You Can't Touch My Hair

You Can't Touch My Hair

Adult nonfiction
"...Black hair seems to raise a lot of nonblack people's blood
pressure. I've seen the gamut of emotion on people's faces--awe,
confusion, stress, anger, joy, amazement, suspicion, envy, attraction,
you name it--because we, and I'm using the royal we, as in society,
have never figured out how to have a healthy, functional relationship
with black hair."
If Phoebe Robinson's You Can't Touch My Hair And Other Things I
Still Have To Explain was a chip flavor it would be salt and vinegar.
If it was a candy it would make your mouth pucker. If it was a salad
there'd be at least a few jalepenos. It's mentally tart, tangy, and
irresistible. You can't read just one chapter.
Robinson is a comedian, a member of a profession that boasts few
blacks, very few women, and very very few black women. She has to
know how to keep audiences engaged, especially those who see female
comedians as inferior to their male peers. Her unapologetic, unique
voice also sizzles on paper as she explains the tribulations she and
other People of Color have to deal with on a regular basis. They
include:
*Being the Black friend--the "singular dash of black pepper in a bowl
of grits", the sole authority on cool and all things multicultural,
the spokesperson for about a gazillion unique people, the
certification for a white person's wokeness;
*being called uppity for being intelligent, articulate, capable, or
assertive;
*constantly having to monitor the emotions she conveys to avoid being
stereotyped as the Angry Black Woman--even when she has every reason
to be angry;
and *being trailed by store security people who see Black and think
shoplifter when she just wants to do a little shopping.
I recommend this book for people who are White like me. It can
help us see the harm of micro and not so microaggressions. Hopefully
it will make us angry--angry enough to join in the antiracist
uprisings going on because Black Lives Matter immensely.
On a purrrsonal note, this week is amazing. Last week I got the
chance to sign up for a five day racial justice challenge being put on
by Jen who is a librarian at Fogler (UMaine) Library and some of her
colleagues. I signed up speedy quick. Today is day three. The
challenge is really well crafted which takes a lot of time and
energy. There is a great balance of reading, computer audio, and
actions. And for FREE! How lucky can I get! It's like an oasis in a
coronavirus dessert, a cruise without the COVID. (Jules)
Will someone please create a five day tuna eating challenge? I'm up
for that. (Tobago)
A great big shout goes out to the creators of the challenge and my
fellow participants. You are awesome!
Tobago and Jules Hathaway



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