Last weekend Ezzie and I attended the Platform H Charity Launch hosted in Washington DC. Platform H is an organization focused on empowering entrepreneurs through the building of strong relationships between young professionals whose minds are filled with fresh new initiatives, and business executives who have the resources to harness these great ideas into something beyond the scope of any one person. Platform H has recognized the existent gap hindering the success of young professionals and therefore are attempting to eliminate this gap so as to give the youth hope at a time where dreams are ephemeral.
The goals and objectives of Platform H are deeply rooted in the cultivation of social networking that not only propels the individual but propels communities as a whole. This focus on the bigger picture is highly reflected in their commitment to charity as they strive to develop social entrepreneurs and assist them in maximizing their achievements not for self but for a much larger global mission.
With performances, a silent auction and guests who flew in from all over the nation, Platform H created a great atmosphere that stimulated growth and inspiration within many of the attendees.
FAB applauds Platform H for hosting such a wonderful evening and we look forward to attending many more programs, black tie events and concerts that will be hosted by Platform H across the nation.
For more information on Platform H, their current projects and upcoming events, please visit http://platformh.org/site/ and become a part of this wonderful journey.
The topic of hair, especially "black hair" has been extremely popular in American media over the past few years, with India Arie's "I am not my hair" video, Tyra Banks' feature on Black Women's hair, Chris Rock's documentary "Good Hair" and now we have Willow Smith's "I whip my hair" and Sesame Street's "I Love my Haiiiir". Now for those of you who do not appreciate this new found attention that the world has for a black woman's crown of glory, take a trip down memory lane, and think of an instance where your hair, impacted the way you look at yourself or the way others look at you. It happens to all of us! For some its a positive moment, where we feel liberated as we flaunt our crown of glory and for other's it's a negative moment, where we shy away from the questions asked by curious or ignorant peers.
When CNN news featured the new skit on Sesame Street, I was filled with excitement and joy! I can't wait til all my little nieces and nephews watch it.
So let me share with you a story, a story of me as a child. A child who was surrounded by blond hair, blue eyed British girls. British girls who constantly asked me why my hair was so "springy". In tears I would run home and beg my mother to give me long blond hair. It wasn't that I hated my hair, it was just that I wanted to "fit in", and at the young age of 5, I sat in elementary school and took a pair of scissors to my beautiful long black locks. Well I only managed to cut off one braid before my teacher reprimanded me and sent my hair in a zip lock bag to my concerned mother, who had no idea how she would braid around this bald spot on the side of my hair.
As I grew up, I learnt to love my crown of glory and I even flaunt it once in a while. Everyone chooses to rock their hair as they please, some let it all out, some braid it, twist it, dread it, or weave it up. And despite the opinions of others, we all have our reasons for wearing our hair as we do, some for aesthetic reasons, some for practicality, some for employment opportunities and some for the health and goodness of our hair. I love to experiment with my hair, enjoying the multiple options I have, I've grown to love and respect my crown of glory, and I must say that the process has been much easier now that we don't have to hide our hair secrets behind closed doors. Now I'm not saying everyone is comfortable with open discussions about their hair; but it is nice to see that the children of tomorrow can love and flaunt their hair without having to endure an interrogation from their classmates.
I'm sure many are wondering why FAB was so quiet as Nigeria celebrated it's 50th anniversary. I am proud to be a Nigerian, but truth be told there is so much negativity presently surrounding Nigeria and the celebration of it's independence, that one could do nothing but watch and pray.
In searching for some positivity while scrolling through my twitter timeline, I came across a link posted by Ezzie B (writer of http://www.sexandlasgidi.com/) titled "10 Things You Can Learn From Nigeria" written by The Atlanta Post. Excited to have found something positive written about Nigeria, I felt it important to share this with all of you!
1. How To Write A Universal Literary Gem Set in Africa
2. How To Make Art A Weapon for Revolution
3. How to Leverage Your Knowledge of Petrol and Start a Multi-Billion Dollar Oil Business
As much as there is much negativity surrounding Nigeria, we cannot ignore the immense amount of positivity associated with Nigeria. Although some choose to focus on the negatives, we cannot let this consume us and deter us from further success. Africa as a continent has come a long way in the past 50 years, and the beauty and success generated from Nigeria should not go uncelebrated.
Hopefully we can make the next 50 years better than the last :-D
