Lanita Joseph, creator of “The Monologues of My Nappy Hair” will be joining us as our guest speaker.
From “Straightening Out the Kinks on the Gabby Douglas Hair Debate” by April Scissors
“We’re in a culture that, at every opportunity, pushes Black women toward not loving ourselves. The images and messages we see reflected back to us often suggest that we must look a certain way, dress ourselves in a certain way, wear our hair in a particular way to be loved and accepted….Hair, no matter whose head it stems from, is political.”
Questions for Consideration
What’s so controversial about Black hair? Why was the social-media universe so fixated on Gabby Douglas’ hair? What are the political and historical choices African American women make regarding their hair? What impact does hair have on the life of Black women? Is all hair political?
Want to learn more?
- Gabby Douglas Takes Two Olympic Golds – And Hair Criticism
- On the Matter of Gabby Douglas’s Hair, or for That Matter, My Kinky (Jewish) Hair
- Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics
- The Politics Of Black Hair: The Impact Hair Has On The Life Of The Black Woman
- Melissa Harris-Perry and guests on ‘why black hair matters’
- BE REAL, IT’S NOT JUST HAIR –AND YOU DO CARE
Lanita Joseph has been a self-supporting artist in Chicago as an independent producer, director, choreographer, dancer and filmmaker for the past five years.
Her work has been shown to audiences of thousands on stages such as the Regal Theater, Harold Washington Cultural Center and Chicago Park District. In addition to her own company, she has worked with several prestigious companies such as River North Dance Chicago and Joel Hall Dancers
Free and open to the public. For more information, call 312.422.5580.
If you need a sign interpreter or require other arrangements to fully participate, please call 312.422.5580. For parking locations near the facility, please visit Chicago Parking Map