Go Natural and Be Happy — Honoring history through hair, music, food, health, and arts

By: J. Chevont’e Alexander

“Today…Let the words be said that I will do, do for my people- I will suspend my gratification for an immediate good for the good life to come for our people.”?- Sonia Sanchez

Happily Natural Day (HND) is an annual African summer festival, centered around Black business, natural beauty, urban farmers market, cultural arts and crafts, holistic health, cultural awareness and social change, plus includes a hip hop, soul and spoken word showcase featuring fashion and natural hair exhibitions. The mission of Happily Natural Day is to promote health, cultural awareness and social change in the African American community. Founded in 2003 by Richmond native Duron Chavis, Happily Natural Day attracts people across the region to come and celebrate beauty, art, health, and African history.

“Happily Natural Day was started out of a desire to create a space where we could celebrate our African American history,” says Chavis.

Guaranteed to be one of the most powerful events of the summer, more than just a concert, this commemoration is where some of the most necessary and accomplished freedom fighters and community activists unite with some of the most relevant artists of our time to bring about a unique form of education and entertainment. The expo brings to the forefront the disparities of the African American community, and how as a community we can solve these problems. Since inception it has placed a specific focus on natural hair care, cultural heritage, and naturopathic medicine. The annual event this year celebrates 10 years of bringing cultural awareness and social change combined with the rich history of African cultures and the Richmond community.

THE EVOLUTION OF HAPPILY NATURAL DAY

Happily Natural Day was founded at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia in Richmond in 2003. The festival has grown from a one-day festival to a three-day celebration held in Richmond and Atlanta, Georgia. Through community partnerships and the support of socially responsible individuals and organizations, Happily Natural has become one of the most anticipated annual grassroots events in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Last year the weekend festival attracted almost 800 people over the entire weekend, and this year they are looking to double their numbers in attendance.

In 2008, Happily Natural Day partnered with Feed The People Movement (FTP) to celebrate Black August; a tradition established during the 1970’s in the California prison system by men and women of the Black/New Afrikan Liberation Movement as a means of acknowledging and studying the legacy of Afrikan resistance in the Americas and honoring fallen freedom fighters like George and Jonathan Jackson, Khatari Gaulden, James McClain, Williams Christmas and Fred Hampton.

It should be clearly understood that Black August is a reflection and commemoration of history of those heroic partisans and leaders who  realistically made it possible for us to survive and advance to our present level of liberation struggle, such as Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, Gabriel Prosser, Frederick Douglas, W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Paul Robeson, Rosa Parks, M.L. King, Malcolm X, and numerous others in our more contemporary period.

“For Africa to me…is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.” –Maya Angelou

The purpose of Happily Natural is to educate and inspire. By using music, lectures and workshops as tools for learning and encouragement, the festival reaches a wide audience because of its socially conscious approach. The festival brings together artists, musicians, vendors, activists, scholars, children and families whose focus is on social change and awareness and holistic health & wellness from all across the country.

Happily Natural Day does an awesome job in capturing the importance for the Black community to be proud of their natural beauty, through hair and skin. HND also encourages health, inside and out. Beauty is only skin deep, so one has to be healthy mentally and physically. Happily Natural Day talks about physical fitness, healthy eating, and preventative measures we can take to avoid illnesses and diseases.

“When we started Happily Natural Day in 2003, there were not many people into natural hair, now the popularity is overwhelming,” comments Chavis.

Happily Natural Day — It is more than beauty, it is a lifestyle.

Happily Natural initially focused on natural hair, which resulted in being called a natural hair show. However, it has a deeper significance and does not simply show patrons the latest in natural hairstyles. Happily Natural tackles the tough discussion of “nappy” hair in the African community. Issues of self-esteem, identity, inferiority complexes, health and socio-psychological wellness are dealt with through informative sessions and presentations throughout the program.

The black community has dealt with the myth of good hair vs. bad hair since slavery. Though the hair texture of people of African descent is prone to be curly, the majority of black women often seek a remedy for their “bad hair”. The “good hair” by definition is straight, long and flowing and easy to get a comb through. “Bad hair” as defined by popular culture is just the opposite, unmanageable, extremely curly, and “nappy”. By definition the hair that our Creator blessed us with at birth should be appreciated and looked upon as beautiful, however in the black community for a large majority of women & men, unlike other ethnic groups that take pride in their natural hair, many in the black community look at their natural, “nappy hair” as a burden of disgrace and socially unacceptable.

The expo addresses the issue of self-esteem and how beauty is defined in our community. As we all know, a hot button topic in the Black community is hair and in the most recent years the natural hair community has grown astronomically.

In 2009, in Chris Rock’s Good Hair movie, Rock delved into the extreme lengths that black women are willing to go through in order to look a certain way. A common ideology in our American culture is that the straighter the hair, the prettier the woman.

As natural hair styles are resurgent in popularity, it is important that we dig beneath the surface, and tap into the minds of the masses and wake up the collective mental potential of our African brethren & sisters. For this purpose a significant portion of Happily Natural Day is dedicated to presentations by renowned scholars in the fields of black consciousness, health, & spirit. Also, spoken word poets, musicians, and visual artists from all over the globe come to participate in a forum to present socially conscious presentations for our patrons to vibe to, be inspired by and meditate on.

HND IS BACK IN RICHMOND FOR ITS 10^th YEAR

The headline act for the Happily Natural Concert is none other than Grammy-nominated rapper/singer/songwriter/producer Phonte of Foreign Exchange and formerly of Little Brother. Phonte’s long-awaited solo album, “Charity Starts At Home”, dropped September 27, 2011 on +FE Music.

A portion of the festival concert proceeds will go to fund the McDonough Community Garden project dedicated to providing affordable access to fresh organic fruits and vegetables to food deserts throughout Richmond, Virginia

The Bigger Picture

Duron Chavis is also the manager of Richmond Noir Market, a weekly farmers market response to the lack of access to organic fruits and vegetables for low-income communities and food deserts. Food deserts are areas with easy access to healthy, nutritional, fresh food. These areas tend to also have a high concentration of poverty and large populations without personal transportation. Chavis is also the coordinator of the McDonough Community Garden, an urban agriculture project on Richmond’s Southside dedicated to food security, horticultural therapy and community empowerment.

Happily Natural Urban Agriculture Project

Do you have a green thumb? Join us as Happily Natural Day gears up for the launch of the McDonough Community Garden! The Richmond Noir Market realized the importance of growing fresh organic fruits and vegetables & making them accessible, and the cultural impacts plus the health and economic benefits. They have developed a youth urban agriculture summer program and are currently seeking volunteers for the garden. Planning is currently underway and your participation is highly encouraged!

For more information on Happily Natural Day activities and future events, please visit: www.happilynaturalday.com.