Tangled Up in History: Black Identity in Hair

Kionna Crosby Mentor: Janet Hess Ph.D., J.D. Sonoma State University

The variety of hair textures from western Africa alone ranges from the deep ebony, kinky curls of the Mandingos to the loosely curled, flowing locks of the Ashanti.

(Byrd & Tharps, 1)

Ever since African civilizations bloomed, hairstyles have been used to indicate a person’s marital status, age, religion, ethnic identity, wealth, and rank within the community.

(Byrd & Tharps, 1)

Its [Hair’s] social, aesthetic, and spiritual significance has been intrinsic to their sense of self for thousands of years.

(Byrd and Tharps, 2)

Elaborate hairdos are the result of patient hours women spend in braiding, threading, twisting, and shaping each other’s hair.

(Boone, 189)

When an outbreak of ringworm occurred, slaves commonly tied a rag around their heads to cover the unsightly scabs left by the affliction, and a worse infection would then ensue, creating a vicious cycle of hair problems, breakage, and patchy baldness.

(Byrd & Tharps, 13)

Hair came to symbolize either a continued move toward integration in the American political system or a growing cry for Black power and nationalism.

(Byrd & Tharps, 51)

Bl ack

is

Beau t i f u l

Ma d ame

CJ

Wa l k e r

Me n d e

Woma n

of

S i e r r a

L e o n e

“The Coiffure Project”

Ty r a

Ba n k s

“I want the great masses of my people to take a greater pride in their personal appearance and to give their hair proper attention.”

(Walker, n.d)

From movie stars to video extras, Black women in the entertainment industry are expected to approximate a White standard of beauty.

(Byrd & Tharps, 156)

Many would-be “naturals” are searching YouTube for inspiration, instruction and other people who have made peace with their kinks and curls.

(Bey, 2011)

“Natural beauty is boundless, and now it is a source of endless artistic inspiration and wonder.”

(William, 2012)

Although the African American community has been tangled up in oppression for centuries, this study argues that African American women may connect with their hair to break out of an oppressive past, and move on to the positive nature and freedom of self-expression.

Interviews with African American women college students who all have elected to “go natural” (leave behind chemical relaxers), suggest that these women are discovering their identity and connecting to their ancestral roots by embracing their hair.

Angela Davis

Rh o n d a

Le e

Melissa Harris-Perry

“There are a few follicles more politicized than the ones that grow out of a Black woman’s head.”

(Harris-Perry, 2012)

“I am very proud of my African-American ancestry which includes my hair...Being comfortable in the skin and hair God gave me is my contribution to society.”

(Smith, 2012)

Quotes:

(2012, June 10). The Politics of Black Hair. Melissa Harris-Perry show. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/46979745/vp/47755407#47755407

Bey, Jamila. (2011). ‘Going Natural’Requires Lots of Help. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/fashion/hair-care-for-african-americans.html?_r=1&

Boone, Sylvia Ardyn (1998). Coiffure, ngufele:Radiance from the Waters: Ideals of Feminine Beauty in Mende Art (pp.184-192). United States: Yale Publications.

Byrd, Ayana D. & Tharps, Lori L. (2001). Hair Story : Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

Smith, Jamil. (2012). Meteorologist fired after defending her ‘ethnic’ hair. Msnbc. Retrieved from http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/12/12/meteorologist-fired-after-defending-her-ethnic-hair/

Walker, Madame C.J. n.d. The Original Walker Way. Retrieved from http://www.madamewalker.net/

Williams, Erin. (2012). Natural Hair Takes Center Stage in the ‘Coiffure Project.’ The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/natural-hair-takes-center-stage-in-the-coiffure-project/2012/06/27/gJQAIaZ46V_blog.html

“Fusion of Cultures”

Photos:

Angela Davis. Retrieved from http://panthersforever.tumblr.com/post/40474144849/angela-davis

Fulani, West Africa. n.d. Afrika Museum. Retrieved from http://butlerslife.blogspot.com/2012/09/hairstyles-in-african-culture.html.

Fusion of Cultures. Retrieved from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/protective%20styling

“Hair Braiding.” Radiance from the Waters: Ideals of Feminine Beauty in Mende Art. United States: Yale Publications.

Herbert Lang Expidion. Nasara. 1909-1915. Hair in African Art and Culture. Edited by Roy Sieber and Frank Herreman. The Museum for African Art.New York.

Lange, Dorothea. Ex-slave with a long memory. 1938. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building/ Photography Collection. NYPL Digital Gallery. Retrieved from http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?strucID=1749539&imageID=1615148

Madame C.J. Walker. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/madam-cj-walker-9522174

Mende Woman from Sierra Leone. n.d. Radiance from the Waters: Ideals of Feminine Beauty in Mende Art.

Melissa Harris-Perry. Retrieved from http://www.mediaite.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/melissa-harris-perry-1.jpg

Nunez, Glenford. A portrait of model Zaruta. n.d. “The Coiffure Project.” TYP Baltimore Photography Studio, Baltimore.

Rhonda Lee. Retrieved from http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/images/stories/_national/2012/12_2012/12-14-12/Rhonda-Lee-400x470.jpg

Tyra Banks. Retrieved from http://media1.arabia.msn.com/medialib/2011/03/23/Tyra-Banks-Wallpapers-_82_.jpg

Wednesday, April 3, 2013