Newspaper Page Text
WOLVERINE OBSERVER March, 1968- Page 6 Appedl For The Protection
Natural, Can You Dig It? Of American College Students
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
things because my hair was
long and worn in a natural
hair style.
As you can see you look
around, the days of the head
rags, slick hair and comb
outs and gradually dying
out. There are several
possible reasons why and
the two most prominent
ones are that “dews” as
they are called are too
expensive an that they just
aren’t what’s happening
anymore. Many people that
wear naturals or Afros,
aren’t wearing them for
the.r true value but only
because it’s a fad. Fads
come by the year, here to
day and gone tomorrow, just
as clothes, records a nd
dances. Perhaps soon
everyone of the male sex
will wear another hair style
and the Afro fad will become
a thing of the past. If this
is the case, the whole pur
pose of the natural will be
abused. There are so many
people here at college and
on the high school scene
that only wear them to be
what’s happening. The na
tural which is the sign of
the times or should I say a
symbol of the times for the
black community, is in the
eyes of man’s people, just
a long nappy ugly hair style
which is very unkept and
unclean.
I think it would be an
excellent idea for those of
you who wear naturals or
those of you who are plan
ning to do so, to stop and
seriously ask yourself; why
am I wearing a Natural?
Do I really understand what
is symbolizes and stands
for in it’s true sense? Am
I wearing it just for the
fad?
Many that wear them feel
that it will get them more
attention from on-lookers
or may help them on the
social scene which is so
vital to so many of us.
Along with wearing na
tural or afros, goes a de
finite line of thought which
enhances the beauty of this
hair style because your
beautiful thoughts are eas
ily shown in your hair style.
To many onlookers, the
Natural today symbolizes
race pride, revolt, radi
calism and rebellion, If this
is how it is seen then it
should be worn with this in
mind and sincerely felt and
not as just a show piece to
say, “yeah, can you dig
my fro?” Can you as a
person wearing it really
dig it yourselves ?
Also I’ve noticed another
disturbing thing on this
campus. It seems that some
of our professors and per
sons in other positions of
authority, look upon na
turals, as ugly, uncolle-
giate and unbecoming of a
Morris Brown student.
It’s sad to see this, be
cause they have failed to
see the real beauty of the
natural as it should be and
what is stands for as far
as racial pride is concern
ed. I think that some points
should be explained to these
professors and others if
they aren’t clear to them as
far as this hair style is
concerned and perhaps then
they won’t object to it but
will appreciate it. As long
as it’s done legally and
harmlessly, one should be
able to express himself,
and today, this is truly a
means of expression and not
in what you may feel are
wrong methods.
For those of us with
processed minds and na
tural hair, you should stop
and get your mind to think
the way you look and make
yourself more beautiful by
having a complete form of
expression both appearance
-wise and thoughtwise.
I have seen, as you have,
too, lately, that a few
members of the female sex
are wearing naturals but
they too should not wear
them for social reasons but
with a true meaning and not
worry about outside criti
cism, because the criti
cism will be there anyway,
but not as much as I suf
fered, I’m sure. We need
someone of the fair sex
to really break the barrier.
For those of you who
wear naturals of afros, and
those of you that plan to do
so one day, can you really
dig it?
because the color was to
loud or to bright for you,
then your problem is solv
ed.
The shoes this year don’t
make a big change, but
you can notice that the heels
are sliming down and mov
ing up. The once very po
pular spike heel shoes are
gradually coming back. It
has been said thatthe lo
wer heels did nothing at
all for the legs and in order
to give more attention to
the legs, we’re usinghigher
heels.
This year the designers
were influenced by the film,
Bonnie and Clyde and de
signed accordingly. The
Faye Dunaway (Bonnie)
look has really become the
thing this year.
Ladies this year since
the designers decided to
tone us down in colors,
they’re putting the young
men in the soptlight. This
year the men are wearing
all the Psychodelic colors.
They’re using bright green,
loud yellow, bright orange
and shocking pink and in
some cases, pale pink (ins’t
that sweet). For sometime
now the men have used the
birhgt colors, here and
there but this year it’s in
a wider range. Although
the men are using these
colors, they will still be
well dressed in the fashion
for this year which are
already very popular such
as the turtle necks, the
doubled breasted suits and
wide ties.
This year the college
look is still running on a
very conservative line. Al
though very few of us really
worry about the in-look
around campus, it doesn’t
hurt to at least know what’s
in. Even if we don’t take
advantage of the new look
its even more important
to keep your own indivi
dual fashions in order and
in good taste.
public protest by respon
sible educators and other
persons interested in pre
serving the freedom of in
stitutions of higher learn
ing in our country. Inci
dents of this nature have
occurred too frequently in
recent years on our college
and university campuses,
and now at Orangeburg,
South Carolina. For more
than 600 years in the his
tory of western civilization,
the colleges and universi
ties have been the market
place for the propagation
and discussion of ideas
without fear of physical
violence. Americans add
ed a new dimension to this
protection of the discus
sion and propagation of
ideas by fostering the right
of people to assemble
peacefully and to demon
strate or protest against
the ideas which they con
sidered harmful to human
ity. A major cause of the
American Revolution was
the refusal of British au
thorities to permit demon
strations or to listen to
In my last columns I
told you of a survey I took
of some young men con
firming what looks good
on you young ladies. This
time I’ve surveyed the
young ladies.
I asked the adies how
they feel about the young
men wearing naturals or
Afros. Here’s what they
said:
(1) I think they are very
fashionable.
(2) I don’t think it’s good
grooming.
(3) I think it depends on
their real reason.
(4) If its well groomed,
I think they’re nice.
(5) I think they are awful,
it shows a sign of poor
grooming.
On a whole, most of the
ladies didn’t perfer the na
turals, but if they are well
groomed, they can be ac
cepted.
Next I got comments on
the colors the young men
are using.
(1) For some time now
tey have been using these
colors and they are terri
ble.
(2) It seems to be a sym
bol of bad taste.
(3) I think it makes
them look a bit feminine.
(4) They can attract our
attention without the help
of the loud pants.
Well young men you had
better tone down your
colors because they are not
a hit with the ladies.
Then they were asked,
which do they prefer, the
conservative man or one
who is way out and up to
date with every thing.
(1) Give me a conserva
tive young man any day.
(2) I wouldn’t mind dat
ing a man full of changes
but I would never marry
one.
(3) I hate anything thats
conservative.
(4) The conservatives
are usually the cleaner cut
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
their implications. Demon
strators seeking freedom
were killed in the Boston
Massacre in 1770; A Negro
was the first to die there.
In February, 1968, free
dom seekers led by Neg
roes were again fired upon
and killed — this time in
Orangeburg, South Caro
lina.
Here in America we seem
to have adopted a “Get
tough” national policy bas
ed on the use of armored
and armed police and
guardsmen in killing
American citizens at the
slightestmovocation. The
frustrations of our society
which stem from the per
plexities of our present
involvement in -Vietnam
coupled with the complexi
ties involved in solving the
dual problems of race and
ghetto have led many offi
cials to believe that a re
sort to naked police power
and brutality is the proper
avenue for handling major
social problems. That was
young man and that’s what
I prefer.
(5) Why not be conser
vative in ways and up to
date on fashions. (This is
perfect)
Well all of you conser
vative type men, you are
in with te ladies. It seems
asif they like you more
liberal type men for a while
but afterwards you seem
to fade away and are re
placed by the conservative
young man.
Anyway, young men, what
ever you wear, be sure it’s
for you and that you really
do something with it. This
year is really do some
thing with it. This year is
really a year to test the
ladies as well as the men
know-how in fashions. So
until next time, this is
Patsy saying, keep looking
good and Let’s Look Colle
giate.
beled as the au naturelle
lokk. The wearer may or
may not have some per
sonal revelation attached
to it.
There are some advant
ages as well as disadvant
ages of the au naturelle
look. Among them are:
Advantages
(1) For the average Ne
gro girl, worry of hair be
coming full or snarls, tan
gles or wiry effect damag
ing hair is eliminated.
(2) It allows for frequent
shampoos.
(3) Cuts beauty parlor
cost and eliminates use of
straightening combs.
Disadvantages
(1) If hair is long, bar
bershop cost may be doub
led.
(2) Need for large ear
rings are accessories for
the young ladies (which is
the avenue taken by Nazi
Germany and other police
power states. This has not
been the way of modern
Aerica.
We, the undersigned,
therefore appeal to Ameri
cans, both public officials
and private citizens, to join
us in using every effort
to stop this threat to the
freedom of colleges and
universities --whether they
are publicly owned or
privately supported. We
urge you to stop these in
vasions of college and uni
versity campuses by the
American version of storm
troopers. We urge you to
stop the wanton shooting of
young high school and col
lege students. We urge you
to bring to justice those who
commit sich murders. We
urge you to remember that
police forces can destroy
and perhaps even tem
porarily protect, but they
can never build. We urge
you to remove from service
all armed, untrained law
enforcement officers who
are prejudiced, brutal and
impulsive. We urge you to
remember that a Congress
which gives a thunderous
ovation to plans for the use
of destructive police power
and only polite applause to
presidential promises for
constructive social action
creates an atmosphere
within which a democratic
society cannot long exist.
We urge you with all of
your power to protect our
colleges and universities
from armed invasion. We
urge Americans to remove
the poison of race from our
police policy which may re
sult in the murdering of
students on and near their
campuses. We, the under
signed, make these state
ments in the full awareness
of the responsibility of all
citizens to obey the law and
to follow orderly processes
in seeking redress of griev
ances.
not a must but are nice to
have) may increase bud
get.
(3) Depending on locale.
One must be willing to
accept the undue criticism
of some people. For exam
ple, at this very moment
I am holding a note from
some young lady or ladies
in the Quadrangle, saying,
“Straighten your hair,
please.” They didn’t take
the pain or pleasure of
even signing it!!!
Since the aunaturelle is
a look which just might
be around for quite some
time, I’ve decided to give
a few tips for those of you
who might decide to wear
it.
(1) Wash your hair (cut
it if you so desire)
(2) Frequent brushing is
required.
(3) Groom it with regu
lar hair dressing or special
au naturelle products.
Happy Wearing!!
LET’S LOOK COLLEGIATE
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THE AU NATURELLE
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