Hair Cuts, The BC, Malcolm X, and Success

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Just as the title indicates, this may be a hodge podge of a post. I am trying to figure out what to do with my son's big fro! All my black friends chide me about putting one of my girl's hair in braids. "You can just do a pony tail with her type of hair." True. But what can I do? My mother raised me. This is what I know to do with hair. lol.

Now, my son who has (according to Andre Walker) type 3A hair. Loose spirals all over his head. Our tradition is to not cut a boy's hair until they turn three years old. Then a whole ceremony is done and everyone comes and clips off a loc of his hair until the barber steps in and makes it a proper boy's hair style.

Why do we do this? Because we are supposed to raise each child "according to his ways". And his ways can be spotted through the hair.

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I am so grateful to all my bloggers, commentors, and live friends whom I have deep conversations with. I learn so much and it reshapes my thinking. Recently, I have been reading about Malcolm X and what kind of a person he was.

He sounded quite militant and very smart. He sounded like he was truly trying to find the truth and betterment for the black community. Okay, I was getting one (violent) picture of him, until at the influence of a commentor at C-1s blog (West Indian Chic), began to look up what happened to him after his trip to Mecca.

After his trip, he professed he was shocked to see Arabs -Muslims with blond hair and blue eyes. But yet, these people treated him so nicely! Like royalty in fact. Providing him with a car, chauffeur, treating him warmly. He even shared plates with the likes of these people. It was an eye opener for him. See here.

From then on he was a changed man. It was no longer about fighting the "White devils" It was no longer about the Yokub myth. It was about fighting greed. (yep, that same monster who's in the Congo and Sudan. Same monster we need to fight eventually some day). He even tried to unit poor white working class and the BC to fight together before his tragic end.

The same realization and change happened in MLK as he then tried to organize laborers unions for a better economic end.

With people getting killed off, when will the message be told loud enough, and when will it be known and take hold in folks' heart?

There's no time to think! People are instead trying their best to succeed. And I can't blame them! Some will take on video vixen jobs for its money, Others are willing to appear on talk shows and air out dirty laundry for a sum. Eveyrone tries to amass wealth, or have quick money making hip hop ideas, etc. No time to deal with these greed for money issues. Especially when greed for money is marketed as "success".

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I read the story of Yitro (Jethro) and Moses. Moses was overwhelmed after giving the commandments to the people. Many had questions. Many needed him to judge their cases. It was ongoing every day new cases, new questions.

Until Yitro stepped in and gave Moses some advice. He said Moses ought to divide the leadership into leaders of ten, leaders of a hundred, leaders of thousands. And each group should have a panel of different types of people.

From Exodus, Chapter 18: Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

Now how did Yitro and Moses decide who were able men, men of truth, etc?

by their hair!

According to one explanation (and there are many) One can tell much about a person by their hair (not to mention the face, lines, hands). Now, I don't find in the sages any distinction made about a person's skin color, but about the hair color I found this according to a source:

Dark, curly haired = people who despise money
Blond hair = men of truth
Red hair, etc, etc etc.

This led me to wonder. All these African Americans with dark, curly hair (despite the perms and weaves, etc) -are they forcing themselves to buy into the American idea of success =lots of money? Can success be defined differently according to our hearts and ways?

(Please note: Someone who despises money; it does not mean that they will refuse work, or refuse higher education, not be interested in money, or anything like that. What that could mean is someone who wants money for its end result -so they can buy that car, get all the CDs they want, -as opposed to saving it and amassing it, but living like a miser or even becoming greedy for money -want more and yet more still. Or they may just have an artistic idea that they want to give to the world. Ideally, money is a tool to take care of one's wife and children and to provide the necessities for a man to live on the righteous, godly path.)

Now, I have yet to test this idea. So I'm putting this out. Do y'all know of dark, curly haired misers? A greedy dark, curly haired individual who doesn't appear influenced by outside cultures? Are they exceptional, or are there plenty enough to make it the norm?

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At any rate, I can already see what kind of hair my son has. But alas, I wait. Tradition. Until then I'll put it in a bun in the back of his head. Now, how to fit a yarmulke /kippa onto the whole business.....?