Sesame Street Song: I love My Hair

by today's Urban Chameleon contributor

The ABC program with Diane Sawyer discussing how and why the new Black puppet on Sesame street singing about her hair came about seems to have also brought on some controversy. The head writer, Joey Mazzarino wrote the song in response to his adopted daughter from Ethiopia complaining about her hair not being beautiful. One commentary wrote, “It took a white man to bring attention to this?”

Black girls (and women for that matter) feeling insecure about their nappy heads has been an issue that has been around for centuries. However, centuries ago white men weren’t adapting Black babies to be raised in a loving home, at least not publicly, where they could be hip to this issue. I cannot recall another time where there was such sensational buzz about Black girls and their hair that had this much cross over appeal. The pattern of irony is that some issues take the right time, right context and yes, right person in order for the light to shed.

Click link for ABC Special

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTG9wwJE5k

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Rihanna "Breaking the Silence" and Saves Lives

Urban Chameleon news

This past Friday, 20/20 premiered Rihanna's new video "Russian Roulet", which was a follow up nugget to Rihanna's interview with Diane Sawyer a week ago “breaking the silence” in regards to the abuse she experienced while in a relationship with singer Chris Brown. Since I missed the interview I looked for it on Youtube to watch especially since they mentioned that the women's domestic abuse hotline had received more than 70% more calls from teenage girls. I was wowed by the unbelievable direct impact this one interview had. Rihanna goes into detail about her physical, psychological and emotion journey including going back to Chris before finally deciding to end the relationship. Rihanna may have saved several lives that day and counting. Thanks god she spoke up.

In not having any direct or indirect experience dealing with domestic abuse I have in the past over looked the subject matter as an “idea” a horrific idea but meaning something with no lasting emotional connection, you hear about it, you’re affected in the moment and then move on. But in watching this interview, seeing again the image of Rihanna's battered face that was released by TMZ and to hear her taking us on her journey, this time the impression was imprinted. I looked up statistics for myself discovering that most abused women range in the ages of 16-24 years old. These are lives that have barely started.

A friend of mine who is a professor at Spelman College has been telling me about the many young women she’s witnessed in abusive relationships with young men from Morehouse too afraid to reach out for help. This is not to put any grand emphasis on a specific college…the point is it’s happening and everywhere.

I hope that by posting this interview it encourages all people to watch, whether male or female for in these instances it’s clear that not only women need rescuing but men do to and whether you are in abusive relationship or not breaking and helping to break silence is imperative…remember we are all here for each other.