If your hair’s nappy, white people ain’t happy; if your hair’s straight, everything’s great; and if you want a promotion, you better use some hair lotion. Get that kitchen ready, because we’re closing out our first season by dissecting Black hair. We get to the root of why Black people are protective of our hairstyles as part of our culture, and and the difference between appropriation and appreciation (Kim Kardashian, we’re lookin’ at you). Then we talk to the creators of the award-winning doc “Black Girl Church” to comb through the complex relationship between Black women’s hair, Eurocentric beauty standards, and beauty supply stores.

Notes:

The Reason Non-Black People Should Not Wear Black Hairstyles Is Actually Very Simple
https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/history-black-hairstyles-cultural-appropriation-47659501

A Black job applicant is suing over hair discrimination, but the company says it was a misunderstanding
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/us/black-job-applicant-hair-discrimination-lawsuit/index.html

Everything You Need to Know About The Crown Act
https://www.byrdie.com/the-crown-act-guide-5111864

Marc Jacobs Finally Responds To The Dreadlocks Controversy From Spring '17
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2016/09/123351/marc-jacobs-white-models-dreadlocks-nyfw-ss17-photos

Why I Don’t Refer to My Hair as ‘Dreadlocks’
https://www.vogue.com/article/locs-history-hair-discrimination

Cornrows and Cultural Appropriation: The Truth About Racial Identity Theft
https://time.com/4011171/cornrows-and-cultural-appropriation-the-truth-about-racial-identity-theft/

We Asked White People With Dreadlocks 'Why'
https://www.vice.com/en/article/evbjz7/we-asked-white-people-with-dreadlocks-why

Kim Kardashian West Responds to the Backlash Over Her Braids
https://www.glamour.com/story/kim-kardashian-braids-explanation

Black Girl Church
https://www.blackgirlchurch.com/

It’s Gen Z trying to claim Black terminology as internet slang for me. This month, we discuss AAVE, better known as ebonics, and we trace back the roots of why Black Americans have a certain way of communicating with each other that has evolved over time. And when non-Black folks, from Kombucha Girl to Awkafina, continuously try it by attempting to co-opt our culture and language, we offer them a gift to help them understand the error of their ways: these hands. Then we wrap by discussing discuss our reactions to the “Gen Z Hospital” skit on SNL that had us wondering, “TF is this?” and in what way is it being interpreted? It’s definitely an episode you won’t want to miss. Point. Blank. Period.

Notes:

‘Black English’: How AAVE Developed From Slave Resistance & African Dialects | The Breakdown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7FIky7wplI

An influencer got backlash for claiming Black slang terms belonged to internet culture. It highlights a common problem online.
https://www.insider.com/brittany-broksi-tiktok-aave-internet-culture-slang-appropriation-chile-2020

So Much Modern Slang Is AAVE. Here’s How Language Appropriation Erases The Influence Of Black Culture.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/sydneethompson/aave-language-appropriation

How “on fleek” went from a 16-year-old’s Vine to the Denny’s Twitter account
https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/3/28/14777408/on-fleek-kayla-lewis-ihop-dennys-vine-twitter-cultural-appropriation

Michael Che Responds To Criticism Over ‘SNL’ Gen Z Hospital Sketch
https://deadline.com/2021/05/michael-che-responds-to-criticisms-gen-z-hospital-snl-sketch-1234753569/

'Saturday Night Live' faces mounting criticism for 'appropriation' of Black vernacular in 'Gen Z Hospital' sketch
https://www.insider.com/gen-z-hospital-snl-skit-elon-musk-aave-backlash-2021-5

If you wanna be somebody, if you wanna go somewhere... you better wake up and pay attention! In this month’s episode, we’re breaking down Black education—from a teacher and student perspective. First, we discuss our experiences as Black students and how we were taught Black history (if we were taught it at all). Later, we speak with academic scholar Laz Letcher on the intersectional challenges of teaching curriculum that doesn’t center whiteness or heteronormativity. Then we wrap things up by dissecting The Chair, to see how a Black professor worthy of tenure was portrayed in the Netflix series.

Notes:

To Get To College, It Helps Black Students To Have A Black Teacher Early On
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/11/682194015/-black-teachers-helps-black-students-get-to-college

College faculty have become more racially and ethnically diverse, but remain far less so than students
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/31/us-college-faculty-student-diversity/

School Suspension Data Shows Glaring Disparities in Discipline by Race
https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2020-10-13/school-suspension-data-shows-glaring-disparities-in-discipline-by-race

The Chair Is Netflix’s Best Drama in Years - The Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/08/the-chair-netflix-review/619855/

The Chair Is a Pretty Accurate Portrayal of What It's Like to Be a Woman Professor of Color. That's Why It Can Be Painful to Watch
https://time.com/6092072/the-chair-netflix-academia/

Where to find Laz Letcher:
https://www.lazarusletcher.com
https://www.instagram.com/l.nuzzles/

Laz Letcher's Recommendations:

Black Shoals by Tiffany Lethabo
https://www.dukeupress.edu/the-black-shoals

Ezili's Mirrors: Imagining Black Queer Genders by Omise'eke Natasha Tinsley
https://muse.jhu.edu/book/70042

One-Dimensional Queer by Roderick A. Ferguson
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/One+Dimensional+Queer-p-9781509523566