By Giana Levy
African-American women have had an intricate and complex relationship with their hair that dates as far back to enslavement.
The distinguishable hair textures between kinky, straight and curly are rooted in the identity and uniqueness of each African-American woman. As a result of European societal standards, African-American hair has been perpetuated through mainstream media and print publications as an undesirable genetic trait. The negativity surrounding African-American hair has led to the oppressive treatment of African-American women socially, politically and economically.
Prior to enslavement, African women’s hair had a strong connection to their identity that still continues in present day. Depending on the hair style, creative designs, colorful beads and more, people were able to distinguish the specific ethnic groups, social rankings, religions and countless other identities that African women belonged to. In Africa, African women’s hair was one of their most prized and sacred possessions. However, the relationship between African women and their hair became strained as millions were shipped across the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and forced into enslavement.
Upon entering a different cultural set of European beauty standards, the value of now African-American women’s hair began to depreciate. This depreciation resulted from the societal desires, which were violently enforced by slave owners, of perpetuating European features on African-American women and people. Lighter skin complexations, straighter hair, thinner facial features and more created a hierarchy that privileged certain African-American women and people over each other. According to psychologist Chanel Donaldson, “The incorporation of ‘anti-self and alien-self attitudes’ (Abdullah, 1998, p. 198) into how blacks see their own beauty is representative of the internalization of white supremacy, as well as
a daily struggle to fit black hair into the paradigm of white standards of beauty.”
African women’s hair completely changed into a self-hatred and shameful identifying factor that determined the violent level of enslaved treatment. Ultimately, this change in identity reconstructed African-American beauty standards to align with European beauty as a means of survival. As time progressed, more African-American women began to resemble their hair to white women’s hair in order to meet the societal beauty standards. After slavery was abolished, the internalization of European beauty was so traumatic for African-American women that techniques were created to achieve the desirable straightened hair features.
Closer to the end of the 19th century, hair chemicals were introduced, such as the relaxer or perm, to damage kinky and curly hair in order to receive straighter hair. Additionally, the hot comb became popularized in America for African-American women to use as a straightening tool on their hair. During this time period, self-made millionaire Madame C.J. Walker created hair care products for African-Americans to use to straighten their hair and popularized the infamous press and curl hairstyle. The rise of Afrocentricity, where the reemergence of natural hairstyles and African identity began to revive in African-American culture, presented itself as the transition into the natural hair movement in the mid 1900s.
The natural hair movement revived natural hairstyles such as the afro,
braids, locs and countless other styles. As African-American women and people began to realign with their African identity and follow their individual beauty standards, they were soon met with the issues of wearing their natural hair in the workspace. In doing so, many were fired or not hired because of how they wore their hair. This racially driven economic adversity influenced the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibited employment discrimination based on race, religion, sex, color and national origin. In recent years, California law makers created the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act to further protect African-American women against hair discrimination in employment and educational fields. As of right now, the CROWN Act has been legalized in only seven states.
As African-American women continue to become more confident
about wearing their natural hair, many are inspiring the next generation to do the same by creating hair festivals, documentaries, exhibits and more to celebrate African-American hair. In Atlanta, an interactive hair exhibit was created to recognize the value and celebrate the diversity of African-American women’s hair. The Black Hair Experience exhibit was created by founders Alisha Brooks and Elizabeth Austin-Davis to provide a safe space and enjoyable experience celebrating African-American women’s hair journeys. When asked what inspired the creation, both revealed that they pulled inspiration from their own shared hair experiences.
“I grew up getting a perm. My dad’s family is from Birmingham, Alabama and my mom’s family is from Cleveland, Ohio. I felt that I was always caught in the middle because my mom’s hair is very fine and my hair is tightly textured which requires a little moisture. In college, making that natural hair transition and being able to love myself with any hairstyle is what inspired the exhibit. In making The Black Hair Experience, Alisha and I wanted to take the moments that we experienced through childhood and celebrate the journey that women are on with their hair. Also, we wanted to celebrate our differences and normalize African-American women wearing various hairstyles such as locs, weaves, wigs or being bald,” Austin-Davis stated.
Debuting the exhibit in a pandemic was challenging for the duo. As African-American women entrepreneurs, an additional layer of difficulty was trying to find a venue for the exhibit.
“The biggest challenge was being able to get our location,” Austin-Davis said. “We called venues and were told they were not available, but when our realtor calls, it’s magically available. So, perseverance is the definition of what has been taking place for the last several months.”
As a participant of the exhibit, college student and Youtuber Erin
Wilkerson shared how the interactive exhibit impacted her as she continues her natural hair journey.
“Attending the exhibit made me feel even more proud of my hair. I have had moments where I was frustrated with my hair. Whether it be that my desired style did not come out the way that I wanted it to, or I wished my hair was a looser texture, this exhibit reaffirmed the love that I have for my natural hair. It truly was a transformative experience that I believe everyone should participate in,” Wilkerson stated.