One of the objectives of the We Are Africa Road Tour is to highlight Black organizations, institutions, and businesses along the way. In Baltimore, we were able to celebrate local entrepreneurs Jamyla and Pierre Bennu. Jamyla is the Grand Mixtress of OyinHandmade.com, a natural beauty products company. Pierre is a filmmaker, exittheapple.com, and allowed us to open the evening with this powerful piece on our culture.

We turned the camera on Pierre to get his perspective on the African Ancestry Experience!

We Are Africa 2010 Road Tour – Pierre Bennu from ralston smith.

If you missed the African Ancestry show today, you can see it again on BET’s Centric on May 30th! You can also check online at http://myblackisbeautiful.com. They are posting the full episodes there.

Let us know what you think!

In the world of African-American beauty, the words “roots” and “tips” may conjure up thoughts of re-touches and manicures. Imagine – for a moment — that your beauty standards were attached to royalties, family pride, achievement and inner-worth? Wouldn’t that be beautiful in any culture?

I was recently invited to appear on the BET show, “My Black is Beautiful”. I am excited by the fact that beauty and Africa are being discussed together, nationally! So much of what we as Black women have been influenced to dislike about ourselves are the very things that make us African: our lips, our noses, our hair texture, our hips. Here are a few of my tips for redefining the “roots” of your true beauty:

 Know Your African “Make-Up”.
From the alignment of your face and symmetry of your eyes to the fullness of your lips and curve of your hips, everything that is the essence of you is rooted in who you are and where you come from. While these traits are becoming more revered in American culture, no surgery or other manufactured beautification process can override what’s distinctly yours by birthright.

 Customize Your Wardrobe.
The influence of African customs can be spotted anywhere from your local Malls to a high-fashion runways. From artisan hairstyles and ornate jewelry, to hand-woven authentic fabrics and sophisticated accessories, gain a better understanding of your African trend-setting heritage and wear it with pride and confidence.

 Top Your Models.
Sure Beyonce and Oprah are icons in their own right in the U.S. However, women of African descent have also inherited rich legacies of royalty, entrepreneurialism and gifted talents from the various ethnic groups throughout West and Central Africa. Seek out resources that expand your territory when looking to positive, uplifting role models.

 Family Refills.
As a result of the slave trade, African-American family identities –- including beauty traditions — were erased and replaced. Take your family’s identity into your own hands and seek reliable answers from companies like AfricanAncestry.com. One swab can reveal the roots of an entire family, which means every woman and/girl seeking true beauty in that lineage can benefit.

 Globalize Yourself.

Are you really a minority? People of African descent are amongst the most populated people in the world and defining yourself in a broader context expands your conditioned points of reference. Africa alone comprises thousands of different ethnic groups with unique characteristics and languages. Your make-over doesn’t stop there. Once you know, routinely tap resources that help you connect, interact and learn with people that share the same ancestry.

As women of African descent, knowing your African roots can unlock a world of resources that affirms your inner self and connects to your outer beauty. BET’s My Black Is Beautiful program airs on Sunday, April 23 at 1 p.m. EST, and is hosted by Tasha Smith, Alesha Renee, Leela James and Kim Coles.

Visit AfricanAncestry.com today to get started on a journey that will transform who you see in the mirror!

Music connects many cultures. I was pleasantly surprised to hear a story on NPR about the Refugee All Stars from Sierra Leone recently. I thought I’d share it with you. Click on the photo and let me know how you like the music.

Refugee All Stars

Today I met with professors from George Mason University and Howard University about our Ancestry Education Project. The topic of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest report: Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds came up.

One of the key findings shows that Black and Hispanic youth consume significantly more media than White youth. “Substantial differences in media consumption emerge between White youth and Black or Hispanic youth, with the latter two groups consuming nearly 41/2 hours more media daily (13:00 of total media exposure for Hispanics, 12:59 for Blacks, and 8:36 for Whites). The difference between White and minority youth is largest for TV: Black youth spend an average of 2:18 more per day with TV than White youth.” (p. 37)

Now, we don’t need a study to tell us that the media our kids are consuming sends them very poor messages of who they are and what they can become. It’s alarming to now be told that our kids are spending ridiculous amounts of time engaged in media that feeds them negative images of self.

Then, I get back to my office and receive an email with a youtube video called “Scholar Ladies”. Thank goodness there are people out there who are using the power of the media to positively influence our kids. There is hope!