Tag Archives: Race

Race and Hair: Do You Wear Your Hair Natural?

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Appreciating Our Natural Hair

I am so happy to soon be witnessing a beautiful example of unity in diversity as demonstrated in my niece’s upcoming nuptials.   I was heartened by the unique respect for diversity that she and her fiance both live and breathe.  He is Indian and Hindu; she is Christian and African-American.  Yes, this is the same couple that is donating their wedding gifts to charity.  So it’s not their diversity alone that make them special, but their character.  I sat in awe at a recent dinner as my niece’s fiance expressed his knowledge of the plight of African American’s in history, his love for the natural texture of my niece’s hair, and his love and respect for both my niece and sister.

He was the one she explained that encouraged her to “go back natural.” She commented that while “going natural” that she had more challenges with people from within our own culture than from the outside.

What Does Hair Mean to You?

Last month I spoke to an audience in Florida at an event organized by 100 Concerned Black Women and the topic of hair came up.  My co-presenter Iris Cooper had cut off her hair and a lady in the audience who self reportedly had worn wigs most of her life challenged why she did it.  The next day the older lady came to a followup session dawning her own hair.  She recounted how freeing it was.  She somehow had felt she needed validation, permission, and acceptance to free herself.  She explained how all her life she was called ugly because of her short hair.  And, now there is another trend, cutting off our hair that we’ve taken so long to grow and  letting go of what “long hair” means.  How do you feel about cutting your hair off?   It appears that we’ve still got a lot of work to do before we get to the point that we realize that we don’t all have to look the same and can see our own naturalness as beautiful.  What does your hair mean to you? Does it represent beauty, culture, image, or identity.  Is it your crown or crowning glory?  Please comment and share “your hair story.”

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Race and Marriage: The Final Frontier

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Baha’ullah writes, ” Glory not that you love your country, but that you love your kind for the earth is one country and mankind its citizens.” 

So many people now of late are speaking of assimilation (melting pot) as the only way to live together in harmony.  Instead of welcoming diversity and learning about it, far too many fear what is different and seek to subjugate or annihilate that which they refuse to try to understand.  The same sun warms us all.  The same light gives us vision. The same red blood runs through our veins.  We truly are one people living on one planet and our strength is in our vision of seeing and acknowledging our unity and our diversity.  That will probably happen when we finally learn that there is only one human race and allow it to play out in our language, conversations, and beliefs.

We Must Create a New Language of Oneness

We’ve got to get rid of terms like “race” , “inter-racial” and “mixed” and create a new language of oneness.  Science has already proved that we are one human race and the “divisive terms of races as we live them now” are not real.  Many people profess to believe in equality and oneness, until it comes to marriage.  Perhaps marriage is the final frontier to traverse to prove to the skeptics, doubters, and racists, that in reality we are all the same specie. What do you think?  How do you view marriages between people of different ethnicities?  Would you marry someone of a different ethnicity, color, or religion than you?  What about if it were your children?  Since there is ONLY ONE HUMAN race, how do you feel about getting rid of man-made, divisive, and erroneous terms?  And what are your suggestions for bringing about the oneness and conciliation that our world is literally dying for lack of?

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

Let’s Talk Race!

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The Onion Network did a spoof on race on their satirical internet news show.  A pretty young 16-year old white girl stabs her classmate to death with a screwdriver.  The judge declares that she is to be tried as an adult 300 pound black man.  Her mother replies, “We’re going to make sure that Hanna is treated with the sympathy and sensitivity that she as a photogenic white girl deserves.“ Her father laments, “Nobody deserves to be treated as a black man!“ They went on to say if she had to be tried as an African- American, at least make her a celebrity or a “stunningly beautiful Filipino.”  FUNNY? INSENSITIVE? CREATIVE SATIRE? ENTERTAINING PARODY? EDUCATIONAL? INFORMATIVE? {NOW, BE AWARE: THIS IS NOT TRUE} But it does make you think, doesn’t it?

Please comment and tell me what you think.

While the above satire is not true, many incidents of race are.  The above fake story on the Onion network had about 1000 tweets and 137,941 views in just two days of its release on January 23rd when I looked at it on the 25th.  From, some of the comments after the Youtube video (which had over 71,000 views), some people actually thought it was true and were admittedly very angry about it.  But, why, incite anger?  As I’ve said before, “If you don’t want people playing the race card, then take it out of the deck!”   I’m trying real hard to not think of race, but when I see reminders of reality through realistic faux news like this, and REAL stories like, NAACP fears another lynching in Mississippi, and the Governor of Maine tells the NAACP to “Kiss my butt,” and a Louisiana Judge Refusing an Inter-racial Marriage,  it causes me to go hmmm.  But, what’s your take?  Now, to be fair, these are three instances that cause alarm, we have even more examples of us working together, colorblind, in unity.  So, to balance the story, please share stories of where race unity is working too and racism does not exist!

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out: What Does Barbara Do? or visit  my website.

5th of My Fave Five Dr. King Quotes: On Unity

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Unity

And last, but not least, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about unity.  In spite of all the “unearned suffering” he endured, nothing he did was about revenge, hatred, or getting even.  He always took the high road.  He just continually worked to make the world a better place for his children.   Inspired and even driven by the non-violent tenets of Gandhi, he lived the proverbial teaching, “Turn the other cheek.”   We celebrate his life because he gave us hope.  He gave us a role model who endured monumental suffering and still stood tall.  He was truly “his brothers’ keeper.”

Dr. King Dreamed of Unity

I cannot possibly conclude a reflection on the impact of Dr. King’s life without mentioning his most famous speech, ‘I have a Dream.’  Watching his prophetic dream come more and more into focus underscores the importance of vision and that we should all have a dream we can believe in.  To me, his dream was primarily about unity.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.”

One Day We Will Not Be Judged By the Color Our Skins

I believe that nothing can begin to bring about unity and cooperation better than the genuine acknowledgement that we are all created equal.   There is no superior race; just as there is no inferior race.  There is only one human race and science and religion has proven it.  Dr. King dreamed that one day we would, “sit together at the table of brotherhood,” and that his children would “one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”   Our hatred, fear, selfishness and ignorance continues to keep us at odds with each other.  We’ve got to remember that unity sets us all free.

The Historical Unity Between Blacks and Whites

I have a Black History Month presentation that I offer entitled, “The Historical Unity between Blacks and Whites.”  In this presentation I focus on the wonderful and often unacknowledged contributions of African Americans.  Black history is about black and white history.  It is impossible to fully tell our story without telling his story.   I share the true history, both good and bad.  But, I choose to also acknowledge the positive contributions of the whites.  This strategy leaves both Blacks and Whites feeling more unified, grateful and proud of their past unity, instead of reminders of victimization, anger, hatred, and shame.  This climate of mutual respect can go a long way to building bridges of understanding, respect, and appreciation.

Let’s Join Together in Our Common Struggle

The words of his wife, Coretta Scott King reinforce his desire for unity of all people.

  “The civil rights movement, which Martin led, gave fresh emphasis to the timelessness of our ideals and inspired countless millions around the world.  With Martin’s holiday, we celebrate those heroes and heroines, not only blacks, but of all races and religions, who struggled, suffered, persevered, and helped to change our Nation for the better…  Martin called upon peoples of every nation to join together in a common struggle against the enemies of humanity: Tyranny, poverty, racism, disease, and war.  The national holiday is a time for personal re-commitment to do something about these evils.”

Barbara Talley is a keynote speaker, author, poet, and trainer who can be reached at www.thepoetspeaks.com.  Still looking for a keynote speaker for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, or Administrative Professional Day, phone Barbara at 301-428-4831.