Uploaded on Oct 10, 2009
‘Slit my wrists, my blood does not excrete in black and white’ prophesizes 13-year old Zora in her poem entitled ‘Bi-Racial Hair’ which was performed live in front of 1500 of her peers and adult allies at the 2006 Urban Word NYC Teen Poetry Slam.
My short film of the same title, is a satirical look at the racial tension young African American’s experience who are of mixed ethnic backgrounds. Using Zora’s poem as the thread, the film follows her initial comedic rant about the challenges she faces in stylizing her hair to her personal frustrations of being teased about her ethnicity by her African American peers. The film weaves between fictional reanctments, archival footage of the civil rights movement and Zora’s infamous live spoken word performance, Illustrating the struggles youth of mixed color face with identity and social position. Zora’s resolution about proposing a ‘new race’ sheds light on the complexity and depth of the racist wounds our nation still faces 150 years after the abolishment of slavery.
‘Bi-Racial Hair’ was one of five short pitches chosen for WGBH Lab and the National Black Programming Consortium’s ‘Eviction Notice’ Open Call which gave production funding and online feedback to the chosen filmmakers. It was broadcasted on Independent Lens for Black History Month in February 2009 and won a Boston/New England Emmy Award for Outstanding Advanced Media Interactivity
Don’t need a trip to the beauty shop,
’cause I love what I got on top.
It’s curly and it’s brown and it’s right up there!
You know what I love? That’s right, my hair!
I really love my hair.
I love my hair. I love my hair.
There’s nothing else that can compare with my hair.
I love my hair, so I must declare:
I really, really, really love my hair.
Wear a clippy or in a bow
Or let it sit in an afro
My hair looks good in a cornrow
It does so many things you know, that’s why I let it grow
I love my hair, I love my hair
I love it and I have to share
I love my hair, I love my hair!
I want to make the world aware I love my hair.
I wear it up. I wear down. I wear it twisted all around.
I wear braids and pigtails too.
I love all the things my hair can do.
In barrettes or flying free, ever perfect tresses you’ll see
My hair is part of me, an awesome part of me
I really love my hair!
In France, women are now officially banned from wearing full-face veils in public, after a controversial law came into effect. While the government says the move is aimed at helping Muslims adapt to the local community, critics accuse President Sarkozee of persecuting Islam, to win back votes from the right. But in a country with Europe’s biggest Muslim population, the law risks igniting social tensions, as Daniel Bushell reports.
