Short Takes

Celebrating natural black hair is a struggle at best for African American women, but with a film entitled “Hair Love,” directed by former NFL player Matthew Cherry winning an Oscar this week, the conversation about promoting hair love among people of color is trending. On Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m., the Bayou Theater at University of Houston-Clear Lake will continue the conversation with a presentation of “Nappy Hair Stories,” written and performed by Laura D. Oliver.

“Nappy Hair Stories” is Oliver’s conversation with the audience about her relationship with her hair. “This presentation is in conjunction with Black History Month,” said Lecturer in Communication Andrea Baldwin, who is Oliver’s colleague.

Baldwin said the show is about all black women’s hair in general. “It’s about being seen and acknowledged,” she said. “When we see each other, we understand what it’s like to have our hair policed. And because of that policing, many of us spend a lot of time working on our hair, so it’s a discussion about what it means to go to a hair salon or a beauty supply shop.”

Oliver’s show extends the conversation, she said. “The hope is to spark conversation and dialogue on this topic. With the Oscar win, it’s a timely and important discussion.”

This event is free and open to the public.

Habitat Work Day

If you love working outdoors, or just want to help the environment, the Environmental Institute of Houston has the opportunity to do both. Tuesday, March 3 (and every Tuesday morning) from 8-11 a.m., meet at the NOA 1 Building at University of Houston-Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston 77058 for Habitat Work Day. Help weed and mulch flower beds, plant native plants, maintain pathways, and trim trees and bushes. No experience is necessary to volunteer. Bring a reusable water bottle and some sunscreen. Snacks are provided.

For more information, call 281-283-3950.

CLASP presents a panel discussion with women in business

Spend an evening with two accomplished female entrepreneurs: Kim Roxie, founder and CEO of LAMIK Beauty, and Ghazal Qureshi, founder of Ideal Lab Kids. Be inspired by their triumphs and trials, and learn how they overcame setbacks. The event is Thursday, March 5 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Garden Room of the Bayou Building, University of Houston-Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., 77058.

LAMIK Beauty is a vegan makeup line made with natural and organic ingredients for multicultural women. Ideal Lab Kids is a Houston-based company that provides stimulating hands-on learning experiences for children.

This event is part of CLASP’s Speaker Series, an outreach initiative to encourage lifelong learning through free monthly presentations that involve and engage community members of all ages in a wide variety of topics.

Five-piece band to share sounds of Ireland at Bayou Theater

It’s not easy to pronounce “Goitse” but the award-winning quintet from Ireland, recently named Live Ireland’s Traditional Group of the Year, is certainly easy to listen to. They’ll be sharing their distinctive sounds, combined with the traditional tunes of Ireland, at University of Houston-ClearLake’s Bayou Theater on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Goitse (pronounced “Go-witch-ee”) pianist Tadgh Ó Meachair explained that the name, which means “come here” in Gaelic, was chosen for the group almost as a joke. “I’m one of two Gaelic speakers in the group,” Ó Meachair said. “One day, early on in college, the lads heard (the group’s vocalist and fiddler) Aine McGeeney call after me, saying ‘Goitse!’ They’d never heard the word before and found it hilarious, and it just sort of stuck. We like it because it points to our Irish roots and spreads awareness of the Irish language.”

The audience will experience five musicians playing instruments they might not be familiar with, such as the bodhran, the bouzouki and the oud, as well as the more familiar fiddle, guitar and banjo.

“I hope the audience comes away having had a great time,” said Ó Meachair. “We’re looking forward to a fun night ourselves, and we’ll do our best to share some songs, stories, jokes and energetic music with everyone, along with a little taste of Ireland.”

For more information or to purchase tickets to an event at the Bayou Theater online.