Guest Post by Kaleah Mabin: MLive posts misleading article condemning black activists on MLK Day:

The MLive story attacks students and labels them as violent. This post by Kaleah Mabin is in response to the post
Being Black at University of Michigan organizers threaten 'physical action' if demands aren't met

MLive posts misleading article condemning black activists on MLK Day:
Kaleah Mabin

After a day of many wonderful symposiums and panels commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. for his activism in leading the Civil Rights Movement, I was very upset when I came home and saw an MLive article titled “Being Black at University of Michigan organizers threaten ‘physical action’ if demands aren’t met.” The article’s title gives the first impression that BBUM are “the bad guys” intending to harm others, emphasizing “physical action” in a way where people who are unfamiliar with activist terms would misinterpret it to mean “violence.”  This is not the case. Physical action most commonly means marches, singing, chanting, human blockades, etc. The article’s emphasis on “threatening ‘physical action’” is playing into the stereotype that blacks are aggressive and irrational. It is criminalizing a minority group who is assertively standing up for their rights, and on all days they chose MLK Day to do so. I have overheard people calling them “extortionists” and comparing them to terrorists for their assertive efforts in fighting for social justice. 

People are asking why they won’t “ask nicely,” and the answer is simple: asking nicely has never worked for the black community. The black community has been oppressed for decades and is still very much oppressed to this day. Take a look at Detroit, MI: it is dominantly black for a reason. Corrupt, racist planning and policy has physically trapped thousands of people in a cycle of poverty.  Restrictive covenants, anyone? Redlining? What about the Fair Housing Act never being enforced, thanks to President Nixon? Job discrimination? Asking nicely is exactly what people of power and privilege want! They want the black community to be quiet and ask nicely so that they can continue to ignore them. They want to keep them in a political cage.  Everyone needs to face the facts: racism is still very alive today and criminalizing this group of black activists shows that everyone, especially the University of Michigan, has a lot of work to do in the social justice department.  I congratulate BBUM for standing up for human rights, and I hope to see many more people – black, white, green, or blue, join this ongoing battle of fighting for true equality. 

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#BBUM University of Michigan Students of Color Demand Change

America, the land of the free. America represents a melting pot of different people and cultures. America is the land of opportunities where even the poorest man can get a good paying job if he just works hard enough and everyone is treated equally. This is the biggest lie that I have heard my entire life. Yes America may be home to many different people and cultures but it is far from this post racial, place of equality that many people describe. Racism occurs at home, at work and on our college campuses.

At the University of Michigan students decided that they had enough. Out came #BBUM which stands for Being Black at the University of Michigan. This hashtag was sparked by the University of Michigan's student group The Black Student Union. Students would tweet about their experiences with being black at University of Michigan. This attracted attention from administration, other students, and the media.

Now in January on Martin Luther King Jr. Day students have released a list of demands for the University of Michigan to deliver on. 

"Our demands are as follows:
1. We demand the University give us an equal opportunity to implement change, the type of change that can only be completed with a full restoration of The Black Student Union’s purchasing power through an increased budget.

2. We demand the University give us available housing on central campus for those of lower socio-economic status at a rate in which students can afford to be a part of university life, and not just on the periphery.

3. We demand for an opportunity to congregate and share our experiences in a new Trotter Multicultural Center located on central campus.

4. We demand an opportunity to educate and be educated about America’s historical treatment and marginalization of groups of color through race/ethnicity requirements throughout all schools and colleges within the university.

5. We demand for an equal opportunity to succeed with emergency scholarships for black students in need of financial support to eliminate the mental anxiety of not being able to focus on and afford the university’s academic life.

6. We demand for increased disclosure of all documents within the Bentley Library. There should be transparency about the University and its past dealing with race relations.

Lastly and most importantly,

7. We demand an increase in black representation on this campus equal to 10%."

Now students wait to see what administration does. The administration has 7 days to deliver or students will be forced to take more actions.The fight's not over til its over.

How to make Flaxseed Gel for your Hair

Many of you have been wondering, how I make my flaxseed gel. This post I decided to give you directions on how to make flaxseed gel. First these measurements are guesses based on what I wanted. You should experiment for yourself to see what works and what doesn’t. If you want a gel that has more hold use less water and more flaxseeds, if you want less hold use more water and less flaxseeds.

Supplies

Blender/ Egg beater

Bowl

Small Pot

Spoon

Stocking

Rubber gloves

Heat protective gloves (if you have them)

Cooking tongs

Ingredients

½ cup of flaxseed

2 cups of water

1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel (optional)

1 tablespoon of olive oil (optional)

Drops of essential oils (optional)

Step 1

Put the water and flaxseeds on a medium to high flame. Make sure you stir every few minutes.

Step 2

While you wait on the mixture prepare the next step. Place the stocking over the mouth of the jar and put your rubber gloves/ heat protective gloves on.

Step 3

Wait until the consistency of the mixture is a little thicker and sticky. When it is to your desired consistency turn the flame off and pour the mixture into the stocking cap that is over the jar.

Step 4

Take the tongs and start from the top of the stocking and push to the bottom to drain the mixture into your desired container. Keep on doing this with the rest of the mixture.

Step 5

Mix your olive oil, aloe vera gel and desired oil essentials with a blender or egg beater into the flaxseed gel.

There you have it homemade flaxseed gel. It may take a few tries to get your desired effect but keep trying. What other recipes would you like to see on here? Please leave a comment or question below.

Long Hair and Prosper,

Asia

7 Tips to Help Winterize Your Hair

Compliments of Tina Lawson

It’s a New Year but winter is still upon us! You don’t want your hair to suffer from dryness or breakage. Take care of it during these cold winter months. It’s time to winterize your hair. Follow these tips to winterize your hair and Jack Frost won't be able to penetrate it.

1) Deep Condition

Deep conditioners help restore moisture, shine and softness to your hair. Due to the cold harsh weather you may want to increase the amount of deep conditioners you do and the intensity. The winter can really dry out your hair, to combat this you need to make sure you are deep conditioning enough. Some of my favorite deep conditioner ingredients are Shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, honey, apple cider vinegar and bananas. A nice pre poo with a hot oil treatment can also help too. This an essential part of winterizing your hair!

2) Use a Thicker Oil and a Thicker Cream/ Butter

Another way to help winterize your hair is to use oil and creams/ butters. Oils and creams can aid in moisturizing and also protecting your hair. Opting for thicker oil and cream is a good idea to battle the cold weather. Thicker oil like castor oil will help protect your hair and keep on moisture a lot better than a thinner oil that you may already use. Shea butter is also good for moisturizing. Make sure you detangle your hair before using castor oil. It is super thick and hard to detangle your hair with castor oil in it.

3) Use Protective Styles

Protective styles help hide your ends so use them. They also help keep your hair less tangled and manageable after those long winter walks. You can also use protective styles such as braids, weaves and wigs to hide your hair from the cold. Just putting moisture in your hair is not enough. Protection is important when winterizing your hair as well.

4) Take care of your ends

Your ends are the oldest part of your hair. This means they are more vulnerable to dryness and damage. Be sure to take care of them. Make sure you are using enough oil, cream, moisturizer, on your ends. You don’t want to accumulate split ends when spring comes around.

5) Wear a Hat with a Satin Lining

Satin scarves and bonnets protect your hair from friction while sleeping. They can also protect your hair from wind, hats and hoods going against your hair strands. Be sure to wear a hat with a satin lining or wear a bonnet or scarf under your hat or hood.

6) Decrease your Heat Usage

We all know that heat causes damage to your hair. You can use a heat protectant on it such as coconut oil or olive oil, but why not decrease your heat usage. Besides the snow will probably frizz up your blow out or silk press anyway. So why waste all that work anyway. Try plopping your hair with a t-shirt or use an over the head blow dryer or attachment instead.

7) Never go outside with wet hair!

Just because you use less heat doesn't mean you can just go outside with wet hair. Not only can it cause more damage to your hair but you can also get really sick. Who wants to sit next to someone who is coughing and sneezing everywhere? Be sure your hair is COMPLETELY dry before going outside in the cold. Take care of yourself and your hair!

I hope these tips help you when winterizing your hair. Are there any other tips you think are important when winterizing your hair?  Please leave questions or comments below. Happy New Year!!!!

Long Hair and Prosper,

Asia