Donna's Salon Utopia

Christen Bennett, in her early 30s, is a family friend of Gifty Serbeh-Dunn, owner of the Shea Butter Market company. For a time while in Ottawa, Serbeh-Dunn lived with Bennett’s family. Out of friendship and a deep belief in shea butter, Bennett tries to promote the Shea Butter Market products in the Ottawa region. “My mother’s done a lot of work in Ghana and throughout our childhood she always brought back raw shea butter for us to use,” says Bennett. “This is what Gifty has done with raw shea butter and all of the colours. I think it’s fantastic and makes it more appealing to everyone else. What Gifty has done with shea butter is great stuff. Different textures, creams, lip balms, it’s just a wonderful product and makes it more versatile for me especially. It’s healthy and also very natural. There should be a bigger demand for products like that with less process.” The lip balms are Bennett’s favourite products. She finds them moisturizing and the flavours are “fantastic.” For more

A 71-year-old woman in British Columbia (who preferred not be named) loves the Shea Butter Market products that Gifty Serbeh-Dunn owns. “I love them,” she says. “I’ve used pretty well everything that she’s had out. First of all I’ve used her shea butter and the moisturizing cream and the body lotion and the foot cream.” Before the BC woman tried the Shea Butter Market products, she had been having trouble with cosmetics. Her esthetician recommended extremely expensive products and she has found Shea Butter Market, far more affordable, as well as something that suits her sensitive skin when she uses the products that do not have a scent. “I will be 72, and like Gifty, I have nice smooth skin. I have no wrinkles. It’s genetics. It’s not primarily to do with shea butter, but it’s been working for me.” The BC woman’s favourite product is the natural shea butter that she also buys for other people. She appreciates that Serbeh-Dunn’s business also gives back to the women in Ghana who produce

I CALLED GIFTY SERBEH-DUNN AS SHE WAS FEEDING HER CAT. HER BOYS WALKED BY THE CAT WITHOUT FEEDING HER. HER BIG BOY IS HER HUSBAND WAYNE DUNN WHO HAS A BUSINESS DEGREE FROM STANFORD. HER SMALL 7-YEAR-OLD BOY IS HER SON KABORÉ. SERBEH-DUNN HAS MANY THINGS TO DO SUCH AS FEEDING HER CAT AND RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS SHEA BUTTER MARKET. “SHEA BUTTER MARKET WAS INSPIRED BY THE WOMEN IN MY COMMUNITY AND ENCOURAGED BY MY HUSBAND,” SAYS SERBEH-DUNN. WHEN SHE WOULD TRAVEL TO HER HOMELAND GHANA, SHE WOULD GET SOME SHEA BUTTER AND BRING IT BACK TO CANADA. ANOTHER TIME SHE WENT HOME SHE ASKED PEOPLE THERE WHAT THEY WANTED HER TO BRING BACK FROM CANADA AND THEY SAID – “NOTHING, WE JUST WANT TO WORK.” HER HUSBAND IS INVOLVED IN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WORK. SHE RAN THE IDEA BY HER HUSBAND TO START A BUSINESS WITH SHEA BUTTER FROM THE WOMEN SHE KNEW IN GHANA TO HELP THEM TO GET WORK. MAINLY HER FOCUS WAS ON WHOLESALE ACCOUNTS. SHE CONNECTED WITH GREG SULLIVAN WHO LIVED WITH HER FAMILY 30 Y

Today I will be going to Seneca College to teach. I am looking forward to a great day. Yesterday I was at Trebas Institute and I administered a test to the students. I think I get as nervous about those tests as some of the students do at times. Everything seemed to go well. I also played a podcast about Internet marketing that was done by a man named James Scramko. He has a website called: www.askjamesschramko.com . You should check that out for any of your online marketing questions. The guy is good. Well...that is it for today. I am keeping this short because I am still working on Abilene's Child. It is a fascinating story and I know it will really do well.

Yesterday I got into an argument with one of my neighbours. This is definitely the kind of thing that would make for interesting conversation in a salon. He called me a "nut bar," "manic depressive," and all kinds of other names. Plus he said "I hope you're taking your medication." Surprisingly....I was not really taking complete offense to these names and comments. There are a lot of great things about being bipolar, which I am. And yes, for the record, I do take my medication. The saddest part of the encounter is that someone so ignorant could think that you could belittle someone else by calling them names based on a condition to which they have no other control but to manage it well, as I have been. It is really sad that in this millennium people think this way. Well...let God bring light and understanding into the mind of this tortured, ignorant and confused soul that is my neighbour. I have slain my demons and I "ain't gonna let nothing

Yesterday I had a great day. I met with someone about writing book and I have been looking into doing French language teaching. As well, I received my schedule for the fall semester from one of the schools I teach at. I'm still working on Abilene's Child/Tormented Hope. One of my interns for Donna Magazine wrote an excellent short story called Bicycle Time. She is really a good writer and I am so happy to have her on board. As well, I have been working with a fellow collaborator, Brikena Ribaj, a PhD graduate who also teaches and knows writing and the Internet well. She even has podcasts of hers up on iTunes. She has been sharing her material with me on her blog that I have been reposting on my magazine. Things are going well. I am hoping that I can have another podcast up today on my podcast site: http: //kakonged.podomatic.com . Things are going really well.

Many, many, many years ago in my youth I used to be a model. At one point I got some pictures done by a photographer named Steve Chung and had a stylist named Ian Hylton. The magical thing about one of the photographs that I am showing here is that a copy was given to the other man who was in the photograph. It was taken beside a ice cream truck. That man kept the picture on his ice cream truck that is mainly parked down by Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto for at least 10 years. One day I went down there, after I had been living in and out of Toronto. I went up to the truck without the hair, makeup and figure I had in my youth. I told the man there (a different man) that it was me in that picture. He did not believe me. Well...things change.

It has been quite a long time since I have been to Africa. The last time was when I was in South Africa back in 2002. I remember being in a store and seeing this woman with the most beautiful dreadlocks. When I asked her about her hair, she said she created the look by washing her hair every day and using a towel to create the locks. I have heard of this method being used before. Before I went to South Africa, I had been in Uganda back in 1996 to 1997. I was working at the time and I remember that before I left for Uganda I put my hair into braids. A woman I knew at the time said to me that it was not exactly wise for me to braid my hair before going to Africa simply because it was so much cheaper to get it done there. I did not know this beforehand, however she was absolutely right, although I am not quoting her. It amazes me that at that time, you could get a full head of beautiful braids for $7.00 CDN. One would be hard-pressed to find anyone that was not either a relative or a frie

I am currently very happy with the state of my hair. I have decided to stop experimenting with it and just decided on the adage - "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Meaning I have decided to keep my hair the same way I have been wearing it for years now. The good thing about the way I wear my hair is that even though I keep it in a simple natural style, it is extremely cost effective. All I need to do is to make sure I am buying healthy products for it and just wash, comb and go. I wash my hair anywhere between two to three times a week. Since it is extra curly - it is not advisable for me to wash it every day. I also use a leave-in conditioner to help to keep it in good condition. I also have the flexibility of altering my usual hairstyle into different styles. I could blow dry it straight, although I avoid doing this. Heat is not a good thing for natural hair or any hair for that matter. I could also put it into braids and twists just using my natural hair, or exten

This is it everyone! Here is Zhara's blog on natural hair. Remember that she is on hiatus for the summer, however she will be back in the fall! Enjoy.

Here are some pictures from Zhara's Blog: Here is another picture:

Donna: What started your interest in hair? Zhara: I think for the majority of black women myself included, I've always been obssesed with a major interest in my hair! Lol. My hair has always been a forefront of never ending years of hair dilemmas and styles. Black hair is the most fragile and versatile texture in the world.This has made my hair journey an interesting one from being natural as a child to permed in my teen years with good and bad hair days that brought about emotions and experiences that lay down deep in the soul. A black woman can never escape her personal hair struggles unless she makes peace with it and works with her hair in tune with nature....thankfully going natural has definitley lead me to this path :) Donna: Tell me about your website? Zhara: It's actually more of a community of support and motivation more than a personal website per se. I joined a community online photo blog called fotki.com to document my personal hair journey among thousands of other

I have been experimenting with my hair. Yesterday I received some great products from my friend Gifty Serbeh-Dunn who is based in British Columbia. She owns a company called Shea Butter Market that I did a story on for Donna Magazine : http://kakonged.wordpress.com . She sent me some lip balms, a great smelling hand cream, and a body, face and hand cream. I am thrilled to receive these things and started putting the hand cream in my hair to help me to form locks. We will see how it goes. I still have time to take them out if I change my mind. Let me know what you think of them so far in this picture I am including. I apologize for the picture being blurry, however I took it without my glasses and could not tell how unfocused it was.

Today is a special kind of day. I just received an opportunity last night to work on a documentary as an Associate Producer. I definitely plan to go for it. The sad thing is this will cut into my volunteer work for VoicePrint, which I do enjoy doing. With the economic situation such as it is right now - I need to make the decision to also do something I would enjoy doing, plus get paid. Things are going well with my business. I have been able to sell more books and I am looking forward to showcasing at the tables at the conferences I will be involved in this month to generate more sales. I have many more books other than What Happened to the Afro? So far I have written 25 of them and I am working on a book with a woman named Susie Hortman in Texas called Abilene's Child for now. this books will prove to be extremely interesting and will also definitely be a lot of work. I plan to keep from pulling me hair out about it though because I want my hair to grow. Well...if you would lik

I'm actually having a good hair day. I've included a picture of one of the worst hair moments of my life. I became inspired to actually express how I am doing with my hair by reading some of a blog on someone doing their MA in TESOL. That sounds so interesting and I remember how busy I was when I was doing my thesis on the politics of black hair at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. It consumed most of my life, even though I still made time to do other things, such as work. Things are going well lately with my book sales. Currently there is a $5 off coupon to celebrate Canada Day until July 8, 2009. When you buy, you need to enter CANADADAY. This would be a great way to buy What Happened to the Afro? or as many books as you like. I am up to 25 written books by me. Well, actually, one of them is edited. There is also another code that is for 10 per cent off. This one can work out well too for bigger purchases. I have bought some of my own books so I can showcase them at

I will be doing an interview with Zhara who is based in Vancouver and has a blog on natural hair care. She has some amazing photographs to share, plus some interesting insights about natural black hair. Stay tuned. If you would like to read more about What Happened to the Afro? Please buy the book at: http://stores.lulu.com/kakonged.

History, Stories and Hair Edit From: d_kakong Posted: June 17, 1999 "And in still other 'houses of worship' throughout Virginia and in such cities as Philadelphia and New Orleans, a fine-toothed comb was hung on a rope near the front entrance. If one's hair was too nappy and snagged in the comb, entry was denied"(from the Color Complex pg. 27) There is a whole history to hair, but what is your hair history? What can you share about the hair history of others?

Language and Hair Edit From: d_kakong Posted: June 17, 1999 "Nappy...kinky...dreadlocks" - do the words we use around our hair really matter? Can it be compared to the difference between black and African-Canadian, African-American? Posted by Date Posted

Discussion: Passing and Hair Passing and Hair Edit From: d_kakong Posted: June 17, 1999 "Because I'm white too, and if I have to be coloured then I want to die...I want to have a chance in life. I don't want to come through back doors, or feel lower for other people, or apologize for my mother's colour...she can't help her colour, but I can, and I will" (Sarah Jane in Imitation of Life). Imitation of Life is a story of Sarah Jane, the white-looking daughter of black Addie Johnson. Sarah Jane and Addie live with a white family, a woman named Lora and her daughter, Susie. Sarah Jane desires to be white and pass in society, and reject her black mother. Her light skin and straight hair gives her a chance to escape this life, to declare "I'm White too." Is straightened hair a form of passing in a white society?

Discussion: Locks Locks! From: tojane Posted: February 26, 1999 Can we have a discussion about locks? Most people call them "dread locks," but a little while back, Alice Walker insisted on dropping the "dread" from the locks, because, "there is nothing dreadful about them." Most people don't realize the politics (and the HISTORY) behind them. Shall we talk about this? I've been considering locking my hair for some time now, but am not ready to do it, not because of any spiritual or political thang; but for the simple fact that I like to play with my styles, and change from time-to-time. But seriously, I love the way they look on so many other beautiful people! Here is a little tidbit of politics that takes us beyond the side of the Atlantic. Back home, in Nigeria, locks have very definite meaning. The only people who wore them were either crazy, a part of a certain caste (outcaste) of society, or a "Rastafarian." I went back a couple ye