links for 2011-07-01

"Cornrows, 'non-traditional'? A hairstyle depicted in Stone Age pictures in the Sahara? This begs the question: non-traditional to whose eyes? I can't think of a single black friend, male or female, who hasn't worn them at some point. They are both a rite of passage and a source of pride. Only a fool who knows nothing about black cultural heritage would describe cornrows in such a way. In terms of hairstyles, they are about as traditional as you can get, and excluding a child for having them is insulting and offensive."

(tags: via:carleandriacook uk hair education racism blacks)

"Called "The Impact of Light Skin on Prison Time for Black Female Offenders," the study found a group of Villanova professors assessing the sentences of more than 12,000 black female defendants in North Carolina. Their findings were horrifying: Even after controlling for things like prior convictions, crime severity, and thinness, women with light skin received sentences that were 12 percent shorter on average than dark-skinned women. Lighter women also had their actual time served reduced by about 11 percent."

(tags: via:carleandriacook colorism racism blackwomen prison)