Gone bald, 5 years on. Goodbye to the afro

Anyone who knew me back in 2006/07 period would remember how very insistent I was about never EVER cutting my afro.  I used to even say that even my father could not get me to cut my afro, so why would I cut it for someone less related to me.  I remember insisting it was my identity and trade-mark at the the early stages of  my last relationship, trying to convince my then girlfriend her mother would just have to accept that the afro is part of William.

In 2007 during my time as president of the Afro-Caribbean society, my best friend AJ Esin begged me to cut the afro for different reasons, the other executive members will threaten to hold me down and shear my locks, I'd tell them then, 'I'm not a violent person but you'll be sorry if ever you were the one who cuts my hair'.  When I think back on my life and my hair, it has just been a part of my life that made me stand out first before my personality would be given the chance to shine.  There was once a quote from my very good Trini-man, it read 'the only thing bigger than your ego is your afro'. Such was the appeal of my afro that people got used to the idea that William was first his afro then anything else.  In a room of two William's I was referred to Afro-William.

Looking back I would say that I used my afro as an ice-breaker, a confidence tool, a fashion statement, a play toy, a cushion or pillow amongst many other roles.  I'd elaborate, briefly, I'm lucky to have never been short of confidence and self-belief but my afro did wonders boosting my confidence as I've always been referred to as small or short but with my afro in full bloom the attention to my height is removed and the afro takes the spotlight and all the applauds. The types of shapes it can take, the length, the texture were all part of the package with the afro.  I reckon it is hard not to want to play with an afro or admire an afro.

This week gone by was the RAG Week (Raise and Give Week) in the Students Union of the University of Bradford and all monies raised would be going to the Bradford City Centre Project and Marie Curie Cancer Care.  The week is full of different charitable acts by the students such as a chairty football match, climbing the height of Mount Everest within the gym's climbing wall (911 times it would be) and a promise auction.  My  American Football team the Bradford Bears decided to put me forward in the promise auction. The vice-president asked me 'how much do you value your hair' and my response was 'very much' and he then said 'would you cut it for charity, Marie Curie' within seconds I said 'yes'.  We were both shocked by my response but I must say that the fact that it had something to do with cancer was what made me say yes.  I had had a chat with my dad earlier that day and he told me of a friend of his suffering from bone marrow cancer and it moved me.  I have been secretary of an awareness campaign last year, the Red Ribbon Society and we raised money for the production of child-friendly anti-virals for HIV/AIDS patients.  The fight against cancer is one I have supported for years but not actively contributed and I said to myself this was my opportunity to do my little bit extra.  So I said yes I will cut my 5 year old afro for charity.  The date wasn't set yet and when I told my close friends, I was greeted with sarcasm and disbelief and jest.  Nevertheless it didn't put me off as I was not out there to prove anything to them, I wanted to do my bit to help.  

The week after I agreed, myself and the Bears VP went round asking people to pledge, it had a very slow start, we ended the day with a total pledge of £97, I was not disappointed but I thought we could have done better. With a week to go we picked up pace and we both were excited with the generosity of students and staff, we soon beat the £200 mark we set ourselves so we raised the bar to £500.  The date of the shaving of my hair was set; 24/02/11. With a couple of days to go I was beginning to feel nervous about how I'd look and  how I'd feel without my afro, India Arie's song 'I'm not my hair' was my comfort.  On the morning of the 24th, I woke up washed my hair for a good half hour, dried it and combed it out to its full extent, one last time.  The money we had raised by this time was nearing £400 and the deal was highest pledger gets the opportunity to shave my hair, AJ Esin was determined to beat any pledges for the once in a life time opportunity to shear my locks without any 'retaliation' from me so he pledged £30.

The time was set to 2pm and I was ready and nervous, the cameras has started popping up but the most important tools needed were missing 'clippers and a pair of scissors'. My excuse was 'I've never had nay reason to own clippers for the past 5 years'.  Finally the clippers were brought, the location was set, I wore my Bradford Bears jersey and shoulder pads and clutched tightly unto a helmet for moral support.  

I was sat down, asked a few questions and the count-down began. I pulled on to my longest strands and handed them to Josh aka AJ Esin, he firmly gripped them and placed the blades of the scissors and the moment the crowd hit ZERO I heard the snip! The locks fell helplessly on my laps and I held them with open eyes and bid farewell as I brushed them to the ground. I couldn't bear to watch so I closed my eyes through the process only opening to dab my eyes with a handkerchief as tears were forming.  Moments later the spine-shivering sound of the clippers came and I knew this was the real deal.  Five minutes it took to shave my head of five years growing; a minute per year.

It was all done and I couldn't be any more proud of myself, the maturity and dedication.  I'd like to say a big Thank You to everyone who pledged and supported. As of now we have raised over £470.  Pledges are still welcomed.

I can now proudly say 'I am not my hair, I am the soul that lives within'.

Adieu!

Before

During the shave

After

To Want To

Hey...

A rather dull day I've been through, aside  from the the University of Bradford Students Union Election hustings and American football practise (of course!).

The hustings is an opportunity for candidates to convince the voters why they are the right and suitable candidate for the job (a lot like the candidates debate of last week where Clegg stole the show).  The funny thing is back in March we had the original hustings, however, due to some 'undisclosed' incidents the elections were temporarily suspended, then cancelled, then postponed.  Politics seems to be a dirty game at whatever level.

Well the UBU elections committee have introduced tighter measures to curb any discrepancies so hopefully we'd have a smooth affair.  However, from my opinion, the voters seem to have remembered the details of the manifestos so the turnout was nowhere near the original hustings, besides can you blame them, dissertation deadlines, coursework deadlines are only round the corner.  For a couple new faces it was a slightly nervous experience.

One candidate, yours truly, is running for International Students Officer, who is pretty much the mediator of over 20 nationalities and the Union and University.  As straightforward as it gets... NOT! But we shall see when the results are released.  I do wish all the candidates the best of luck may the right person win.  I extend this same reasoning to the May Elections... Nick Clegg seems to have created quite a force now as the polls are suggesting while dear Gordon says it is a 'brief political honeymoon' sounds like sour grapes to me.  

I really wish people vote for the right reasons.  But hey this is politics nothing, I repeat, nothing is black and white... or grey for that matter.

I do urge you to register in time to be able to vote in the May Elections, and for the Bradfordians go to www.ubuonline.co.uk/elections   VOTE RIGHT!!!

Well I seem to be a little sore in my arm muscles from stretching and my left knee needs a lil' TLC so this post will be coming to its finish line, but like promised about a week ago the daily poem is titled 'To Want To' enjoy!

To Want To

I was told not to

But I wanted to

So much that I thought to

Then I decided not to

But in my head I asked “don’t I want to”

I want to- knowing I’m not supposed to

At night I sleep eyes wide open wanting to

Then I stand believing that I had to

Later in the dark I crept to

Halfway there I decided I didn’t have to

For if I had to

I need not worry how to or when to

So I turned back not having had to

I admitted I didn’t need to

Meaning I heeded not to

I was told not to

But I wanted to

Yet in the end I didn’t need to. 

Adieu!!!

Bradford ACS Election Shambles

The Afro-Caribbean Society in the University of Bradford has long had a strong following from the students particularly the undergraduates in the first two years.  Being a member of the executive team has been a prestigious affair and the roles come with no manuals but a load of testing points.  I have had first hand experience on the running of the ACS and all the effort put into campaign strategies and publicity. I ran for President in March 2007 and I won with strong and overwhelming  support from across its members.

The 2007/08 term has been one of best years in the history of the ACS in the university and I would say it was down to the team of executives I had and the support of the students.  After all, they are the judges on our performance. 

We delivered on numerous occasions after a shaky start but the real test was the End of Year Ball.  We coined the name 'One Night Only' after the Dreamgirls song.  In essence, we wanted to stress on the fact that for one night only and maybe only for that night in their student lives our members will feel like royalty with celebrity status.  For this and several other reasons when it was time to hand over to a new executive team competition for the positions were high and hard fought.  I remember 3 candidates for the Vice President role that needed one winner, such was the zeal to carry on our good work.  Slowly that fire has been burning out with no one to fuel it.  Our successors had a fairly good year but failed on the real test they were unable to deliver an End of Year Ball and had conducted elections that were grossly marred with corruption and sheer lack of professionalism and respect for one another.

Being a very vocal member of society and a reference point for the ACS executives I stressed my point that the moment we turn a blind eye on corruption and disrespect for rules and constitution we fail the ACS as a whole.  My warning was not heeded and my fears are now reality.

The current crop of ACS executives have failed to carry on the good name of ACS, they have failed to fly the Bradford flag high.  With no intention to disrespect their persons, they have given into complacency and a backward mentality of a care-free attitude.  To illustrate my point, the manifesto night and the elections were held yesterday, to my shock and disbelief, there are 8 positions to run for and there are 8 candidates running, one for each post.  This already breeds carelessness, the lack of competition for a position is a strong disincentive to begin with because the candidates will win the post by default, the availability of re-opening the nominations is there only for the sake of formalities.  I do not see the members coming back with deadlines and exams fast approaching to re-cast their votes.  Furthermore the candidates who were running were generally ill-informed about the duties of their posts or bore an air of arrogance and cockiness which did not go down well with the electorate and elder statesmen of the ACS.

I am, however, an opti-realist so I am hoping and wishing that there will be real content and character should they win the elections and I wish for an overhaul of the manner in which the way the ACS carries its name and the image of the ACS in Bradford and around its neighbouring universities. Gone are the days Leeds ACS looked to us for direction.

I reserve my judgement for the new executives and will see how next year's elections are run but so far the elections this year have been a mockery to the term election and utter shambles.

The Fashion House

THE FASHION HOUSE

After some consideration as to if it is worthwhile blogging on an event that happened months ago, I have decided that for the mere fact it was a fashion show and a fund-raiser for Give A Child Hope's child-friendly antivirals and the University of Bradford's Student's Union Haiti Housing project, then regardless of how long ago it was I owe it to the public to blog about it.

To give you an idea of what The Fashion House was about, I'd briefly touch on the organisers, (of which I was a member) and the sponsors.

The Bradford University Red Ribbon Society is one of many university societies that take it upon their youthful shoulders to bring about an increased awareness on the realities of HIV/AIDS around the world and our smaller individual communities.  The society is in its first year having only been fully acknowledged by the Students Union as an active society.  I have been the Secretary so far from it formation, constitution writing and its events.  Fund-raising in a predominantly student community can be quite a challenge and this was no exception.  

The Fashion House was created to showcase the pieces of talented students and professionals of fashion and design from around the UK and by so doing attract a large enough audience to raise funds.  It sounds pretty straightforward on paper and logically it should also be very straight forward.  It challenge however to confirm as many designer months ahead and keep reminding them that they have a commitment; it also involves recruiting students to be models and getting hair and make-up artists to make it look like the real thing. Oh it also involves getting acts like rappers, poets, singers, dancers to fill in the blank spaces in the program line-up and kill time as the models get changed.  With a large organising group I'm proud to say everything went to plan.

We had to have meetings with the university concerning health and safety issues, we had to ask for funding from the campaign budget of the Students Union and get our lights, stage and equipment hire all paid for and on time by the Students Union. So all in all, backstage was pretty hectic chasing up paperwork and returning phone-calls or leaving voice messages just to make sure that nothing is left to chance.

The project of raising money was initially all about funding Give A Child Hope, the development of the University of Bradford's Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation (IPI) but because we were seeking assistance from the Student Union we also had to make a commitment to their Haiti Housing Project and thus the fund-raiser was for both projects.  The Students Union then became our sponsors and without their valued contribution the show could not have been.

"We were able to raise £534 from the night, and in my opinion that is a very big statement of commitment and support from the audience and I know this will go a long way in saving the lives of children or helping rebuild the lives of the Haitian people affected by the earthquake."

A few pictures I've been able to add from the build up of the show.