You may not have heard of her yet but it doesn’t matter. I am sure you soon will get to know more than just this woman’s name. You will learn what she does and what she stands for by watching her future documentary A Super Naptural Revolution.

Meet Lee Hostick, Producer

She is not fond of taking photos but meet Lee Hostick, long time member of Going-Natural.com and producer of an upcoming natural hair documentary that explores self-hate in the African American community.

The Connection

I always feel blessed when I receive requests for my take on Natural Hair Issues but I felt especially fortunate when I read Lee’s email.

Hello Miss Mireille Liong,

How are you? My name is Lee Hostick, and I am a graduate MFA student studying Film and Television at Savannah College of Art and Design.   I have a passion for natural hair.  When I first went natural, I bought your book, “Going Natural” and it was extremely helpful.  About two years ago, a woman asked me about my hair, and said that she was clueless.  To help her, I gave her your book. To help my other beautiful sister and brothers, I am producing a documentary on self-hate and the reemergence of natural hair in the African American community.

The African American community has a history of self-hate tied to dark skin and kinky hair. This self-hate was born in slavery, and is something we still deal with today because the unspoken definitions of straight hair and kinky hair have not changed.  The reemergence of natural hair, however, is currently changing the definition of kinky hair for the better.  

On the other hand, what if the reemergence of natural hair is nothing more than a phase like in the 70’s?  If so, that is a problem, and that means that the self-hate in the AA community will never truly heal, and the revolution of natural hair with its healing properties for the AA community are temporary.  

In my documentary, I will address the issues of self-hate in the African American community and how natural hair is a tool against such self-hate.

Please participate in my documentary.  You are an inspirational woman, and you helped me start my natural hair journey, and I thank you.  Your participation would mean the world to me.

Have a great day,

Lee Hostick

Producer

Humbling words, aren’t they?

It’s times like these when I feel that the maintenance of the website and everything that comes with it is worth all the effort, the ups and downs. Since the digital revolution has taken off, it has become more complicated to run a site. The number of comments have gone down for one which makes me wonder sometimes why I still do what I do and if it matters. Mails like Lee’s make my day because they make me realize that going-natural.com still makes a difference.

As you can imagine I could not say no to the upcoming producer. I am glad I didn’t and I hope you will all help me in supporting her documentary.

A Super Natural Revolution

By the time we got in touch Lee already had a name for her documentary “A Super Natural Revolution”. After we spoke she sent a 2nd email that detailed more about the film:

The concept of my natural hair documentary is about:

Self-hate in the African American community, how this self-hate came to be by way of assimilation into a foreign culture, and how the re-emergence of natural hair can be used as a tool to bring back a permanent positive self-image to the natural, God given features given to people of African descent.

The goal of my documentary is to tear down the mental shackles of bondage.  Black women and men need to embrace their natural hair, and realize that it is just as good as European hair.

For this documentary, my team and I would like to interview you.  As a leader in the natural hair community:

We want to know your thoughts on self-hate amongst people of African descent who have assimilated into foreign cultures.  

We want to know your thoughts on self-assimilation, and how this assimilation was a form of survival.  

We want to know where you think this self-assimilation turned to self-hate.

Not just my take

So for her film Lee wants my thoughts as a leader in the natural hair community on some serious topics. As flattered as I am, I better do my homework.

You see it’s also not just about my take. I am in great company this weekend. Lee and her wonderful team will also interview other participants whom I too admire like Mr. Channsin Berry, producer/director of the critically acclaimed documentary Dark Girls and Diana NDiaye, Ph.D, who is a cultural specialist, anthropologist, and curator at the Smithsonian museum.

I still got some preparation to do but I am really looking forward meeting all these great people. If this is my reward for inspiring people, it’s true what they say that it comes back in abundance and I will never ever stop trying to inspire!

You better stay tuned while I am going to do my homework.

Update:

NY is cold. I am happy to leave! 

The crew picked me up and got me food in Bucket.