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An Interview With T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh
By: Charles Mombo
Article Source: Chocolate City Blog
T'Keyah Crystal Kemyah, Author of Natural Woman / Natural Hair
From age three she sang, danced and recited original poems and stories. She wrote her first play and her first song in elementary school. In high school, she performed with the Mary Wong Comedy Group, and produced and directed variety shows. She attended Florida A & M University (FAMU) on a business scholarship, but switched gears and graduated with a theater degree. After college Keymáh served four years as a substitute teacher in Chicago. She has also taught theater, dance and pantomime and currently coaches aspiring actors.
Known worldwide for her acclaimed work on TV’s In Living Color, where she created endless impressions and characters; Cosby, as Bill Cosby’s daughter, Erica Lucas; and That’s So Raven, as Raven’s mom, Tonya Baxter. Keymáh voiced Bumblebee on Teen Titans and Trixie’s mom on American Dragon. Stage credits include Love Letters (w/ David Alan Grier), her critically acclaimed one-woman show, Some of My Best Friends: A Collection of Characters, the Moscow production of John Henry Redwood’s drama, The Old Settler, August Wilson’s Piano Lesson and T’Keyah Live! …Mostly: A True Variety Show. Her film work includes Tales From the Hood, Jackie Brown and The Gilded Six Bit. Behind the camera, Keymáh produced the films One Last Time and Circle of Pain, directed an episode of That’s So Raven, produced and directed three of her own plays and produced Margaret Laurena Kemp’s, Creative Instructions.
After co-writing and directing Keisha Nicole’s show, S.I.S.T.A., she signed on to produce and direct Marcia L. Sinclair’s screenplay, Lemon Tea. She is currently working on the screenplay for her celebrated stage show, Some of My Best Friends and has already enlisted her long-time friend Orbert Davis, founder of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic to compose the soundtrack and original music for the film. Keymáh has performed on countless stages on three continents. She is the author of Natural Woman / Natural Hair. She uses her
T'Keyah Crystal Kemyah - The beautiful and talented performer, writer, producer and director
During her recent visit to Chicago, the beautiful and talented performer, writer, producer, and director found the time to talk with ChocolateCity.cc. Following is ChocolateCity.cc (CC)'s interview with T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh (TK).
CC: What is T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh working on these days?
TK: I am currently writing a screenplay based on my solo stage show, Some of My Best Friends, and making notes for the second edition of my book, Natural Woman / Natural Hair. Next month I will be a guest artist at Florida A & M University (FAMU), my alma mater, where I’ll give master classes and actually perform in the Regina Taylor show Crowns with FAMU students and area artists.
CC: Why did you write a book about Natural Women / Natural Hair?
TK: When I began working on In Living Color twenty years ago, no one else was wearing natural hair in prime time television, very few people in the business knew how to style it and there weren’t any books on the subject. As a result, I got a lot of fan mail from women asking me about my hair. I decided to write the book I wished someone else had written. I did not actually have time to work on it until many years later and by then, there were a number of natural hair books on the market. For a moment, I wondered if there was a point in adding my book to the pile. Then I realized that people were still asking me about my hair, so I decided that for whatever reasons, people wanted me to weigh in on the subject. So I continued on the path, taking into consideration what was already available, so as not to rehash someone else’s work and to add what I felt was still lacking to the discussion. In Natural Woman / Natural Hair (NWNH), I answered actual letters from fans about my experiences of wearing my hair naturally on television, which has been a trip. I also included some of the experiences my models shared with me and some of my relevant poetry.
CC: Those that purchased your book are positively commenting on the simplistic instructions combined with great display of photos. Was this done by design?
TK: Absolutely. Some of the natural hair books I found had photos of finished hairstyles, which is valuable if the reader is bringing the book to a stylist to show. Many women do this with hairstyles they see in magazines. Although my book includes some styles that are best left to professions, I wanted NWNH to also be a resource for women who want to style their own hair and their children’s. We have been so inundated with the care and styling of processed hair for so long that you may be surprised how many woman don’t know even the basics of styling their own natural hair. I also went out of my way to make the photos appealing. Most of the other books had very few photos and almost none with color. The first edition of my book was self-published, so I did not realize until it was time to pay the piper why those other authors probably made that choice. It is extremely expressive to print in color especially when, as in NWNH, color photos appear throughout the book. Nevertheless, it was important to me to accentuate the beauty in natural hair and I felt the best way to do that was through full color photos taken by gifted photographers like Michael Gunn and Joan Fuller.
CC: Is there a another book in the making?
TK: In addition to the second edition of NWNH, I have been very slowly assembling pieces for a book of poetry I would like to publish this century. I also jot notes every now and then on a book about my vegetarian lifestyle and activism. Perhaps next century for that one.
CC: What is your favorite hairstyle to wear?
TK: Gosh. That really depends on my mood and what I am doing. I guess my favorite style though, is two big Afro puffs to twist tails. This is partly because I am secretly still five years old and partly because I’m like the little girl in the Series of Unfortunate Incidents books. I think better and feel more productive with my hair pulled back out of my face.
CC: Why is good hair stylist communication important?
TK: Are you kidding? A bad hair day is one thing. Bad communication with your hair stylist can leave you wearing a hat or wig until your hair grows back. Hair stylists are artists. They have their own ideas about what looks good on you. They also are more comfortable doing certain styles. If you are not clear about what you want, a stylist will understandably rely on her or his own judgment, sensibility and comfort level. It is imperative to have a clear discussion about your desired style – one that includes length, height, color, maintenance routine, products and cost – before your head hits the shampoo bowl.
CC: What are some of your biggest hair care dont's about natural hair?
TK: People with curly/coily/nappy hair should not wear wool scarves or hats (without a silky scarf underneath, or sleep without a hair net on cotton pillowcases. This can cause severe breakage.
CC: What is the most common mistake with women of color and their hair styles?
TK: Perhaps in trying to maintain hairstyles designed for people with straight hair without considering the additional hardship of first having to straighten the hair to achieve the style. Women with straight hair do all kinds of damaging things to their hair with curling irons and the like. Women with textured hair have to first straighten their hair to achieve those same styles. Straightening the hair by whatever method adds an addition layer of damage.
CC: Have you had a bad hair experience with a hair care product? If so, what happened?
TK: I recall in my book an episode with a curl product. Suffice to say I needed to wear a hat until it grew out.
CC: What the worst thing a woman can do to her hair?
TK: Probably the worst thing that a woman can do to her hair is to ignore it. Hair grows on it’s own but it does not have the ability to heal itself that, say, skin does. You have to take care of it. Washing (and styling) it with harsh products, slapping it up in a tight, tight ponytail with a rubber band (yikes!), and (over) processing it, are the worst offenses.
CC: I have seen a lot of sisters with blond hair, do you feel any one can go blond or should the blond looks be reserve for certain skin tones or hair types?
TK: I actually think that is a matter of personal choice. I would hesitate to tell someone how she should or should not wear her hair. I would just ask people to consider their motives. If you feel beautiful, confident, happy, etc. with blond, red, pink or blue hair, then go for it. However, if you wear our hair in a color or texture that is the opposite of your own because you believe yourself to be naturally ugly or otherwise unacceptable then that is sad.
CC: The so-called African-American hair care products are racking in billions of dollars yearly enriching others, would you say that drug store product are just as satisfactory.
TK: I’m not sure how you are distinguishing drug store products from hair care products, but my advise across the board is to read labels. Many hair and skin care products that women and men use daily contain harsh and harmful ingredients. Do not assume because you see something on television that it is good for you. Large companies tend to use the cheapest most harmful ingredients. There are many small, natural hair care companies whose products are worthy of use, even if they are a bit more expensive. Products From the Earth, Treasured Locks, Qhemet Biologics, Heavenly Healing Products (YAHRAJAH), and Carol’s Daughter are just a few of the many Black-Owned companies with quality hair care products.
CC: You do have another book, Some of My Best Friends: A Collection of Characters. What is it about?
TK: Some of My Best Friends (SMBF) is a multi-character solo stage show I have been doing for many years. Some of my fans are familiar with one of the show’s characters, Cryssy, who made her television debut on In Living Color in the piece, In Black World. The other characters in SMBF range from a headstrong teen mom to an optimistic widow, from a young banger turned soldier to a peace activist who does not understand her Black friend’s obsession with Blackness. The book version of the show also includes a background on the production and on me. I am now releasing the rights to SMBF and would welcome contact from any performers or theaters wishing to do the show.
CC: What advice do you have for aspiring performers, writers, producers, or directors?
TK: Keep at it. Do not take anything personally. Keep studying. Create your own work whenever you can. Stay positive and optimistic. Stay in contact (but not obsessively) with the people you like and with whom you like to work. Be kind to everyone. Be adaptable.
CC: Ms. Keymáh, thanks for the opportunity and may God Bless you in your endeavors.
TK: Thanks again Charles for your interview request.
To purchase a copy of T’Keyah's books, please visit her website at www.tkeyah.com.
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