All right my soul brothers and sisters! I was just reflecting over the years of my youth, and I started looking at some old photographs with my kids and some youth of the church. Boy! Things have changed. They (my kids and church youth) laughed when they saw "the Rev." sporting an afro. I told them that was the style...along with leisure suits and Nik Nik shirts! Yes, I am not ashamed to admit that I had a 'fro and platform shoes! How many other "soul children" are out there? If you were ( and maybe still are) a soul brother or sister, stand up and testify! Say it loud...I had a 'Fro ( or afro Puffs) and I am proud! Ray Allen

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2002

Answers

Soooo, this is a 'back in the day partay?' Well, thanks for the invitation to the party. Yes, I wore my 'fro then and I'm still wearing it. Only then my 'fro was 'high and wide' now it's down a notch or two. I had my bell bottom pants and my high heel sneakers (platforms)and I was moving and grooving to the Motown sound.

At our family's everybody birthday celebration for this month, we'll be taking a look at the 70's. I can hardly wait to see what they will be wearing.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Welcome Sister to the land of the 70's! Don't forget to take your 8 track tape player to your "stone soul" picnic. When it is time to dance, do the "bump" for me!

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

I beseech you my brothers and sisters, please, please resist the romantic temptation of resurrecting those "stylistic days" of yesteryear. The platform shoes, long-collar eleganza shirts, bellbottom pants, "Superfly" hats, chicks wearing fish-net pantyhose, Angela Davis-styled 'fros, hot pants, Lawd have mercy!! They indeed defined the fashion then but I wouldn't for a nanosecond trade in today's threads. Nostalgia is good for recreational conversation but some things are better off remaining in a burial state. Remember the lesson of Lot's wife. LOL QED

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

"Betcha By Golly Wow!" ...I do believe that Brother Bill has visited "Flagg Brothers." Tell me, I bet you still have your cake cutter pick and bottle of Afro Sheen! Admit it! LOL!

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Okay...I am still sporting my natural. Which I have coined a new look--I call it free style Fro.

Brenda

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

I don't know why the youth at your church were laughing anyway. I see most of those same styles walking around the mall everyday on today's youth! Well maybe not the leisure suits!

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Yes. I wore platform shoes, had Afro puffs and an Angela Davis Afro. (Until my momma made me straighten my hair when I came home on the weekend from college.) I danced to James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, not to mention Parliament Funkadelic, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, and you know, Stevie Wonder was the bomb! I saved just about all of my albums from the 70s. Just to let you know I was not allowed to sport my Afro then, but I do now.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Hey! There is nothing wrong with a white leisure suit (especially when you have the BeeGees playing in the background). :)

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Hmmmm.....Mary's post reminds me of the black alternative to American Bandstand - Soul Train. Whether it was unscrambling an artist's name in 20 seconds or dancing down the legendary Soul Train lane, the show was indeed a key element of black culture during the 70s. OK Ray, I confess, I am an ex-Flagg Bros. patron but I still consume Afro sheen products even though my hair is very, very short due to my "fade" and chiseled haircuts :-) I leave you with Don Cornelius' signature sign-off expression, "Love, Peace & SOULLLLLL"!! QED

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

I went on one of those "find your old classmate" websites. I was amazed to find many familiar names there. A few posted biographies, but the intersting thing was the pictures. If they walked up and bit me I'd never recognize them today. Fat, beards, bald, gray, time does take its toll. Then I thought about how much I've changed physically since my graduation in 1980 at 17 years of age. My mustache alone would throw them, but without the mop on my head they'd NEVER know me. Now my wife is a different story. She still looks about the same as when she was in high school...which I dig, heh heh heh.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002

I know what you mean! I just recently celebrated my 20th Anniversary from graduating high school. Those persons who were once lean and trim must have discovered that there was a room in the house called a "kitchen." I could never imagine us fitting in our "disco Danny and Diva outfits." Oh well...these times they are a changin'. But does it have to happen so fast? Quick, put on some "Chic" records and let's have some "Good Times!"

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2002