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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2013)
Arts & Entertainment Vancouver Theatre Troupe Presents ‘In White America,’ by Martin Duberman Hair continued from page 1 S erendipity Players presents a special Black History Month production of “In White America,” including additional narratives by local storytellers, through Feb. 24, at Serendipity Playhouse, 500 Washington St., Vancouver. The play traces the history of African Americans from the founding of America through the events of school desegregation in Little Rock. In addition, local members of the African American community will be telling person- al stories about their families and growing up, complete with hard- ships, hope and humor. “In White America” is a histori- cal documentary in two acts featuring Maima Fahnbulleh (the show’s director, who plays Sojourner Truth), Rubi Williams, Calvin Kyles, John Robertson, Kate Flanagan, Deborah Brown, Tony Broom, and Ron Munsey Storytellers include Belva Jean Griffin, Huarleen Bane, Kenneth Smith, Charles L. Simmons, Deena Pierott, Dolly England, and Reverend Marva J. Edwards. Tickets are $15 general admis- sion and may be purchased online at www.serendipityplay- ers.org. Reservations can be made by calling 360-834-3588. Tickets are also available at the door. Doors open 30 minutes before the performance. Maima Fahnbulleh plays Sojourner Truth SahRah Stylz SUPER GYRL.” Following this, there will be a panel discussing and demonstrating how to treat Black hair. There will also be a workshop put on by Amber Starks. The second half of the event will feature a fashion show dis- playing Black hairstyles over the ages and a hair battle between local barbers and stylists. There will also be free and low-cost haircuts for kids, as well as music, photos, drumming, poetry and dancing. Crews says this is part of the larger celebration of Black Histo- ry Month, and specifically, is a nod to Madame CJ Walker, who is regarded as the first female self-made millionaire in America. Her fortune came from developing and marketing hair and beauty products for Black women. Crews points out that hair, especially in the Black community, holds more importance than a simple fashion statement. “Hair is political,” says Crews. “The reason why is because you find a lot of people in our culture changing our hair to fit in a cer- tain box or to make it look like who is dominating our society, i.e. straight hair, white people, Caucasians.” Kelsey adds that hairstyle choice can play a role in employment. Some institutions have policies that prohibit employees from ‘The main thing we worry about is how other people think and not how we feel’ --Kisha Kelsey, founder of Sah’Rah Stylz wearing natural Black hairstyles like dreadlocks. Kelsey notes that the corporate community has made some progress and many institutions are becoming more accepting. According to her, natural hair has made a significant comeback on the East Coast, signaling that women’s insistence on wearing nat- ural styles has helped shift societal perceptions. “The biggest question is how it’s going to be accepted in the cor- porate world,” she says. “The main thing we worry about is how other people think and not how we feel.” According to the organizers, the event is targeted towards youth because they are the hardest to reach. High school aged teens are especially difficult, says Kelsey. She notes that most of her clients at Sah’Rah Stylz are 40 and above. By putting on the event, she and Crews also hope to challenge problematic Eurocentric ideals of beauty. “It’s rare that you find African American woman wearing natu- ral hair,” says Crews. “It’s seen as being nappy and not beautiful. To me it seems because it’s not deemed as beautiful. It’s seen as being nappy and not beautiful. It’s important to educate the com- munity and raise awareness about the importance of our culture and our heritage because it’s who we are. “This is how God made us. If we have kinky hair we should be proud of that. We should honor that and celebrate that rather than trying to change that. There’s a scripture in the Bible that says a woman’s hair is her glory. To me it’s like a crown.” The Hairitage Jubilee will be held Feb. 23 at the Ambridge Cen- ter. Family events will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. while adult festivities start at 6 p.m. and go through 10 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and all children 12 and under get in free. The organiz- ers encourage attendees to bring three non-perishable food items to donate to needy people in the community. February 20, 2013 The Portland Skanner Page 9
