Homemade Hair Milk: Natural Ingredients For Hair Milk

I've been natural for about nine years and I've discovered some staple products. These products give my hair so much shine and makes it easy to style. But what happens when allergies are hindering my beauty regiment. Health is more important than beauty and I had to learn that lesson the hard way. 

Carol's Daughter Hair Milk has been one of my staples for three years. If anyone on campus (Florida A&M University) would ask me, "How do you twist your hair?" then I would reply, "Have you heard of Carol's Daughter?" It would just roll off my tongue effortlessly and I genuinely loved giving recognition to an African-American business owner who makes products for African-American hair textures. 

It was a way for me to give back to my community. I remember when Carol's Daughter started to expand and her brand was becoming well-known through artist endorsements. I was excited because I was growing with the company and I believed I help with spreading the word. 

But I do believe with all the recognition the product had ingredients or process changes. My body has a way of telling me about little changes and I react to them quickly. So, as soon as the hair milk increased in price for the same bottle and the smell of lemongrass was stronger, I knew something was different. I couldn't put my finger on it, but my hands started itching after I twisted my hair. My hands, the night after had small bubble marks with liquid. After the bubbles burst they would create red marks. Some spots on my hands were rough and dark with scaly skin patches. It was a disaster, but my hair looked healthy, while my hands were dry and brittle. 

I checked the ingredients and compared the old hair milk to the new one, everything was the same. Gloves became my best friend as I twisted my hair. They were the protectant from the damaging hair milk. I tried every situation except for stop using the product. It was hard and my hands were looking worse than usual. The side effects of the hair milk lasted longer every time I used it.

If I gave up the product, then how would I do my hair? I tried Shea Moisture's Hair Milk. It had the same effect but less detrimental and itchy. I searched YouTube and Google for recipes to make natural hair milk. A few pages on Google had too many ingredients and others had breakdowns that were too in depth. I needed a quick recipe. I combined oils I knew my hair was used to with oils suggested on social media.

At first, I was unsure if this would work. I thought all of the oils and butters would probably create a mess that wouldn't resemble hair milk or my hair would have a greasy texture. But I was wrong, my mixture came out perfect with the same effects as Carol's Daughter. I had shine, soft twists but great looking hands. 

If you have allergies or you're tired of being a product junkie use this recipe I have discovered.

*All products are unrefined, raw or organic*

1. Cocoa Butter 
2. Shea Butter
3. Olive Oil
4. Coconut Oil
5. Argan Oil
6. Sweet Almond Oil
7. Rose water with glycerin

Mix all of these oils and butters until it becomes a milky consistency. Butters must be melted down before adding the rest of the oils. It's best to let ingredients cool for about 30 minutes to an hour. The cooling method allows the oils to solidify and become thick. You must stir the liquid until it becomes milky. I store my hair milk in a travel size bottle. If you're storing this in a bottle it's best to get a funnel to avoid a mess.

Love 

The "Healthy Living" Phoenix        

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Graduation: Bachelor of Science in Journalism

College is a place like no other for a young mind. As I stood in the Al Lawson Center at 9 a.m. on Florida A&M's campus, I realized I had closed a chapter in my life. There would no more classes at 8 a.m., no more handing in assignments and praying that no one noticed you wrote that paper an hour ago. All of that support, nurturing and guidance would be a phone call away and no longer in a classroom setting. This all hit me at 9a.m. in the green gown, which was now ripping because my jewelry kept getting caught after I paid about $80.

But the ripping of the gown is not the point. The real lesson here is what do I do now after 9 a.m. The class work is over, News 20 at Five is over and the grades are in. I am done with college. I realized I had applied for jobs, but I wasn't thinking about how much I really needed a job right now. Not even, a job but a career. There's the question of where do you see yourself in five years. I realized at this moment how important those questions are and how real life is because the real world hits you fast. You have to plan. You have to know and you have to be open but assertive. So, this is a question for all of my college grads who graduated today or graduate sometime this month. Are you really ready for life, adult life or are you just excited to have a degree?

Love

The "FAMU Alumna" Phoenix

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Sixty-three percent of U.S. graduates are not prepared for the global economy, according to Florida A&M English professor and Quality Enhancement Program director, Dr. Genye H. Boston.

Critical thinking is being able to look at something, analyze that information, process it and make a decision.

Boston said employers are looking for college graduates who can think and read critically.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers are looking to hire people who can effectively asset problems and find solutions. Having critical thinking skills shows that someone has good judgment and communicates ideas while making decisions.

Over the next two weeks, The Graduate Studies and Research office will conduct seminars to help students prepare for professional development. Boston’s seminar on Thursday focused on how to critical think and read for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

“This class is fundamental because critical thinking isn’t something that is typically taught,” Boston said. “You know if you look at most degree programs, undergraduate degree programs there’s not a critical thinking major.”

The answer to why so many American students don’t think critically has fallen on their education system, according to Richard Arum’s book “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses.”

But Boston said there are many factors that contribute to American students lagging behind.

“I think it’s partly due to reading and reading comprehension may not have been really emphasized at the secondary level for some students,” said Boston.

Boston noted that another factor might be that Millennials do not read as much as prior generations.

Critical thinking is a big factor when taking the GRE especially critically reading. Students must understand that in order to earn a good score on the GRE test they must study and understand the material.

“I don’t think students familiarize themselves with the test or how it formatted and that can really pose a problem,” said Boston.

About ten students attended the seminar and they said it helped them study and understand how to answer the questions on the GRE.

Sergelyn Saint-Jean, a FAMU senior social work student from South Florida said, he feels confident that he’s ready and plans on taking the GRE next week.

“I was happy that I was there because I just got the booklet and the CDs but I hadn’t got one-on-one training yet,” Saint-Jean said.  “So, I learned a lot.”   

Boston gave tips to students when about how to break down and analyze questions without getting confused by the answer choices.

Merissa Evans, a graduating political science and pre-law senior from Monticello, Fla., learned it’s important to skim through the questions before you read a passage and look for key words when reading.

“You should skim through the questions so you could see what they’re looking for because they try to throw in a lot of distraction choices during the question,” said Evans.

In order for students to select the correct answers on the GRE they have to be an effective thinker. Boston goes in depth to the main problems students have when they don’t know how to think critically on standardized test.

“Some of the major challenges when critically reading is understanding the question, retaining information, understanding vocabulary and reading comprehension,” said Boston. “It’s one of the skills sets you’re forced to enhance. ”

The next seminar “Higher Learning and Education” is on Feb. 11 in the Coleman Library, room 410 at 2:30 p.m.

For more information on the Graduate Studies and Research office go to, http://www.famu.edu/graduatestudies/m/

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Yoga Gangsters Visits an HBCU

Florida A&M is the first university that offers the Yoga Gangsters certificate. Terri Cooper, the founder of Yoga Gangsters offered students a free two-day workshop at FAMU recreation center over the weekend.

During the workshop about twenty students learned basic yoga poses and they became in touch with their own personal trauma.

Yoga Gangsters is a non-profit organization that empowers the youth in inner cities through practicing yoga.

Cooper started the organization after accepting her past dealing with drugs and an unstable childhood. She struggled with an addiction and she was a chain smoker. In her late thirties she was bartending on South Beach and realized her life needed to change.

“Yoga saved my life…I hit rock bottom for a moment. I found yoga and it helped me get my life together and it helped me find my purpose,” said Cooper.

Yoga Gangsters started after Cooper became a yoga teacher and she wanted to give back to kids who grew up with the same upbringing as herself. She started volunteering at jails and schools and her classes started getting bigger.

“I wanted to share it with kids just like me, kids that had a lot of abuse or trauma in their past and kids that didn’t know how to manage themselves,” said Cooper.

Kimi Walker, a FAMU alumna and student health services health educator took the Yoga Gangster training in Miami. Walker said she was the only African-American woman within her age group in the training. Cooper says most of the people in her training are yoga teachers, schoolteachers, case workers, people in trauma and people in non-profit organizations.

Walker said she was drawn to Cooper’s studio 305 Yoga because “They had a karma yoga program, the yoga of self-service, and apart that was her non-profit Yoga Gangsters.”

She said, “I called Ms. Tanya Tatum up and I told her I went through certification and I told her about it.  We have to bring this to FAMU. We have to get more African-Americans involved in yoga. ”

She said, “I thought FAMU is a really great place for it. I’m really excited that we’re the first university. I’m really excited that we’re the first HBCU and hopefully in the future they’ll be able to branch out to more HBCUs”.

Participates were encourage to push boundaries with their bodies and to become self aware with their personal issues. “We never allow ourselves to be in our emotions,” Cooper said. “Our society doesn’t allow us to process it(emotions) We start to pile it on.”

During training participates engage in an activity called the inner circle where the person can address their inner everyday battles through non-verbal communication.  This activity allows people to vent and realize that they are not the alone in their life experiences.

Brittany Claybrooks, a graduating senior in health care management at FAMU  from Detroit, MI said the training excited her and that she began to become more self-aware.

“I guess it forced me to relate to people but it also forced me to be honest about my situation to complete strangers and sometimes that’s not always the easiest especially since you’re on campus…,”said Claybrooks.

Walker hopes participates can bring the training back to their communities and share the training with others.

Cooper said, “This is the future of our program. If we can get this on more college campuses, I think that would be great. I mean that’s a dream come true and to be at an HBCU is even more profound.”

For more information on Yoga Gangsters, please visit yogagangsters.org.

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Interning in DC: Day 2

At 2:27 you can see me in the corner taking notes on the hearing! 

This morning I took a different exit and it was much closer so I might take that exit from now on but it was not the exit I was looking for. It great discovering things on your own by yourself and being independent. I love that in DC I have to rely on my instincts and I feel as though I'll become a better person. 

Rayburn Office Building, Vistingdc.com

I arrived to office around 9am because there was a 10am hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building in Capitol Hill. Hearings in the Capitol happen from Tuesday to Thursday and I was attending my first one. The Rayburn Building has beautiful archieture like all buiidings in DC. I left the office with Charlotte Tucker at 9:15 and it took about 15 minutes or less to get there from 800 I street. It only cost $7.00 which I felt was reasonable. 

When we arrived at the entrance it resemble the airport with metal detectors. You are not allowed to bring water or food into the building. As we walked in everyone was dressed in business attire. I felt important as we walked the halls; I felt like I fit in. Most importantly I was not intimitated and I felt like I was in a familiar place. As we entered room 2175 I was in awe again at the architecture, the high ceilings and bright lights. Charlotte said it was made for tv(the lighting). 

In hearings I enjoy listening to the way people speak to each other. It's boarderline rude and sarcastic yet it's still professonial. They blend it so well that you can't call them on it, what could you possible say about their tone. Nothing really. I would like to learn how to speak like that; it's so intriguing. They argue so professionally.

During lunchtime I met some people in the finance department who gave me good career advice. They told me I was young; too young to wait year until I get my masters. I unsure whether or not I should get my masters and if I should wait a year after I obtain my bachelors degree. They were wise, genuine and persuasive. I could tell they loved influencing young people and they were glad to see a young African-American woman.

I decided my lunch hour became words of wisdom and that I needed to take in as much as my brain could hold. They gave me rules to follow as an intern:

1. Even though you're an intern, do not let anyone use you as a door mat.
2. Ask a lot of questions
3. Express how you feel.
4. Make sure your daily task match your career.

I'm really glad I decided to apply and I continued to dream. At this moment I knew I was suppose to in DC at this time. I was present, in that moment.


Love, 
The "I'm Learning The Ropes" Phoenix

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Black History Month at Florida A&M University

Florida A&M’s Black History Month Convocation was February 14. The guest speaker

was Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies and creator of Kwanzaa. He

encouraged the African-American community to stand up and speak out.

1,000 people includes students, faculty and retirees attended the convocation.

Attendees agreed with Dr. Karenga on the African-American community not having a

voice.

Listen To Him Speak Below!

Articles: FAMU Brings First-Ever Chinese Art Exhibit To Area

Jun 12, 2012

By Precious Dorch-Robinson

Last week, Florida A&M University’s Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery hosted Tallahassee’s first-ever exhibit of Chinese Art.

Dr. Liu Nan, assistant professor of art at FAMU and the curator of the exhibit, co-hosted by the Tallahassee Chinese Association, said he wanted to give Tallahassee a glimpse of Chinese culture.

“In Tallahassee, it’s hard to get this kind of art show,” said Liu. “In New York City you can see this at the Metropolitan Museum and visit Asian and Latin American cultures, but in Tallahassee I think this will be a good cultural event.”

In two weeks, Liu selected 29 pieces —including paintings from his students and his own son, Ethan.

The exhibit showed different mediums of art: painting, sculptures, jewelry, photography, martial arts and live folk songs. Paintings were from local Chinese artists and visiting Chinese artist Ye Xu Xuan of the Zhu Jia Calligraphy Institute in Su Zhou, China.

“He [Ye Xu Xuan] opened a calligraphy institute for 30 years. He’s really good, a renowned, international artist for Calligraphy painting,” said Liu.

Xuan was visiting his relatives in Tallahassee and he was looking for a place to display his art when Liu asked him to display some of his pieces at the exhibit. All of Xuan’s paintings were created in Tallahassee and they are traditional Chinese paintings.

The exhibit was not only for the Tallahassee community to experience the 500-year-old culture but to also influence the young artists. The exhibit was apart of the four-week Horizon’s Art Camp, which teaches children from ages 6 through 12. The summer camp was taught by the FAMU Visual Art department to expose children to diverse cultures through art.

“All the children here study [art] and we want to open a different window to them, a different experience,” said Liu.

Aja Roache, Foster Tanner’s Gallery Coordinator and visiting professor said, “We were excited to have art for the art lovers. I think he [Liu] shows a great range of traditional Chinese art work.”

Liu also gave a demonstration of calligraphy to about 100 people. He said when studying Chinese art it was a requirement to know about past artist so students understand the tradition and appreciate the art.

“You must know the masters. Learn and then you create”, said Liu.

In calligraphy he said, “White spaces leave room for imagination. The paper should not be filled.”

Tallahassee Chinese Martial Arts Center performed Tai Chi and the traditional Lion and Dragon Festival dance.

The Martial Arts Center has been around for ten years and their vision is to let more people know about Chinese martial arts and to practice it.

Lisa Liu, the wife of the owner of the center, said, “Martial Arts creates a bridge between American and Chinese culture.” Chinese Martial art is important for healing and for health.

Lisa Liu said her husband wants to spread Chinese culture and the center was also showing support for Liu’s exhibit.

The Chinese Art Exhibition will be on view until June 22.

http://newsone.com/2020449/famu-chinese-art/

Angela Davis Advocates Prison Abolishment

Angela Davis Advocates Prison Abolishment

By Precious Dorch-Robinson

Civil rights and Black power activist Angela Davis spoke at Florida A&M University last week in honor of Women’s History Month.

In her talk, Davis focused on the culture of violence and the prison system, arguing that violence is epidemic in part because our society doesn’t treat its root causes.

“We don’t talk about prevention,” said Davis . “We talk about getting the perpetrator.”

“[Criminals] can stay in prison forever but the problem still proliferates,” Davis said. “We participate in hiding it and it will erupt.”

Commenting that violence continues within the jail system, she added: “Men get punished by the state in prison. Women get punished at home…  Violence starts within the home.”

Davis said that violence within the family is covered up especially when it comes to incest and sex offenders.

“There are some sex offenders who are not included on the registry list,” referring specifically to perpetrators of incest. “So much violence we encounter is in the family. ” By not addressing violence within the family, Davis continued, “it reinforces that danger comes from a stranger.”

Violence within the home spreads out to the workforce, Davis said. “Look at the other modes of violence in police, military, and prisons. We have to find out how to address it. It will not be resolve by sending them to prisons. ”

Davis added: “This is an argument for prison abolition… prison abolition is the next abolition. A world without violence, violence against black boys, intimate violence and state violence.”

Link http://newsone.com/2001684/angela-davis-advocates-prison-abolishment/

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