Black Woman’s Hair Touched One Too Many Times

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Thread started 07/23/08 6:44pm

SCNDLS

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Black Woman’s Hair Touched One Too Many Times

Speaking of throwin' Bs. . .

(NEW YORK) Venitra Davies, an African American attorney at Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe, was escorted from her office building Monday after assaulting the firm’s new white office manager.

According to New York City police office Tony De La Cruz, witnesses saw the two in the kitchen Monday making their morning coffee. “Then out of nowhere, Davies let out something like war cry before punching out the victim,” said De La Cruz.

“I have no idea why she was so upset,” Abby Spitz, the target of Davies’ aggression, told De La Cruz after regaining consciousness. “All I did was say ‘Good Morning’ and then complimented her on her hair.”

Davies told The Peoples News it was Spitz’s next comment and actions that pushed her over the edge.

“Abby looked at me and said ‘Oh my gosh. Your hair is so curly. How’d you do that? Is it real?,’” said Davies, who had spent all day Saturday at the salon. “She then proceeded to raise her hand in the direction of my head.”

That’s when the normally prim and professional Davies snapped and cold clocked her co-worker.

Spitz, who had just started at the firm the week prior, had not been privy to the protocol around Davies’ hair.

On an almost weekly basis Davies’ hairstyle can go from a sleek, short pageboy, to long and luscious, to an electrifying natural fro. Her white co-workers, who struggle to grow out bangs or end up looking like poodles after failed attempts at perms, don’t understand how Davies can pull off her quick changes.

In fact, Spitz was not the first employee at the firm to have a too-close-for-comfort reaction to Davies’ varying styles. Cassidy Wankman, a senior partner, holds that honor.

During an off-site retreat in 2003, Wankman absently ran his fingers through Davies’ hair when she was trying out the long sleek signature hairstyle of Naomi Campbell.

“It looked so shiny I just had to touch it,” he said. “Venitra shot me a look and told me to never touch her hair. I knew she meant business.”

But Wankman’s actions opened the door for other colleagues to satisfy their curiosity about Davies’ mane by reaching out and touching it.

“I’ve asked them a thousand times, please don’t touch my hair,” says Davies, 37, who last year put a sign on her desk reading ‘Don’t Touch My Hair.’ “Abby caught me on the wrong day.”

De La Cruz says one of the leading causes of office assaults is white people touching black women’s hair.

“When black women get their hair done, it’s best to just say it looks nice and move on,” he says

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