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!