In Many Cultures, Ethnic Groups, And Nations Around The World, Hair Is Considered A Source Of Power And

In many cultures, ethnic groups, and nations around the world, hair is considered a source of power and prestige. African people brought these traditions and beliefs to the Americas and passed them down through the generations.

In my mother’s family (Black Americans from rural South Carolina) the women don’t cut their hair off unless absolutely necessary (i.e damage or routine trimming). Long hair is considered a symbol of beauty and power; my mother often told me that our hair holds our strength and power. Though my mother’s family has been American born for several generations, it is fascinating to see the beliefs and traditions of our African ancestors passed down. We are emotionally and spiritually attached to our hair, cutting it only with the knowledge that we are starting completely clean and removing stagnant energy.

Couple this with the forced removal and covering of our hair from the times of slavery and onward, and you can see why so many Black women and men alike take such pride and care in their natural hair and love to adorn our heads with wigs, weaves, braids, twists, accessories, and sharp designs.

Hair is not just hair in African diaspora cultures, and this is why the appropriation and stigma surrounding our hair is so harmful.

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hello-i-am-insane

3 years ago

Does anyone else get pissed whenever someone talks about how “relieved they are that you guys talked out this issue about human rights calmly and collected” because it just seems so fucking tone deaf, like this isn’t a talk about the goddamn weather. It just indirectly shits on minorities whenever they get pissed that someone is being intolerant towards them, like people are allowed to get mad! People are allowed to snap back! Stop it! It just gives bigots an excuse to ignore people (especially BIPOC) when they call someone out in anything less than a sugary sweet customer service tone of voice

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hello-i-am-insane

5 years ago

1. Bleeding Tooth Fungus

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4. Porcellain Fungus

5. Leratiomyces

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7. Cyathus Striatus

8. Phallus Indusiatus

9. Clathrus Ruber

10. Geastrum Minimum

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hello-i-am-insane

5 years ago

An algal bouquet? Send it my way!

Low tides reveal a diverse array of algal species competing for space on a remote beach on the Makah tribal reservation on the Washington coast. Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary staff collaborate with Makah tribal staff to annually monitor seawater temperature and intertidal organisms, including the beautiful algae!

(Photo: Jenny Waddell/NOAA. Image description: Diverse array of green and brown seaweed.)

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hello-i-am-insane

6 years ago

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hello-i-am-insane

5 years ago

Credit: @buddythefourth

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hello-i-am-insane

5 years ago

@theycallmebucky @landof-fictions @darkficsyouneveraskedfor @gyllenwh0re @sebbybarrnes @avengerscompound @dontshootmespence

yall make my life worth living

How it feels to read a really good fic and find the author has dozens more like it

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hello-i-am-insane

5 years ago

Everyone Who’s Been Talking To Me Knows I’ve Been Working On This Comic About Wlws And Cats For A

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idea stolen from this post :’3

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hello-i-am-insane

5 years ago

Marvel if you could stop giving me literal goddess to have crushes on that would great. I have so many fanfics already you keep adding more material and I am going to die before I can read it all which is a travesty.

I’D BE THE MAN

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hello-i-am-insane

4 years ago

it may have been done many times at this point but I'll always be a sucker for the 'monster that mimics the sound of a human calling out/screaming for help' trope it still hits

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hello-i-am-insane

5 years ago

@dependingonyoursenseofhumor @otterbug YOU ARE MY ART FRIENDS I NEED HELP I CANNOT DRAW