[LisaMc46]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I'm white. When I go to Jamaica, where can I get my hair cut? Offended? I hope so.

I don't mean to be mean, but Vermont has (or had) a sense of egalitarianism where it didn't manner the color of your skin or the doo of your hair. If you are going to be working there, why on earth do you want to encourage the idea of separate but equal with a question like that?

I practically grew up in a beauty salon. My family used to own a salon in N.J. about 10 miles outside of NYC and they had a very diverse cliental. Black hair is different than white hair. So, for that matter is Asian hair.

If a hairstylist isn't familiar with how to work with the unique texture of Black hair (it tends to be very soft, dry and fragile) the result of a perm or color job could be disasterous. Some Black women came to my family's salon with severe breakage and damage because their hair was badly handled by stylists who didn't know how to work with it.

The stylists at my family's salon were familiar with ethnic hair because of the demographics of the area and could work with every client's unique texture and needs. Since Vermont is such a White state (I believe it's the whitest state behind N.H.) I would guess that that's not the case at most Burlington salons.

Even in N.J., though, many Blacks prefer to go to salons that specifically work with Black hair and I don't have a problem with that or see it as divisive or racist.

I don't blame this poster for wanted to find a salon she can feel comfortable with. Many Blacks (at least the women I knew in N.J.) get their hair done regularly, sometimes as often as every Saturday. So, it's important that they can go to a place where they can trust their stylists will make them look good.

By, the way, there's nothing stopping you from going to Diversity or any other Black-owned salon. I'm sure they'd be happy to cut your hair and take your money.

[Duff in VT]

Well, I may be missing something too. The obvious answer to this poster, in my opinion, is:

"Here is the name of a salon. Congratulations on getting a job !

AND WELCOME TO BURLINGTON/VERMONT"


Geez Louise People !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by Duff in VT

Well, I may be missing something too. The obvious answer to this poster, in my opinion, is:

"Here is the name of a salon. Congratulations on getting a job !

AND WELCOME TO BURLINGTON/VERMONT"


Geez Louise People !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hear, hear! I agree completely.

[chaz longue]

Originally Posted by Duff in VT

Well, I may be missing something too. The obvious answer to this poster, in my opinion, is:

"Here is the name of a salon. Congratulations on getting a job !

AND WELCOME TO BURLINGTON/VERMONT"


Geez Louise People !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree, Duff.
Welcome to Burlington, Hatless Wonder! Congratulations!

[Hatless Wonder]

I have very thick, curly hair. I grew up about 30 minutes from Worcester. No one, including my (Black) parents, had any idea what to do with my hair. I had a big fro long after (or before, depending on your perspective) it was cool.

When I moved to the Berkshires, I faced the same issue. I learned how to style my hair on my own, but I stiil went years between haircuts.

When I moved to Boston, I figured finding a salon would be easy. The ones I found couldn't deal with un-relaxed hair. I also saw far too many stylists talking on the phone while doing hair. I ended up going to the local styling school.

Since it took so long to find someone who could deal with my hair here, I was wondering if I could find someone with a similar clue in Vermont. Judging from the reviews here, I think I can.

[marcav]

I'm white. When I go to Jamaica, where can I get my hair cut? Offended? I hope so.

I don't mean to be mean, but Vermont has (or had) a sense of egalitarianism where it didn't manner the color of your skin or the doo of your hair. If you are going to be working there, why on earth do you want to encourage the idea of separate but equal with a question like that?

Wow, that left me momentarily speechless. Black hair and skin are very, very different than Caucasion hair. In my lifetime I have never seen a black woman get her hair cut by a caucasion operator; maybe it happens in rural areas, but I've never seen it. My AA son has his hair cut by a black barber because I can't even get a comb through it, and he's just a little boy! When he was a baby, his black caretakers styled his hair and recommend special products to use. I was totally at their mercy because I was all thumbs. I would imagine that in Vermont most caucasion hairdressers are not skilled with black hair, why should they be? There's little demand. If you are that skeptical, ask the person who cuts your hair if they know how to do twists; cornrows; locs; weaves. Those styles are used on AA men also.

I point this out, not as a put-down of the original post, but as an idea that the cultural shift required for full assimilation takes an effort on all sides.

Hmmm . . . when was the last time you had your hair cut in a black barbershop; went shopping in an Asian supermarket, or attended a service in a mosque?

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by marcav

Hmmm . . . when was the last time you . . . went shopping in an Asian supermarket

As often as I possibly can, which is precious little!

However, having unusually challenging hair myself, I agree with you completely on hair care.

[harry chickpea]

Hmmm . . . when was the last time you had your hair cut in a black barbershop; went shopping in an Asian supermarket, or attended a service in a mosque?

I think you are trying to make the point that I'm not culturally assimilating on my own watch. That is a common rejoinder, but you chose the wrong person.

In direct answer to your questions:
The last time I had my hair cut by a pro was at least ten years ago. I do my own now. FWIW, it was a shop where English could only loosely be described as a second language, and all of the conversation was in Spanish. It doesn't count as a black barbershop, but had a distinct cultural shift. I now cut my own hair because I couldn't get anyone of ANY nationality or background to cut it properly, and they kept wanting to increase the amount I paid them. I can be an equal opportunity curmudgeon.

How often do I go to an Asian supermarket? Not nearly often enough out here in the country. However, we could probably go together through the produce section of any market you want to choose; Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, or Mexican, and I could point out vegetables that I cook and use, along with some basics like cardamom pods, various dal, Chinese patent remedies, and other items you may not yet have discovered. I regularly get astounded by cashiers in the stoopidmarkets who have no idea what something as simple as a rutabaga is. Trust me, I get just as annoyed and frustrated by mainstream white culture as I do with any other.

I haven't attended a mosque recently. I did the rounds of some various places a while back. Have you ever, as a white person, been considered unwelcome as a potential visitor to an all-black church in Birmingham AL (post-1960s) and told not to come? I have. Stuff like that opens your eyes, and is one of the factors that influenced me to write the original post. Whites don't have a lock on exclusivity behaviors.

But then to be fair, I have a church quite literally in my front yard that I haven't ever visited either. I quitclaimed the land to them when I discovered that I technically owned the place when I bought my land.

Just because I don't participate in religions doesn't mean I'm ignorant of them or don't want to understand them. I have not one, but two copies of the Quran, three different Bible translations (you can't study either of those properly without multiple translations), a book called "The Buddhist Bible" (the term is used loosely), A quite good massive study book on Zen, the Mormon Bible, various books on Judaism, about twenty books on Sufism, some texts on the religion of Sumer, and some on religions like Perfectionism that you may not have heard about, along with esoterica like the I Ching. I never could keep up with the various Gods in Hinduism enough to keep an interest. All those books are just the ones on the front shelves that I have read enough of to feel comfortable having there and discussing if someone wants to enter into debate.

Now I'll ask you in return, have you ever been color and culture blind enough to start a business in a culture outside your own and invest thousands of dollars in it? I have. It failed, but I don't really regret it at all. I learned a lot of stuff that would never be taught in textbooks or any institution of education, and I look upon it as a relatively inexpensive college degree.

I'll admit to not knowing hairdressing - for my money a lot of hairdressers and barbers should do the same and quit - but I do know when preconceptions can get in the way of experience. I mildly regret that you were momentarily speechless, but sometimes I use techniques as peer-to-peer teaching tools that are surprising. Talking or writing in a fashion that is not politically correct is just one of those. It can make me an outcast, but I'm quite used to that.

[ex-springfielder]

Looks to me like Harry C. wasn't satisfied with just gnawing on his foot and now he's gone past his knee. You should have justed heeded your mothers advice Harry, if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. Now doesn't that crow look yummy.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by ex-springfielder

Looks to me like Harry C. wasn't satisfied with just gnawing on his foot and now he's gone past his knee. You should have justed heeded your mothers advice Harry, if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all. Now doesn't that crow look yummy.

As I said -
"Talking or writing in a fashion that is not politically correct is just one of those. It can make me an outcast, but I'm quite used to that."

I'll just add that sometimes I'm very GLAD to be an outcast. I'll remember to justed heeded my mothers advice. Thanks for the tip. What did your mother say to you?