What Kind Of Asian Are You? Where Are You Really From?
Charles Cole III: Our Black Boys...
Like many black women, Laura Adiele quit relaxing and straightening her hair to embrace her natural curls. But her choice had an unintended consequence.
"When I first heard her say, 'We're going to have to pat you down,' I thought she was talking about my body," Adiele told The Grio. "I was turning around and putting my arms out and she said, 'no, we're going to have to examine your hair,' and I said, 'no, we're not going to do that today and you're going to have to get security or your supervisor.'"
Adiele said an agent told her was their policy to check anything that "poofs from the body," but Adiele said she was checked while other non-black women with "big hair [and] ponytails" who were not.
"They put the gloves on and now they're really just digging around in my hair and I'm like, arrgg! Why is this happening?" she said.
She has since filed a complaint with the TSA. The agency's regional spokesperson said the TSA takes charges of racial discrimination seriously, but said that he was confident the security officers were just doing their jobs.
In the meantime, Adiele will have to live with this humiliating memory. But did the TSA go too far?
Comments: (30)
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By: claretha moore on 7/08/2011 2:02PM
Now the tsa have given criminals new ideas.Way to go. Now they will ask women to remove their wigs!!
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By: Meanchick on 7/08/2011 2:35PM
This is ridiculous. Anything that poofs from the body? What about big bellies, pregnant bellies? If they couldn't show her what they found on the scan to warrant a hair search, then they were put of line.
I also have big, natural hair and I've traveled outside of the country many times and have never had that problem. She was the victim of an employee being an ass.
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By: Butterflynma on 7/08/2011 5:06PM
I'm so sick of TSA and I'm sick of them talking about just doing their jobs. I guess we should make it easy for them and just go through security butt naked and with a bald head!!!
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By: Gil on 7/08/2011 5:07PM
Black and Natural is beautiful but your hair has to be searched. Who is making these directives. They need to find the real terrorist. (FWB)Flying while Black now get use to it!
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By: Greg D. on 7/08/2011 6:41PM
"Anything that poofs from the body"? What does that mean? Who is exempt from "poof"? What about bushy white women's hair? Sounds way too subjective to me. The TSA has too much inconsistency in their practices. They tell you "they're just doing their jobs". Has anyone ever seen their guidelines? a lot of this crap is just made up from station to station. It's just depends on who's working that day or what mood they're in. Arbitrary enforcement!
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By: LoveYourNatural on 7/08/2011 7:46PM
Your hair looks beautiful...this is just another way of trying to discourage us from wearing our own beautiful curls instead of buying all that relaxers, weave hair, etc. Remember Black people everybody but us make BIG money off of us buying into the nonsense that the only way we can look good is to copy hair from other races. Love your hair, and remember we have should explore our own hair more and be FREE. And if then we still want a weave or relaxer, so be it, no big deal but we do have a choice just like everybody else.
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By: AChocolateWoman on 7/08/2011 7:56PM
I know how she feels.
When I used to perm my hair, I NEVER got stopped at the airport. Now that my hair is natural, I ALWAYS get stopped.
You are viewed differently, and not only by TSA, when your hair doesn't look the way it's "suppose to"...whatever that is.
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By: Coily Sue on 7/09/2011 10:41AM
I have been natural for 15 years and NEVER got stopped for it and I've warn every type of hairstyle imaginable -- long poofy curls, low Ceasar, long braids, flat twists, etc.
It may be your energy and that you expect to get harassed.
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By: jack on 7/08/2011 8:25PM
This entire process has become mostly governmental eye wash to make us feel like Uncle Sam is doing something to keep us safe. The fact is the government has the ability to check every airline passenger when the ticket is purchased and prior to their arrival at the airport. The security process could be significantly streamlined by doing this and they would not have to poke, prod and humiliate the average American man, woman and child. Believe me, the government knows who we are. By the simple use of your credit card to purchase a ticket (when is the last time you bought one with cash?) you have provided the government with an enormous amount of personal information. In the exceptional event the government does not know who a passenger is, then go ahead and perform more inspections.Israel has a similar procedure, i.e. knowing who the passengers are and they have had NO airplane security issues. The terrorists have accomplished one of their goals...our continuing loss of individual liberties and unfortunately it does not appear it will be getting better soon. By the way, your hair looks great.
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By: Jessica on 7/08/2011 8:22PM
I am a black women, and I wear the weaves with the best of them. However I am employeed by TSA, and it is very important to search womens hair. Just because everything is not aired on TV believe me, someone has done something stupid somewher; and that is the reason we search hair. I love my black people and can say it is not a racial issue, or the way you look. However I can say african-americans can sometimes be the hardest to work with. Please remember a terrorist can be anyone. I can say when we get some white women who happen to come through with afro-centric hair, they get checked just the same.
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By: tunia2011 on 7/09/2011 10:01AM
Jessica wrote,I am a black women, and I wear the weaves with the best of them. However I am employeed by TSA, and it is very important to search womens hair. I can say when we get some white women who happen to come through with afro-centric hair, they get checked just the same.
Jessica did you just hear what you wrote? so what your saying is if my hair wasn't afro-centric TSA wouldn't check my hair? and that if I wore weave or a perm like some African American and White women I could go through with no hassles?
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By: Jessica on 7/09/2011 11:03AM
Yes I know exactly what I wrote. Since TSA no longer use the hand held metal dectators, if a person is undergoing a new pat-down, the only way to check exotic puffy hair would be to look inside. Now if you have a flat hair, there would be no need to look inside. Don't get me wrong I see some TSA agnets take it to far, and I am not defending that. With this young lady that could have been the case, however it is policy to check hair that you cannot clearly see if something is inside, just by looking
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By: Watcher Watchmen on 7/10/2011 7:43AM
Jessica?, In also reading what you've typed in regards as to what "Ethnicity" of hair is held suspect and what is not.
Apparently, if anyone wanted to transport packets of illegal substances through a "Check Point", they can simple pin it close to their scalp and as long as it's covered with "European" type hair layered over it, they can more likely get through.
Being that "European" hair will "Selectively" be least likely checked.
(As with white women and their “baby carriages” in retail stores.)
However there’s a much bigger (Anti-Afrocentric) white devil in the details.
This is revealed when whites that wear “Big-Hair” styles aren’t checked under such adrenaline rush as it is upon the blacks that do the same.
(As with the imbalance of criminal accountability and/or convictions for the same crimes committed between Blacks and Whites.)
Amazing how the urges of thinking crime when thinking “someone of color” has become a commonly shared “boogieman” thought that racing around within the heads of those lost within a white fundamentally racist paradigm and/or its social constructs.
Even while history exemplifies and was clearly confessed by those whites themselves, that whites are the worlds biggest criminals since the creations of their white lineages that began after the wandering Africans stumbled upon the Neanderthals in a profound nuptial. Although this resulted in the “Humanization” of the Neanderthals, it didn’t change their innately barbarian-like traits, yet recognizable today.
(Overall facial Features, Behaviors, comparatively more accelerated aging and its symptoms, overall stooped posture, comparatively more and/or excessive body hairs, general imbecile mentalities cleverly hidden behind the over-advertised few who’ve managed to acquire a “clue” and more.)
This white war being waged against the people of color “in general” under the guise of “homeland security” is a clever tactic so well orchestrated that it has been made convincible enough to involve token people of color themselves who are unwittingly brainwashed and fed from the more readily viewed “Surfaces” that conveniently overlays (hides) a racially motivated sinister agenda that underlies beneath it all and by which they’ll also be consumed in the end.
Fortunately none of this nonsense has “wandered” into our paths, nor will we tolerate it if it ever does. Namely because we understand how it all works as well as the “Glue” that’s been holding all this nonsense together.
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By: nitkita on 7/08/2011 9:17PM
This is the most lowest of them all. If you going to do it to one do it to all. Next the going to have you to rmove your panties if your butt is to round.
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By: showoffpoetry on 7/08/2011 10:26PM
Remember the patriot act. Oh my bad we were watching reality tv when it was renewed. Thats what the rights people bled and died for are being eroded.
Hollar 4A Dollar
Open Mic Fundraiser
FRIDAY JULY 15 2011
The Afrikan Poetry Theater
176-03 Jamaica Ave.
Jamaica Queens New York 11432
Hosted by: Mr. Ace
Signup 8:30pm
Adm:$1
(were raising funds to keep a community institution going, so give as much as your conscience permits)
Facebook.com/Showent
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By: You Know Who on 7/08/2011 10:41PM
White-man is stupid and locked us in the boat with his dumb-ass . Now you know why 9/11 happened, sex and money the the white-man will go for any jive time con game. Stone freaks will marry third cousin to keep the money in the family. Morals , whats that, too much government and porn . Borders wide open, why , Jesus got your job.
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By: "DimePiece" on 7/09/2011 7:38AM
That's right, what about non-black people with POOFY TEASED UP HAIR? This is a racial discrimination! This woman was HUMILIATED TO THE FULLEST! How dare they! I hope that woman didn't miss her flight because of this? I hope she sues TSA for this if no action is taken. This woman should get some free air-fare tickets, free trip to any destination, and a apology from the President of TSA and the TSA Employees! funk that, this woman should take this to the NAACP and BLAST THE HELL about TSA to the media! This just blows my mind? Did the TSA employees, really think that this innocent Black Woman was hiding some dynamite, grenades, or something? They should go after the REAL TERRIOST'S who are now sewing up bombs inside their bodies instead of going after Black people who wear their hair a natural. I guess TSA will next go after blacks who wear Dreads? HELL YEAH, TSA TOOK THIS TOO FAR!
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By: Barb D. on 7/11/2011 7:27AM
TSA has rules and I have no problem with security checks. Checking females/males re: natural hair is over and across the board re: the rights of individuality and the right to be confortable with the hair that grows naturally. I have wonderful,healthy,long natural locks, which by the way,am extremely proud of. I fly frequently and have so far never had a problem of being asked to have my hair checked by security. If, in the future there is a problem with my Afro-american/american Indian locks have to be checked, there will be a problem due to the thickness and length of my glourious locks. The time needed to check the mane of hair will be quite time consuming. TSA have a job to do and I respect that. If they check Afro-Americans hair due to thickness, lets check all and any person who has thick,long and any hair that could be a potential danger to all people who are flying, OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barb D.
Barb D.
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By: Betty Mc Crary on 7/11/2011 5:33PM
This is not as degrading as having a 90 year old with cancer to take off her diaper
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By: Marla on 7/09/2011 4:21PM
AMEN TO THAT @ Betty Mc Crary !!!!!!!!!!
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