Black history is celebrated
here,
in the name of a woman who
pioneered black beauty products.
I hope Spice can see
that Americans fought for us
to be proud
in our black skin.
Welcome
to the Madam CJ Walker museum.
My name is Ricci,
I'm the curator
and artistic director
of this incredible space.
Oh, nice.
Nice
to meet you.
Thank you
very much.
Nice to
meet you.
Let me let
you know,
this is an original Madam
CJ Walker beauty shop,
from the 1940s.
Wow.
The beauty
tools on display
were left in here.
That being said, we're gonna
talk about the pressing comb,
because on the internet, it says
Madam CJ Walker invented it.
This tool was used in France
before she was born.
But what she did was take
the original pressing comb,
which had fine teeth
for Caucasian hair...
Okay.
And look,
Madam CJ Walker (bleep)
Made
it thicker.
Made
wider teeth,
so it can go through Negro hair.
So, that's why-
Oh, wow.
Madam
CJ Walker's name
keeps getting connected
with the pressing comb.
-I gotcha.
-Wow.
That being
said,
if you turn around,
and see this wall
of vinyl behind you...
upstairs, above this studio,
was the first black-owned radio
station in North America, WERD.
It's the station
that Dr Martin Luther King used.
Right.
This place
is rich in history.
The women
of the Civil Rights Movement
would've gotten
their hair done in here.
During the Civil Rights
Movement-
So, what'd
women used to do to their hair,
they used to try to straighten
their hair with a comb?
It was
designed to release
the amount of stress
in the curl.
No stress in 
the curl.
And just
for control,
just to get control.
But never stressed about
a curl.
Man,
do you style hair?
Black
hypocrisy.
You see, I tell you?
Black hypocrisy,
I keep telling you.
No man,
it's just control.
It's gonna
be an argument
to the end with her.
-I know.
she have her own way of thinking
about it, no matter what.
I brought
you here
to strictly teach you
about American culture,
and what we went through
as black Americans,
here in America.
And all
I'm seeing right now,
is how they invented
the hot iron
to change
the texture of the hair
so we could probably fit in,
into the system.
But trying
to turn ourselves white
is something totally different.
That's
a US perspective,
trying to turn yourself white.
Jamaicans are doing it,
they're not trying to be white.
It's different.
It's just a stunt,
just like she have an accessory,
bleaching is an accessory
over there, period.
It's an accessory.
Their social
structure is different,
and you could get
a job at a bank.
So if you're lighter...
She might not.
But she's using-
(arguing)
That's what
I'm explaining to you.
She's using
her platform as white face
to make her point.
Because if I stay black-face,
you're not gonna get
the point, Mimi.
If I stay this way,
and post on my page every day-
No man,
I disagree with that.
-Listen-
-Thank you!
I disagree with that.
-Thank you!
-Listen.
No.
Thank you
for your time.
I really-
-No problem.
Thank you
for this lesson.
We'll continue this discussion
at another time.
I will back.
Yes.
I wish
I could stay longer.
That's all right.
And learn
a little bit more
about my history.
-Yeah,
I wanna talk
to you outside, please.
Black hypocrisy is not just
about your skin color.
It's also your hair texture,
and I think a lot of people
need to know that.
And here we go again,
the straightening iron as I see,
was another way
to straighten your hair for you
to have a different appearance.
Let's be real here,
let me explain something to you.
Yes?
I believe that some,
not all, some black people,
they are very hypocritical.
Madam CJ Walker,
you know, the French
invented the hot comb.
Right.
She was the
first one to use it
to straighten the kink
out of the Negro hair.
but she was
still promoting black
is beautiful.
But you're
taking out the reality.
And no one wants
to talk about it, but me
going through it
as a darker skin,
I feel like I need to use
my platform to talk about it.
Not everybody is strong enough
to take the bashing.
Are you
strong enough
to take this bashing,
Spice?
I am.
I know that I'm speaking out
for something that
has been swept under the rug.
My kids are still in Jamaica,
they live in Jamaica,
I'm here on the road,
trying to make it.
And you
think being a lighter skin
will help you?
Society planned that, I did not.
The people
that love
you are gonna think you're
selling the (bleep) out!
-No.
-Yes!
You're a
lighter skin,
and you are privileged
because you're a lighter skin.
My mother
marched down these streets
to be black,
to be proud to be black!
Don't fall into the (bleep)
trap, and bleach your skin,
and do just what they're saying
you should do!
Make them (bleep)
feel dumb for criticizing you!
Are you
gonna have a next child?
Yes,
I want a next child.
My color?
I wouldn't
give a (bleep)
if it was the color
of this lady hair on your shirt!
Okay.
One day, when she comes home
and say, "Mommy, I went outside,
and this is what
happened to me,"
then you're gonna know
what the (bleep)
I'm going through.
Have a good day, Mimi.
You know
what Spice,
I just don't like what
the (bleep) you're doing!
