within your mall at the least. Do not leave the gate wide open.


Manage the Cash Effectively – From your gross, pre-allocate percentages for capital expenditures, marketing, taxes, procurement, payroll, etc and have different bank accounts for each one with the monies being deposited systematically. Do not rely on self to divvy up or disburse the funds as you receive revenue.

Form Alliances Outside the Black Hair Industry – I once went to a children’s theme park with my sons and discovered that a local pizza franchise provided the pizzas for the business at a discounted rate. These opportunities exist for beauty storeowners as well. I established plenty. One place is funeral homes.


Seek Consulting – Never think you know it all. I had two beauty storeowners that acted as my mentors for the first year. I compensated them for intense assistance but for quick advice they were glad to help. Expect nothing for free. Allocate funds for this too.

Location, Location, Location – Do not pick a convenient location for you, pick a convenient location for the customer. There are moneymaking opportunities even when there is an existing beauty store. Don’t be afraid of the competition. The way you operate may be the way the customers in that market prefer.

Though I have highlighted distribution as the component needed, it is not the way to launching strategic efforts, and neither is boycotting. Building up the amount of black-owned retail stores is the first step in a strategic plan like this. The demand must first be created if a black distribution plant is to be successful. The black hair business is a cash cow but in its current state the cow is jumping over the moon with the moneybag heading to other communities.

Devin Robinson is the author of Taking it Back: How to Become a Successful Black Beauty Supply Store Owner who resides in Atlanta, GA. Visit his website at http://www.takingitbackblack.com/.

Flexi-Strand: New Method of Wearing Weaves

Weaves and wigs are now about as common as MacDonald's cheeseburgers. White, Black, Asian and Hispanic women alike can revamp their do's with adding weave.

The well known methods for applying weave are:

Hair Clips- simple and quick way to attach weave by a clip (can easily fall out, not for long term)

Hair Bonding- using hair glue (which I absolutely hate, since it does major damage and is sticky/hard to get out)

Sew-Ins- using a hair needle and hair thread to sew in weave to cornrows (I usually do this method for my clients)

Hair Fusion- the use of a keratin based polymer (cold fusion) or a hot glue (hot fusion) to tightly bond and blend weave to hair (although this is quite costly).


Now there's a new method called Flexi-Strands. They're simple, you just braid it into the hair, and they last long. I don't know much about this method yet, and it doesn't seem readily available yet. If you've had this done, please leave feedback!

Check out the Flexi-Strand website

For a tutorial/visual, check out this YouTube video (copy and paste link to video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fydhad2973U&feature=related

Natural Beauty According to Nappturality.com

Many women of African descent all over the world have stopped relaxing, straightening, and playing with their hair, and have started embracing the natural look. There are many different reasons why people decided to go natural, whether it is because of hair damage from chemicals, scalp problems, illnesses, finances, hair loss, being tired of spending hours at the beauty salon/weaving lady's house....or simply curiosity. Or, if they're anything like me, others are just looking for something new and interesting to try when it comes to black hair.

No matter why we choose to go natural, it is a very convenient choice when it comes to maintenance, and it is definitely something that our wallets will thank us for.


The site Nappturality.com is a website dedicated solely and specifically to the woman who chooses to go "au natural". The site was created to help those who were simply looking for healthy, beautiful and painless hair solutions, and those who needed to see things that actually worked for others.

Nappturality.com provides photographs, Black natural hair articles and journals, links to websites, forums, other information and links about the care, maintenance and politics of natural hair.

The site is also a community where people discuss and upload their own photos, so if you're already wearing it natural, check the site out...and then come back and tell us about your experience!

Black Hair Documentary: Black Women Can Learn from This

I found that this black hairstyle documentary by Aron Ranen was something that alot of black women should see. It describes some of the history and perspectives of black women's hair, as well as who controls the black hair market. It gives black people something to think about.

Beautiful Black Locks: The Keys to Great Black Hair

Bobs and crops are bold and beautiful but if you want longer, healthier hair we’ve got some tips for you.

Cut the damage. If your ends are fried and tried, scraggly and haggard, disappearing and raggedy let them go. They may add to the length but long doesn’t always mean pretty. Visit your stylist and tell her to cut until it’s even and healthy.

Increase circulation. You can do this in two ways.

1) Get up off of the couch and get your heart pumping. Exercise, it just keeps coming back doesn’t it.

2) Give yourself a daily scalp massage using your fingertips.

You are what you eat. What goes in helps what comes out. Foods rich in vitamins A, B, C and E are essential for growing healthy hair and iron and zinc are proven to help your hair grow its fastest.

Keep it clean, especially if you use a lot of products. Remember, the days of petroleum and mineral oil based hair grease and conditioners have retired. Product build-up can clog follicles and prevent your hair from growing. Be sure to shampoo often (talk to your stylist about how often is often enough for you) and give your hairbrushes and combs a weekly cleansing too so that you’re not re-brushing in old dirt and oil.

Be kind. Long hair is old hair. Swap abrasive products for gentler ones formulated for your hair type. Add a deep treatment or hair mask to your regimen and try to stay away from heat-styling appliances.

Get regular trims. You want your hair to stay undamaged and split-end free. Otherwise you’ll end up back where you started.

The 411 on Remy Lace Wigs

So, we've heard that Lace Wigs are widely popular with celebrities, and quickly became the next big thing for black hair. What exactly are these wigs? And just how available or pricey are they?

Here is a quick guide to Lace Wigs. (answers found on lacewigsmade4u.com)


Q: What is Remy/Remi Indian hair?

A:Remy hair, also called virgin, cuticle or cut hair; is the highest quality human hair you can find on the market. It is in its natural state, free from chemical processing of any kind. It only comes in natural colors such as black, off black, dark brown, and medium brown. Remy hair is special because each bundle comes directly from a single donors head. This allows each bundle to keep the consistency of texture, color and length. It is then cleaned and sorted to be packaged. The cuticles of the hair are all intact and facing in the same direction. This eliminates the worrisome pain of tangles and matting. Remy hair can be dyed, permed, styled, set and blown dry to suit the individual. It is the softest and most natural hair available to buy. It looks and feels like actual hair, because it is! This hair is not something you see in at the beauty supply store because of the price.

Q. Can I straighten or curl this hair with curling irons etc?

A. Yes. This hair is 100% human hair and reacts to styling just like your own natural hair. Curly/wavy textures curl up when wet, but they can easily be flat ironed for a straight look.


Q. How long will the wig last?

A. You unit can last for years depending on your usage and upkeep.




Beyonce, Tyra, Kelly, and J. Hud are only a few of the many celebrities that have worn lace wigs. I've heard nothing but good reviews, and these wigs look real.

Are they really worth the $300 price? If you've ever worn one please leave a testimony!

Black Women & Hair Growth

A lot of us struggle with hair growth, breakage, and all around treatment. Hair is sometimes a burden, and almost always a job to maintain. This problem in the African American hair community may finally have some answers...or at least suggestions we can try.

From researching black hair growth all around the web, I have found some tips to help, and they also adjust your diet a bit.


Ways To Grow Black Hair

1. Eat Leafy Greens.

These veggies have some vitamins that can help: vitamin A, C, Calcium and Fiber. Our usual Sunday dinner greens can help with hair growth if you eat them more than once a week. Try adding collard greens, spinach, lettuce and kale to your weekly diet.


2. Eat More Protein.

Eating such foods as fish, nuts, beans and meat provide you with the necessary protein that can help hair growth. If you're not much of a cooker, try protein shakes.


3. Take Vitamins.

Amino Acids, Vitamin B, and Omega 3 and 6 are some necessary vitamins you can add to your diet that help hair growth. If you're not one for taking pills, try adding foods that contain these vitamins.


4. Watch What You Drink.

Water, water and more water. You can't go wrong with lots of water! Not only does water help your body, it helps your hair growth by transporting necessary nutrients to your scalp. Cut back or cut out the alcohol, sugary drinks and acids.


5. Use Natural Hair Care Products.

If the box or bottle boasts something you know is edible, it's probably good for your hair! Try things with olive oil or carrot oil. Try products such as those from the Beauty 4 Ashes hair care line. (discoverb4a.com)




FEATURED PRODUCT: BEAUTY 4 ASHES- DOUBLE PORTION SUPER HAIR GROWTH SYSTEM

Braids and the Angry Black Woman: Acceptable in the Workplace?

There has been a long-time notion that braids are not acceptable for black women in the workplace. I've seen black women passed over during interviews from my company in part due to stereotypes created from the first impression. Much of this first impression of the black woman relates to the style of hair she wears. A woman with braids with a cold disposition may even get the label of being an "angry black woman".

So, my question is whether or not black women wearing braids in the workplace is acceptable. If it is not acceptable, then why not? I have known many brilliant black women in college who wore braids, but some of them cut their hair when they go after their first corporate interview. Are braids a big enough piece of African American culture for us to fight over it, or should be just assimilate to fit in?

If we do fit in, then what style of hair works best? I would like to know if anyone else has guidance on this issue.

Getting to the Root of it all: Black Women's Hair

by Camille Darby, FIERCE411.com

It's never been denied that women are granted one of the many gifts that augment physical beauty - our hair. Twist it, lock it, braid it, curl it, straighten it or simply let it free, the options are endless. Yet, no matter how we decide to define our own beauty, time and time again, our hair seems to be the medium by which others judge how we feel about ourselves and often times what we even believe.

My grandmother always reminds me that a woman's beauty lies within her hair. Now that I've experimented with various hairstyles throughout my twenty-odd years on earth, how exactly is that beauty defined? There are countless attributes, both inside and out that make us all beautiful - our hair may or may not be one of them. So perhaps her traditional ways play a role in her ideology about beauty. But beauty is multidimensional and as the overused but accurate quote states: "it's in the eye of the beholder."

As I try to get to the root of this I am immediately reminded of an encounter I had with a widely known female poet from Jamaica (I'll leave you to fill in all the blanks). Boasting a wild Afro, she sparked up a few conversations with each of my housemates when out of the blue, she boldly asked me if I am not uncomfortable with the rollers that sat on my head. "By uncomfortable, what do you mean?", I asked. And to no surprise she attempted to provide me with a history lesson about black hair and in her opinion, the automatic self-deprecation that is coupled with straightening one's hair. I was disappointed but not taken aback as I thought "Oh boy, here we go again…another blacker than thou discussion!"

Living amongst other black females, who all sported various "natural" hairstyles, my relaxed hair (and the rollers that curled it) stood as a beacon that shone a light on my ocean of supposed self-hate. "Why would you do that to yourself?" she inquired relentlessly. "Do what to myself," I immediately fired back, "do my hair?" It wasn't my posture or body language, which are normally good indicators of how one may feel about his or herself-it was my hair. What about my relaxed hair is powerful enough for anyone to make a judgment about what I believe or even assume that I automatically hate myself?

Needless to say our conversation did not end well. But later that night, I asked myself once more, "Why is it that our hair-one of our many physical characteristics-speak such high volumes about who we are and what we believe?" Now don't get me wrong, looks are often enough to trigger a red or green flag; but in this day and age when hairstyles do not necessarily signify a particular political or social view as they did from the 1920s to the 1970s, but instead exhibit versatility, personal taste and freedom, why must we continue this exhaustive conversation?

It is conversations like the one I experienced that reassure us that as humans we are constantly evolving. The changes that we commit to, whether spiritual, mental or physical exhibit our many dimensions that allow us to further define our inner and outer beauty.

Flowing dreadlocks, extraordinarily sculpted braids, loose twists, a shimmering baldhead, or even a weave longer than Naomi Campbell's illustrates that we, as women, have a plethora of choices. And though our hair (or lack thereof) helps in creating our physical beauty, one can only truly judge beauty by the knowledge way beneath the scalp and the love deep within our hearts.

Happy hairstyling!


About The Author: Camille Darby received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College with concentrations in Urban Studies and Creative Writing. She is the editor for two online newsletters, and is also a writer for both the stage and screen. Camille attends the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University where she is working
towards an MFA in Dramatic Writing.

Top 5 Black Hair Care Myths

Over the years I have done a lot of hair and met a lot of people. With that has come some incredibly false information about how to take care of our black hair. I know the feeling, after a while we just don't know what to believe or what works. Well, here are at least 5 things you can be sure about:


Top 5 Black Hair Care Myths: True or False?

1. Relaxed hair will NOT grow.

- This is FALSE. Relaxing the hair does present a lot of chemicals that your hair may not be used to, but that doesn't necessarily hinder growth. Proper upkeep after a relaxer can maintain hair growth. By not applying too much heat (blow dryers, straighterners, etc.) and other chemicals closely after relaxing, you can prevent a lot of damage. Further help with relaxing hair will be featured in this blog soon.

2. Black Women should NOT wash their hair.

- This is definitely FALSE. Black women should NOT wash their hair EVERYDAY. Unlike our white friends, Black hair is much more dry and excessive washing can lead to excessive breakage. We should not wash it every day, but instead once every 3-7 days depending on your level of dryness. A mistake often made is not washing it for extended amounts of time, such as every 2 weeks, or even months while hair is braided or weaved. Instead, very dirty hair can slow down hair growth.

3. Herbs help hair growth.

- This is TRUE. Some herbs such as rosemary, chamomile and ginkgo are as good for the hair as they are for the body. Our friends at Kristen Lock detail the herbs myth on their site. (Check it out here: http://www.kristenlock.com/Herbal-Remedies-For-Black-Hair-Growth)


4. Leave-In-Conditioners DO NOT work.

- This is FALSE. Leave-In-Conditioners provide hydration and nutrients necessary for hair health. In fact, you can use leave-in-conditioners often without shampoo, especially after washing or quick rinses to maintain curls (for those of us with natural waves).


5. Massaging the scalp regularly stimulates hair growth.

- This is TRUE. Massaging the scalp regularly can stimulate hair folicles to grow. A daily 5 minute massage can help your hair grow (in addition to proper hair care), and make you feel better and calm while you're at it!



FEATURED PRODUCT: Motions Nourish Leave-In Conditioner.



This spray is easy to use, and leaves hair managable, fresh and detangled. It is about $5 at hair supply stores.



There are many myths, do's, and don'ts to black hair care, and I will make sure to tell you what I know, what works, and what just doesn't! Some of it will come from my own personal experiences with doing hair, and others will come from questions and comments, so feel free to leave some!