http://www.essence.com/hair/hair_story/sesame_street_teaches_girls_to_love_their_hair.php

I love this video. Sesame street is taking a stand in helping young girls love and appreciate their hair!

http://www.essence.com/hair/hair_story/sesame_street_teaches_girls_to_love_their_hair.php

Crown and Temple Introduces Robin

Crown and Temple is happy to introduce our new series, Naturally Professional.  This series will examine the experiences of professional women with natural hair. 

Please join Crown and Temple  as we welcome Robin, a natural professional who works in Higher Education.  

Please click the picture to read more about Robin's experience.

Crown and Temple Introduces Naturally Professional

Professional Women with Natural Hair....We Want to Hear from You... 

When I told my peers I was going to get Sisterlocks they were excited for me and supported my decision but some made sure to let me know they could never do it because natural hairstyles are not accepted in the professional world.  Sure, it hurt my feelings to hear my friends say they thought my choice was unprofessional but it did not make me question my decision. 

I remember walking to the gym on day, reflecting on what we do as black women to fit into a professional environment.  For many of us, it means we cannot wear our hair the way it naturally grows out of the scalp.  Then I realized many of  us do not even consider the fact we feel we have to chemically alter our natural hair to be considered professional.  This began to bother me on another level as I tried to think of another race of people with the same dilemma but could not.   

Although, I have only had Sisterlocks since March, 2010, I have been natural for 10 years working in a professional environment and can say most of my experiences have been very positive.  However, natural hair has been in the news recently as the reason for disqualifying candidates for employment at Six Flags.  Additionally it was not too long ago when a Glamour magazine staffer told a group of female lawyers that natural hair was not suited for a corporate environment.  Given these cases, I understand why choosing to go natural could pose a legitimate concern for professional women. 

Since living in the Bay Area, I have been blessed to see many women of color wearing their natural crowns in the corporate environment.  Additionally, top executives, Ursula Burns, the first black female CEO at Xerox and Constance White, Style Director at Ebay are not afraid of showing their natural beauty to the world and certainly did not let the hair dilemma stand in their way! 

Crown and Temple knows there are more natural, professional women out there and we want to hear from you.  Take pictures of your natural, professional style and be featured as one of our Naturally Professional, movers and shakers.  We are not alone out there so let's show all those in doubt that our hair is not only beautiful but women with natural hair are successful in professional environments.
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Crown and Temple is happy to introduce our new series, Naturally Professional.  This series will examine the experiences of professional women with natural hair. 

Please join Crown and Temple in welcoming our first Natural Professional of the series, Rahkia, a Writer who works for a public relations firm.  

Please click the picture to read more about Rahkia's experience.

Introducing Crown and Temple

http://crowntemple.blogspot.com/

Many of you know I write two blogs, Crown and Sis Nufit. I recently decided to combine these interests in a more complete blog called Crown and Temple, a natural hair, fashion and fitness blog. 

I have found many of you who are on a natural hair journey are also very interested in topics concerning health, fitness and fashion. If you are interested in exploring and discussing our natural beauty as a whole, please check out my new blog, Crown and Temple. 

A Simple Gift

I hate impulse buying.  One of my shopping rules is to look at something and walk away.  If it is still calling to me after leaving the store I may then go back and purchase.

This past weekend, while attending the Woman's Prayer Breakfast put on by the Women of Faith at Revelation Christian Fellowship in San Leandro California, I had a very similar experience.  I spotted these beautiful flowered earrings at Danielle's vendor table (A Twist of Color Jewelry & Accessories).  They were gorgeous.  During each break I would return to admire these earrings knowing I could not afford to purchase at that time, instead I asked Danielle for her business card.  Then I stood towards the end of the table and watched longingly as other people purchased some of her creations.  My heart sank when I saw her put the pair of earrings I wanted into a bag.

I went back to my seat, my friend's chair was empty as she had not yet returned from the ladies room, or so I thought.  She returned to her seat, placing a cute little gift bag into my hands.  At first, I thought she wanted me to place it in the empty seat next to me.  She laughed and said, "no, those are for you."  I knew right away what was in the bag but I was still filled with shock and disbelief. She is so slick!  How did she pull this one off?  It really does take a lot to surprise me, and she got me good! 

I don't think my friend knew she made me cry that day.  I was just having one of those weeks where nothing seemed to be going my way.  She really has no idea how much this gift means to me.  They are so much more than the beautiful earrings she gave.  I took it as a message from my heavenly father, saying, "I see you and hear you my beautiful daughter, hear is something to make you smile."

Her kind gesture is making me smile from the inside out.  You never know when your friend is in need of a kind gesture, gift or simple prayer.  When you feel the need to do something special for someone.  Don't hesitate just do it!

I Want the White Doll

Growing up, I loved Barbie.  I can even remember a time when my mother, trying to get me to see my own beauty, thought she would surprise me with a black doll while shopping one day;  to her surprise and embarrassment, she pulled the black doll off the shelf, causing a complete meltdown of screaming in the middle of the floor, "Mommy I want the white doll, I want the white doll."  My mother was truly embarrassed and proceeded to pick me up and march me right out of that store.  You can only imagine what happened next as it was a different time back then and mothers did not believe in their children throwing fits in the middle of the floor in a store of all places.

My mother still recalls this incident even into my adulthood.  She says she is still hurt by the fact that her daughter rejected the black doll and in turn rejected her own beauty. I still remember preferring the white dolls over the black dolls as a child.  I just thought they were more beautiful and I even remember wishing and praying for long straight hair.  When I learned Mattel released a new line of African American, So In Style dolls, I was very excited!

I also discovered African American mom, Stacey McBride-Irby, who also wanted her daughter to grow up seeing beautiful images of black people reflected in her toys, was the designer of the So In Style Line.

While I celebrate the accomplishment of McBride-Irby and think her creations are beautiful, I am a little saddened by the fact that all of these dolls have silky straight hair unless you curl it or twist it with one of the doll's styling tools.  I am thankful to see these dolls appear in a variety of skin tones as we all know black beauty comes in many different packages and shades.  I would also like to see our varying types of beauty reflected in their hair and sincerely hope Mattel and MicBride-Irby will consider developing dolls with naturally textured hair for future lines.

Mom and Me

I just wanted to share this photo of my mom and I sporting our Sisterlocks.  It is always good to spend time with my mom and now we have more time to spend because we don't have to spend hours on our hair.  We just do a finger comb and go.  Mom is 3 months Sisterlocked and I am almost 5.