OK, I am burning up! I usually don't get this mad...I am the queen of finding the positive in every situation but this time I am just pissed off!! My Sistah Friend just told me that our "niece" the very sweet, straight A, honor roll student, who wants to become a doctor, who volunteers, was told by Six Flags of Georgia that she could NOT work there because she has locs! They told her that they consider locs a safety issue. They said that she could sign a "religious" waiver saying she was a Rasta and that her religion requires her to wear her hair loc'd and perhaps she would be hired????!! I am trippin' while I am writing this...I don't know why??? This country is STILL RACIST but come on!! When I lived in Cali they at least tried to pretend they didn't hire you because you lacked some nebulous qualification. The South however is a trip! The outward extreme of the oppression is a bit shocking but at the same time I do prefer to KNOW why I am being discriminated against then just to walk around feeling inadequate but never know why...I know this kind of treatment happens all over and I love living in the south for many other reasons but this offensive treatment of Black folks living in their natural nappy state is sooo repulsive and against everything I believe about being a Beautiful Afrikan Woman. This is not the first time I heard this type of stuff being said...at Clark University's MBA program, my friends daughter was told by Clark staff that she would need to straighten her hair to stay in the program...ummm, yeah - your remembering correct - Clark IS a historical Black College!
The sad, frustrating part of this is that these young, smart, intelligent women are being told by their own folks to do these acts. The "overseer" mentality is really strong here...and its sad because we live in a city full of Afrikan people. On top of all of this Georgia has some really whack employment laws...none of these laws protect the worker...none!! People can fire you for anything here at any time. Its a hard pill to swallow coming from a state that half way tried to protect the worker...
WE NEED A NAPPY HEADED REVOLUTION!!! I am in the process of designing a tshirt that will call for a Nappy Headed Revolution and on the back it will list those companies and organizations that have discriminated against Natural Africanity (this may take up the whole shirt). What do you think? The proceeds could fund a legal fund. This is about the option to be your natural self whenever you desire and be treated with respect. I am real Nappy and now that I heard this mess and I just going to get more and more nappy...
Just had to get that off my chest and get your thoughts...
Peace,
Sistah C