Nakpangi |
Nakpangi Ali
Alabama by way of Connecticut and other places 6 March 2016 |
Meagan McIntosh: When I say the phrase “natural hair” what does it mean to you?
Nakpanji Ali: I think honestly a lot of people use it as anything that hasn’t been chemically straightened. I know someone people who say it’s “when you just don’t touch it” but, I’m pretty sure you can chemically color it, braid it and manipulate it. Just don’t perm it and it is natural.
Nakpanji Ali: I think honestly a lot of people use it as anything that hasn’t been chemically straightened. I know someone people who say it’s “when you just don’t touch it” but, I’m pretty sure you can chemically color it, braid it and manipulate it. Just don’t perm it and it is natural.
MM: How are people of color represented in the media (tv, ads, movies, commercials)? Are people of color misrepresented?
NA: I think that one of the main components is that what is seen as normal and what is seen as the normal way to be human is often portrayed as not being black and not being of color. When people of color are portrayed on screen, it’s always in some sort of derivative or caricature like way. Like somehow because they are of color it kind of distances them from the default normal human experience.
I think that numbers wise, the numbers game is really obvious. People are also more aware of that now so, it’s really interesting that people are definitely starting to be more intentional about putting people, putting black people, putting non-white people in advertisement. Now that people have intentionally started doing that, something that is very visible is the tendency to put lighter skinned people of color and lighter skin black people in advertising and it seems like maybe people are starting to be a little bit more conscience of that too. That’ll be interesting to see. It seems like sometimes they have this knee jerk reaction like “oh they’re worried that aren’t enough black people, well put in the black people”. Or like “Oh they’re worried about everything is too light skin well…” I don’t know I actually haven’t seen too much of a change in that area
NA: I think that one of the main components is that what is seen as normal and what is seen as the normal way to be human is often portrayed as not being black and not being of color. When people of color are portrayed on screen, it’s always in some sort of derivative or caricature like way. Like somehow because they are of color it kind of distances them from the default normal human experience.
I think that numbers wise, the numbers game is really obvious. People are also more aware of that now so, it’s really interesting that people are definitely starting to be more intentional about putting people, putting black people, putting non-white people in advertisement. Now that people have intentionally started doing that, something that is very visible is the tendency to put lighter skinned people of color and lighter skin black people in advertising and it seems like maybe people are starting to be a little bit more conscience of that too. That’ll be interesting to see. It seems like sometimes they have this knee jerk reaction like “oh they’re worried that aren’t enough black people, well put in the black people”. Or like “Oh they’re worried about everything is too light skin well…” I don’t know I actually haven’t seen too much of a change in that area
MM: How does whitewashing/misrepresentation affect children of color and their perception of their natural beauty and natural hair?
NA: Parents are there to kind of mediate the conversation and interactions between children and media but parents are not always there to do that. Kids can definitely end up with the idea that they are less than beautiful or there is something wrong with them. Even when parents are there, kids can still have those ideas. What’s really interesting is what happens sometimes when people can like recognize an idea as something that has been structured to work against them, but still be affected by it. I can say, “this is wrong” but still partially internalize those messages even when I know that they are constructs that don't benefit me. There was this reading that I was doing recently [Johan Galtung's "Violence, Peace, and Peace Research"] and he was talking about qualities of psychological structural violence and about how ideological violence is still violence even if one doesn't entirely believe it. "A lie does not become more of a truth because nobody believes in the lie", meaning that the mere existence of falsehoods still shape the air around us even when we are able to identify them as false. Toxic stuff. Even more toxic for small children that are still learning their earliest truths and beliefs.
NA: Parents are there to kind of mediate the conversation and interactions between children and media but parents are not always there to do that. Kids can definitely end up with the idea that they are less than beautiful or there is something wrong with them. Even when parents are there, kids can still have those ideas. What’s really interesting is what happens sometimes when people can like recognize an idea as something that has been structured to work against them, but still be affected by it. I can say, “this is wrong” but still partially internalize those messages even when I know that they are constructs that don't benefit me. There was this reading that I was doing recently [Johan Galtung's "Violence, Peace, and Peace Research"] and he was talking about qualities of psychological structural violence and about how ideological violence is still violence even if one doesn't entirely believe it. "A lie does not become more of a truth because nobody believes in the lie", meaning that the mere existence of falsehoods still shape the air around us even when we are able to identify them as false. Toxic stuff. Even more toxic for small children that are still learning their earliest truths and beliefs.
MM: If you had to give advice to a young person of color who was struggling with their natural beauty what would it be?
NA: I think that I would tell them that is okay to explore, there is not any right way to be. Feel free to explore.
NA: I think that I would tell them that is okay to explore, there is not any right way to be. Feel free to explore.
MM: Do you feel that the problems people of color face with their hair reflect a bigger issue in society?
NA: I think that different areas of society have either explicit or implicit rules about how you’re supposed to present yourself, they had a very specific brand image and so they would moderate how people wore makeup, their clothing and their hair. My hair was like a curve ball in how that company was supposed to present their image. Even in offices too, I mean I never really had a super hard core like “white collar” job but what professionalism looks like is obviously very Eurocentric in a space but again I think that we are at an interesting space right now because people are aware of biases. And are having different reactions to those. The problems aren’t gone but they’re experienced difference. And there is more validation that can go alone with people’s experiences
NA: I think that different areas of society have either explicit or implicit rules about how you’re supposed to present yourself, they had a very specific brand image and so they would moderate how people wore makeup, their clothing and their hair. My hair was like a curve ball in how that company was supposed to present their image. Even in offices too, I mean I never really had a super hard core like “white collar” job but what professionalism looks like is obviously very Eurocentric in a space but again I think that we are at an interesting space right now because people are aware of biases. And are having different reactions to those. The problems aren’t gone but they’re experienced difference. And there is more validation that can go alone with people’s experiences
MM: Recently Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar have used their positions as artist to speak on the idea that, black lives matter. This sparked many conversations. One of those conversations was how many white people ignored the fact that Beyoncé is black until this performance that explicitly celebrated and spoke on black lives. Another conversation is on the importance of artist using their platform for activism. What are you general responses to these performances?
NA: I think what is kind of cool about formation and the super bowl performance, both symbolically and aesthetically that some elements of counter culture and elements of establishment movements are entering pop music and entering pop culture in a way that I’m not sure they have before. That’s super interesting and groundbreaking
MM: What do you think about Americans being colorblind towards people of color?
NA: Some people feel as though highlighting the experience of one group of people silences the rest. I think that in terms of America and in terms of blackness in America so much of what our society is built off of is blackness as construct to support whiteness that totally effects how race exists in the United States.
NA: I think what is kind of cool about formation and the super bowl performance, both symbolically and aesthetically that some elements of counter culture and elements of establishment movements are entering pop music and entering pop culture in a way that I’m not sure they have before. That’s super interesting and groundbreaking
MM: What do you think about Americans being colorblind towards people of color?
NA: Some people feel as though highlighting the experience of one group of people silences the rest. I think that in terms of America and in terms of blackness in America so much of what our society is built off of is blackness as construct to support whiteness that totally effects how race exists in the United States.
MM: Why is it important for people of color to accept their natural beauty (not just hair)?
NA: That’s what you have. If you are embodied within a body that you really aren't proud of--aren't in love with-- and you are in love with embodiments that you don't have access to or are not a part of, that's setting yourself up for self-destruction. That is not a fulfilling way to be. You can't be fully joyful, fully connected and fully experience yourself, if you're not in love with who you are first.
NA: That’s what you have. If you are embodied within a body that you really aren't proud of--aren't in love with-- and you are in love with embodiments that you don't have access to or are not a part of, that's setting yourself up for self-destruction. That is not a fulfilling way to be. You can't be fully joyful, fully connected and fully experience yourself, if you're not in love with who you are first.
Photographer: Nathaniel Magloire
Interviewer: Meagan McIntosh
Interviewer: Meagan McIntosh