I am from the South Side of Chicago, and in seventh grade, I had a best friend named Jenny who lived on the Southwest Side of Chicago. Jenny was white, and if you know anything about the segregated demographics of Chicago, you know that there are not too many black people who live on the Southwest Side of Chicago. But Jenny was my girl and so we would hang out every so often after school and on the weekends. And so one day we were hanging out in her living room, talking about 13-year-old things, and Jenny's little sister Rosie was in the room with us, and she was sitting behind me just kind of playing in my hair, and I wasn't thinking too much about what she was doing. But at a pause in the conversation, Rosie tapped me on the shoulder. She said, "Can I ask you a question?"
Ja sam sa južne strane Čikaga i u sedmom razredu sam imala najbolju drugaricu koja se zvala Dženi koja je živela na južnozapadnoj strani Čikaga. Dženi je bila bela, i ako znate bilo šta o podeljenoj demografiji Čikaga, znate da nema mnogo crnih ljudi koji žive na južnozapadnoj strani Čikaga. Ali je Dženi bila moja drugarica i mi bismo se družile s vremena na vreme nakon škole i vikendima. I tako smo jednog dana bile u njenoj dnevnoj sobi, pričale o stvarima koje se tiču trinaestogodišnjakinja i Dženina mlađa sestra Rozi je bila u sobi sa nama i sedela je iza mene, igrala se mojom kosom, a ja nisam mnogo razmišljala o tome šta ona radi. Ali tokom pauze u razgovoru, Rozi me je potapšala po ramenu. Rekla je: „Mogu li da te pitam nešto?“
I said, "Yeah, Rosie. Sure."
Ja sam rekla: „Da, Rozi. Naravno.“
"Are you black?"
„Jesi li ti crna?“
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
The room froze. Silence. Jenny and Rosie's mom was not too far away. She was in the kitchen and she overheard the conversation, and she was mortified. She said, "Rosie! You can't ask people questions like that." And Jenny was my friend, and I know she was really embarrassed. I felt kind of bad for her, but actually I was not offended. I figured it wasn't Rosie's fault that in her 10 short years on this earth, living on the Southwest Side of Chicago, she wasn't 100 percent sure what a black person looked like. That's fair. But what was more surprising to me was, in all of this time I had spent with Jenny and Rosie's family -- hanging out with them, playing with them, even physically interacting with them -- it was not until Rosie put her hands in my hair that she thought to ask me if I was black. That was the first time I would realize how big of a role the texture of my hair played in confirming my ethnicity, but also that it would play a key role in how I'm viewed by others in society.
Svi u sobi su se sledili. Tišina. Dženi i Rozina mama nije bila daleko. Bila je u kuhinji, načula je razgovor i bila je prestravljena. Rekla je: „Rozi! Ne možeš da postavljaš ljudima takva pitanja.“ A Dženi je bila moja drugarica i znam da joj je bilo veoma neprijatno. Bilo mi je pomalo žao nje, ali zapravo se nisam uvredila. Shvatila sam da nije Rozina krivica što u deset kratkih godina na zemlji, živeći na južnozapadnoj strani Čikaga, nije bila stopostotno sigurna kako izgleda crna osoba. To je fer. Ali ono što me je više iznenadilo, tokom sveg ovog vremena koje sam provela sa porodicom Dženi i Rozi - družila se sa njima, igrala se sa njima, čak fizički dolazila u kontakt sa njima - sve dok Rozi nije dotakla moju kosu, nije joj palo na pamet da me pita da li sam crna. To je bio prvi put da sam shvatila koliko veliku ulogu tekstura moje kose igra u potvrđivanju moje etničke pripadnosti, ali i da će odigrati ključnu ulogu u načinu na koji me vide drugi u društvu.
Garrett A. Morgan and Madame CJ Walker were pioneers of the black hair-care and beauty industry in the early 1900s. They're best known as the inventors of chemically-based hair creams and heat straightening tools designed to permanently, or semipermanently, alter the texture of black hair. Oftentimes when we think about the history of blacks in America, we think about the heinous acts and numerous injustices that we experienced as people of color because of the color of our skin, when in fact, in post-Civil War America, it was the hair of an African-American male or female that was known as the most "telling feature" of Negro status, more so than the color of the skin. And so before they were staples of the multibillion-dollar hair-care industry, our dependency on tools and products, like the hair relaxer and the pressing comb, were more about our survival and advancement as a race in postslavery America.
Garet A. Morgan i Madam Sidžej Voker bili su pioniri industrije za negu crnačke kose i lepotu ranih 1900-tih. Oni su poznati kao pronalazači krema za kosu sa hemijskom osnovom i alatki za ispravljanje kose dizajniranih da trajno ili delimično trajno promene teksturu crnačke kose. Često kada razmišljamo o istoriji crnih ljudi u Americi, mislimo na užasna dela i brojne nepravde koje smo iskusili kao obojeni ljudi zbog boje naše kože, kada je zapravo u Americi nakon građanskog rata kosa afroameričkog muškarca ili žene bila poznata kao „karakteristika koja odaje“ status crnca, više nego boja kože. I pre nego što su oni bili važan deo multimilijarderske industrije za negu kose, naše oslanjanje na sredstva i proizvode kao što su kreme za ispravljanje kose ili prese više je bilo vezano za naš opstanak i napredak kao rase u postrobovlasničkoj Americi.
Over the years, we grew accustomed to this idea that straighter and longer hair meant better and more beautiful. We became culturally obsessed with this idea of having what we like to call ... "good hair." This essentially means: the looser the curl pattern, the better the hair. And we let these institutionalized ideas form a false sense of hierarchy that would determine what was considered a good grade of hair and what was not. What's worse is that we let these false ideologies invade our perception of ourselves, and they still continue to infect our cultural identity as African-American women today.
Tokom godina, navikli smo se na ovu ideju da ravnija i duža kosa znači i bolja i lepša. Postali smo opsednuti kao kultura ovom idejom da imamo ono što volimo da zovemo „dobra kosa“. Ovo suštinski znači: što su opuštenije lokne, to je bolja kosa. I dopustili smo da ove institucionalizovane ideje formiraju lažan smisao za hijerarhiju koji će odrediti šta će se smatrati dobrom vrstom kose, a šta neće. Što je još gore, dopustili smo ovim lažnim ideologijama da napadnu percepciju nas samih, a i dalje nastavljaju da inficiraju naš kulturni identitet kao afroameričkih žena danas.
So what did we do? We went to the hair salon every six to eight weeks, without fail, to subject our scalps to harsh straightening chemicals beginning at a very young age -- sometimes eight, 10 -- that would result in hair loss, bald spots, sometimes even burns on the scalp. We fry our hair at temperatures of 450 degrees Fahrenheit or higher almost daily, to maintain the straight look. Or we simply cover our hair up with wigs and weaves, only to let our roots breathe in private where no one knows what's really going on under there.
I šta smo mi uradile? Išle smo u frizerski salon na šest do osam nedelja, obavezno, da izložimo svoje lobanje teškim hemikalijama za ispravljanje počevši vrlo rano - ponekad osam, 10 - što će dovesti do gubitka kose, ćelavosti, ponekad čak i opekotina na lobanji. Mi pržimo svoju kosu na temperaturama od 230 stepeni Celzijusovih ili više gotovo svakodnevno, kako bismo održali ravnu kosu. Ili jednostavno prekrivamo svoju kosu perikama ili umecima, a korenu dopuštamo da diše jedino kada smo same, kada niko ne zna šta se zapravo događa tamo ispod.
We adopted these practices in our own communities, and so it's no wonder why today the typical ideal vision of a professional black woman, especially in corporate America, tends to look like this, rather than like this. And she certainly doesn't look like this.
Usvojile smo ovu praksu u sopstvenim zajednicama, pa tako nije ni čudo zašto danas tipična idealna slika profesionalne crne žene, naročito u korporativnoj Americi, često izgleda ovako, radije nego ovako. A zasigurno ne izgleda ovako.
In September of this year, a federal court ruled it lawful for a company to discriminate against hiring an employee based on if she or he wears dreadlocks. In the case, the hiring manager in Mobile, Alabama is on record as saying, "I'm not saying yours are messy, but ... you know what I'm talking about." Well, what was she talking about? Did she think that they were ugly? Or maybe they were just a little too Afrocentric and pro-black-looking for her taste. Or maybe it's not about Afrocentricity, and it's more just about it being a little too "urban" for the professional setting. Perhaps she had a genuine concern in that they looked "scary" and that they would intimidate the clients and their customer base. All of these words are ones that are too often associated with the stigma attached to natural hairstyles. And this ... this has got to change.
U septembru ove godine, federalni sud je doneo odluku da je u skladu sa zakonom da kompanija diskriminiše zapošljavanje osobe ukoliko on ili ona nosi dredove. U tom slučaju, menadžerka za zapošljavanje u Mobilu u Alabami zvanično govori: „Ne kažem da su tvoji neuredni, ali... znaš na šta mislim.“ Pa, o čemu je pričala? Da li je mislila da su ružni? Ili možda su samo previše afrocentrični i crnački za njen ukus. Ili možda nema veze sa afrocentričnošću i više je samo u vezi sa tim što je previše „urbano“ za profesionalnu sredinu. Možda se iskreno brinula da izgledaju „strašno“ i da će zastrašiti klijente i njihovu bazu mušterija. Sve ove reči su one koje se prečesto dovode u vezu sa stigmom koja se kači za prirodne frizure. I to... to mora da se promeni.
In 2013, a white paper published by the Deloitte Leadership Center for Inclusion, studied 3,000 individuals in executive leadership roles on the concept of covering in the workplace based on appearance, advocacy, affiliation and association. When thinking about appearance-based covering, the study showed that 67 percent of women of color cover in the workplace based on their appearance. Of the total respondents who admitted to appearance-based covering, 82 percent said that it was somewhat to extremely important for them to do so for their professional advancement.
Godine 2013, belačka studija koju je objavio Deloitov liderski centar za inkluziju, ispitala je 3 000 pojedinaca na izvršnim pozicijama u vezi sa prekrivanjem na radnom mestu u pogledu izgleda, stavova, pripadnosti i udruživanja. Razmatrajući prekrivanje izgleda, studija je pokazala da 67% obojenih žena prikriva na radnom mestu svoj izgled. Od ukupnog broja ispitanih koji su priznali prikrivanje svog izgleda, 82% je reklo da je donekle do izuzetno važno za njih da čine to kako bi profesionalno napredovali.
Now, this is Ursula Burns. She is the first African-American female CEO of a Fortune 500 company -- of Xerox. She's known by her signature look, the one that you see here. A short, nicely trimmed, well-manicured Afro. Ms. Burns is what we like to call a "natural girl." And she is paving the way and showing what's possible for African-American women seeking to climb the corporate ladder, but still wishing to wear natural hairstyles.
Ovo je Ursula Berns. Ona je prva afroamerička žena koja je direktorka kompanije na listi Fortune 500 - kompanije Ziroks. Poznata je po prepoznatljivom izgledu, ovom koji vidite ovde. Kratka, lepo skraćena, dobro ošišana afrička frizura. Gospođa Berns je ono što volimo da zovemo „prirodna devojka“. Ona utabava put i pokazuje šta je moguće za afroameričke žene koje se trude da se popnu na korporativnoj lestvici, ali i dalje žele da nose prirodne frizure.
But today the majority of African-American women who we still look to as leaders, icons and role models, still opt for a straight-hair look. Now, maybe it's because they want to -- this is authentically how they feel best -- but maybe -- and I bet -- a part of them felt like they had to in order to reach the level of success that they have attained today.
Ali danas većina afroameričkih žena koje mi i dalje posmatramo kao vođe, ikone i uzore, i dalje biraju ravnu kosu. Možda je to zato što one tako žele - ovo je iskreno ono kako se one osećaju najbolje - ali možda - a mogla bih da se kladim - deo njih oseća kao da to moraju da bi dostigle nivo uspeha koji imaju danas.
There is a natural hair movement that is sweeping the country and also in some places in Europe. Millions of women are exploring what it means to transition to natural hair, and they're cutting off years and years of dry, damaged ends in order to restore their natural curl pattern. I know because I have been an advocate and an ambassador for this movement for roughly the last three years. After 27 years of excessive heat and harsh chemicals, my hair was beginning to show extreme signs of wear and tear. It was breaking off, it was thinning, looking just extremely dry and brittle. All those years of chasing that conventional image of beauty that we saw earlier was finally beginning to take its toll. I wanted to do something about it, and so I started what I called the "No Heat Challenge," where I would refrain from using heat styling tools on my hair for six months. And like a good millennial, I documented it on social media.
Postoji pokret za prirodnu kosu koji se širi zemljom i takođe u nekim mestima u Evropi. Milioni žena ispituju šta znači prelazak na prirodnu kosu i skraćuju godine i godine suvih, oštećenih krajeva kako bi povratile svoje prirodne lokne. Znam to jer sam ja zagovarala i bila sam ambasador ovog pokreta otprilike protekle tri godine. Nakon 27 godina preterane toplote i grubih hemikalija, moja kosa je počela da pokazuje ekstremne znakove habanja i oštećenja. Kidala se, tanjila se, izgledala je prosto ekstremno suvo i lomljivo. Sve te godine jurnjave za konvencionalnom slikom lepote koju smo videli ranije konačno su počele da uzimaju danak. Želela sam da učinim nešto po tom pitanju i zbog toga sam započela ono što sam nazvala „izazov bez toplote“, gde bih se uzdržala od korišćenja toplote u stilizovanju svoje kose tokom šest meseci. I kao dobar milenijalac, dokumentovala sam to na društvenim mrežama.
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
I documented as I reluctantly cut off three to four inches of my beloved hair. I documented as I struggled to master these natural hairstyles, and also as I struggled to embrace them and think that they actually looked good. And I documented as my hair texture slowly began to change.
Dokumentovala sam dok sam nerado sekla osam do 10 cm moje voljene kose. Dokumentovala sam dok sam se borila da ovladam ovim prirodnim frizurama i takođe dok sam se borila da ih prihvatim i da mislim da zapravo izgledaju dobro. I dokumentovala sam kako je tekstura moje kose polako počinjala da se menja.
By sharing this journey openly, I learned that I was not the only woman going through this and that in fact there were thousands and thousands of other women who were longing to do the same. So they would reach out to me and they would say, "Cheyenne, how did you do that natural hairstyle that I saw you with the other day? What new products have you started using that might be a little better for my hair texture as it begins to change?" Or, "What are some of the natural hair routines that I should begin to adopt to slowly restore the health of my hair?" But I also found that there were a large number of women who were extremely hesitant to take that first step because they were paralyzed by fear. Fear of the unknown -- what would they now look like? How would they feel about themselves with these natural hairstyles? And most importantly to them, how would others view them?
Deljenjem ovog putovanja otvoreno, naučila sam da nisam jedina žena koja prolazi kroz ovo i da zapravo postoje hiljade i hiljade drugih žena koje su dugo želele da učine isto. One bi mi se obratile i rekle bi: „Šajen, kako si napravila tu prirodnu frizuru koju sam videla pre neki dan? Koji novi proizvod si počela da koristiš koji je možda malo bolji za moju teksturu dok počinje da se menja?“ Ili: „Koje su neke od prirodnih rutina za kosu koje bi trebalo da počnem da usvajam da postepeno povratim zdravlje svoje kose?“ Ali sam takođe shvatila da postoji veliki broj žena koje su veoma oklevale da naprave prvi korak jer ih je paralisao strah. Strah od nepoznatog - kako će one sada izgledati? Kako će se osećati po pitanju sebe sa svojim prirodnim frizurama? I najvažnije od svega za njih, kako će ih drugi videti?
Over the last three years of having numerous conversations with friends of mine and also complete strangers from around the world, I learned some really important things about how African-American women identify with their hair. And so when I think back to that hiring manager in Mobile, Alabama, I'd say, "Actually, no. We don't know what you're talking about." But here are some things that we do know. We know that when black women embrace their love for their natural hair, it helps to undo generations of teaching that black in its natural state is not beautiful, or something to be hidden or covered up. We know that black women express their individuality and experience feelings of empowerment by experimenting with different hairstyles regularly. And we also know that when we're invited to wear our natural hair in the workplace, it reinforces that we are uniquely valued and thus helps us to flourish and advance professionally.
Tokom poslednje tri godine brojnih razgovora sa svojim prijateljima i takođe sa potpunim strancima sa svih strana sveta, naučila sam neke veoma važne stvari o tome kako se afroameričke žene identifikuju sa svojom kosom. Kada se osvrnem unazad ka onoj menadžerki za zapošljavanje u Mobilu u Alabami, ja bih rekla: „Zapravo, ne. Ne znamo o čemu govoriš.“ Ali evo nekoliko stvari koje znamo. Mi znamo da kada crne žene prihvate ljubav prema svojoj prirodnoj kosi, to pomaže da se ukinu generacije učenja da crno u svom prirodnom stanju nije lepo, ili da je to nešto što treba da se sakrije ili prikrije. Mi znamo da crne žene izražavaju svoju individualnost i osećaju se osnaženo redovnim eksperimentisanjem sa različitim frizurama. I takođe znamo da, kada smo pozvane da nosimo svoju prirodnu frizuru na radnom mestu, to ojačava osećanje da nas zasebno cene i prema tome nam pomaže da se razvijamo i napredujemo profesionalno.
I leave you with this. In a time of racial and social tension, embracing this movement and others like this help us to rise above the confines of the status quo. So when you see a woman with braids or locks draping down her back, or you notice your colleague who has stopped straightening her hair to work, do not simply approach her and admire and ask her if you can touch it --
Ovim završavam. U vreme rasne i društvene tenzije, prihvatanje ovog pokreta i drugih sličnim ovom pomaže nam da se uzdignemo iznad granica statusa kvo. Pa kada vidite ženu sa pletenicama ili loknama kako joj padaju niz leđa, ili primetite svoju koleginicu koja je prestala da ispravlja kosu za posao, nemojte prosto da joj priđete i divite se i pitate je da li možete da je dodirnete -
(Laughter)
(Smeh)
Really appreciate her. Applaud her. Heck, even high-five her if that's what you feel so inclined to do. Because this -- this is more than about a hairstyle. It's about self-love and self-worth. It's about being brave enough not to fold under the pressure of others' expectations. And about knowing that making the decision to stray from the norm does not define who we are, but it simply reveals who we are.
Zaista je cenite. Aplaudirajte joj. Dođavola, čak joj bacite kosku ako osetite da to treba da uradite. Jer ovo - ovo je mnogo više od frizure. Ovo je o ljubavi prema sebi i sopstvenoj vrednosti. Ovo je o tome da se bude dovoljno hrabar da se ne poklekne pred pritiskom tuđih očekivanja. I o tome da znate da donošenje odluke da se udaljite od norme ne definiše ko smo, već jednostavno otkriva ko smo.
And finally, being brave is easier when we can count on the compassion of others. So after today, I certainly hope that we can count on you.
I najzad, biti hrabar je jednostavnije kada možemo da računamo na saosećanje drugih. Tako da se, nakon danas, zasigurno nadam da možemo da računamo na vas.
Thank you.
Hvala vam.
(Applause)
(Aplauz)