How My Hair Changed My Life

Sophomore year of high school, I needed a change. I decided to cut off six inches of my hair off. I was no longer the girl who hid behind her hair, I was ‘edgy.’ Even though I love my new short hair cut, there’s not much that can be done with short hair. Therefore, when my brother was planning to get married

The researcher interview with African American women with natural hair and examination of social media. The researchers explain that in the natural hair community a curl texture is more attractive than kinky hair texture and lengthier hair more desirable than short hair; also having manageable hair is dynamic to African American women’s effective performances of Black femininity. This research expands the discourse in African American Studies that theorizes the experiences of African American women with natural hair compared to those of African American women with relaxed hair such as perms (Howard, 2015, p.

Since the early 1900s, Black women have had a fascination with their hair. More explicitly, they have had a fascination with straightening their hair. The need to be accepted by the majority class has caused them to do so. Though the image of straight hair as being better than coarse hair still hasn’t left the Black community, there has been a surge of non straight hairstyles since the nineteen sixties. Wearing more natural hairstyles, which ironically enough include ‘weaves’ and ‘hair extensions’ has been considered to be more empowered and more enlightened. However, this image comes with a price, and though it appears the ‘natural’ hairstyle movement has advanced Black women, it has actually set

But I often wondered if I would still be admired the same if I was an all-natural beauty with a thick ‘fro or would I be considered too ethnic and “ghetto” by my Long Island peers. When you have black hair, you are exposed to scrutiny and often questioned by white America about your professionalism and commented on by your own people saying you have “nappy hair or you need a perm”. Like Dubois’ theory of Double Consciousness I found myself stuck between my

Hair modification is a century old tradition for all ethnicities. The focus of this research paper will be the benefits of natural hair versus relaxed hair within the African American hair community. My position on this issue is that the natural state of hair is inherently better than the processed relaxed state of hair, even though African American women continue to relax their hair the outcome may be extreme.

They were taken from their home and forced to work as slaves in a place they have never seen before. They were dehumanized and ripped of their culture by getting their hair shaved or cut off, trying to make them forget where they came from and who they were. After having to work under the hot sun, in a field, they never had time to take care of their hair nor did not have the same products that they have always used, so they were forced to wear scarves and forget about taking care of their hair. Due to not being able to properly take are of their hair, African American women hair were mocked and turned into jokes, which lately turned into not being social acceptable due to their hair. Resulting in Madame C.J Walker creating a cream to turn their hair from kinky curls to bone straight. Fortunately, years later African American women waned a change and felt that their hair should not be hidden. Slowly but surely African American women started to follow this wave and started to become natural, but another obstacle stood in their way, learning what to do and getting ahold of the needed items. Social media was the only way to gain the information that was needed to learn how to properly take care of their hair. Without the use of social media, it would be difficult for African Americans to get the natural hair care products that they need because in major department stores, the sections for black hair is very vague and even if they did have the item one was looking for, it is usually not in stock. More research should be done to understand why is it still difficult in some areas, Nationwide, for African Americans to get access to the hair care products that they need but not the same for other hair types? The sales for natural hair products are growing online, yet still not occurring in stores. Why is

Hair is a basic element of most of our lives, so to many, hair is a trivial thing. However, the fact that we live in a social climate that routinely rejects aspects of communities of color, hair has come to be an increasingly symbolic piece of our racial identities. This is especially true for the black community in the United States. After generations of countering Eurocentric ideologies surrounding acceptability, members of the black community are beginning to embrace the acceptance of their own images despite cultural messages that continue to promote the opposite. In an article written by Khalea Underwood of Refinery29, she chronicles her experiences with having her hair touched by a white

This research aims to discover the motives of black women and their hair/hairstyles they choose. In an attempt to answer this question, I observed a salon that dealt with a predominantly black female clientele. While there, I noted the dynamics between the hairdressers and the clients: whether the stylist have an input/impact on what hairstyles are chosen, what are the intentions or goals of the women when they choose a style?, and what the style the majority of them gravitate towards? It was a very friendly atmosphere so I was able to interact with both the customers and the clients and obtain more information beyond the physical/visual aspect of the environment.

In 1789 William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.[1,2,3,4,5] However, when he first stumbled upon it, he thought it was a comet. Based on what was then known about comets, it was determined that it was too far away from the sun and moving too slow to be a comet. Upon closer investigation, he discovered that it was indeed a planet. Interestingly enough, the only reason he was able to perform deeper investigation was that he was using a telescope.

There has been a notable amount of conversation on the internet on the rebirth of the natural hair movement. Cherise Luter (2014) states that despite afros and the natural hair movement not being a new concept (i.e. the Black Power Movement), it has gone under what she calls a “refreshing change”. Furthermore, what used to be “I’m black and I’m proud”, has been replaced with “I’m me and I’m proud” (Luter 2016). So, what is the natural hair movement? It is defined as a movement where black women decide to not conform to the social norms of chemically altering their hair and wearing it in its natural, kinky, or curled state (Joignot 2015). The movement could also be considered as an outlet for black women to display their racial and cultural pride or to articulate their “political position (Brown 2014:297). However, simply the terminology “movement” is something that should be shocking to many. There is a great amount of historical context behind the continuous influence Eurocentric beauty ideals have had on black women for centuries. According to Nadia Brown (2014), Black natural hair throughout history has proven to be recognized as “either unintended or intended personal and political statements” (298). the beauty standard in Western society which praises European hair textures, has influenced many black women to be critical of other black women who choose to chemically straighten their hair, accusing them of being subservient to the dominant and pervasive racist

I remember a time when I was at my aunts house on my fathers side and I overheard her saying “ her parents has to do something to her hair” when I left the room. And my mothers side of the family was no better since they always suggested that i straighten my hair--even though i wasn't even in middle school yet. but as I grew older and slowly Felt less hostile towards my mixed background, i started to appreciate the many places j came from. I realize that this was a bow do that stemmed from uncertainty good myself. That nobody was telling me I wasn't good enough or worthy--but i was just unconsciously telling myself that.

According to The State Family Commission off China tap water coverage has dramatically increased in a ten year span by 10% from 84% up to 94%.

Chris Rock’s documentary, Good Hair, investigates the notion of what good hair is. Dominant society views good hair as straight or essentially caucasian hair. This is not only problematic to the self-esteem and confidence of black women, but it can also cause black women to appropriate Asian culture. Black women unfortunately take advantage of Asian culture in search of what society believes is good hair. Many black women wear weaves in order to align to what society believes is good hair. However, when they buy this hair, they do not realize what Asians go through. Likewise, Asians who give up their hair do not know where or who this hair will be going to. Thus, this desire for good hair further perpetuates the lack of understanding that black

My parents were born in the last Vietnamese war 1970s at Tay Ninh province. At that male chauvinism time, just sons could go to school instead daughters stayed home to help doing chores or working. My grandmother told me that when my mother was at five, she had to take care of her younger siblings due to working-class situation. At twelve, she knew how to make money to help my grandparents’ finance. She rode bicycle to near the border of Vietnam and Cambodian to sale cabbage or until married with my father. Beside that, my father also had the hardest time in his childhood. He was born in a middle-class so he had a better life than my mother. However, he had been shocked at fourteen-year-old when my grandfather died in train accident and

Don't ask what business an Indian girl with my hair had getting a white American pageboy 'do. It was wrong, I realize that now. But I remember after getting that cut, my hair began to freely express her emotions and moods. It was like she had woken from a long, deep slumber. Maybe it was the shorter length, maybe it was a natural development phase. It's not clear why she chose to stage her debut at that point. But one thing was clear, she was not going to do whatever I wanted her to.