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essays on african hair
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Most people who are not of African descent usually do not think much of African hair. They think that it is just hair and not a big deal. This is where they would be wrong. Hair is a very big deal in African society and is part of the collective struggle that African people have dealt with since slavery. Most Africans, especially African Americans, wear their hair in an altered state, whether that is with chemicals or heat, and are afraid to show their hair as it naturally is. People of African descent should be encouraged to wear their natural hair because: chemical and heat styling hair is damaging and unhealthy to the body, it is psychologically debilitating to try to blend in with others, and living as one was born is liberating. Firstly, it is important to give some backstory for those who are not familiar with this topic. African hair is naturally curly. The degree of kinkiness in those curls will vary from person to person depending on their genetic makeup. It can range from loose waves to ultra-tight curls that are barely visible, resulting in an afro (this is the most common hair type for African peoples). In the early days of American history, the European settlers bought African slaves to labor the plantations. Every aspect of the African, including his hair, was associated with poverty, stupidity, and savagery. This has carried on to the present day. “In the early 1900s, Madam C.J. Walker received a patent for developing the "hot comb" also known as a "pressing comb". This device was the first of its kind to be marketed by a black woman to other black women, and it completely changed the hair game. Once the straightened hair was exposed to moisture, however, it would revert back to its original state. In the 1960s, G... ... middle of paper ... ...ging and unhealthy to the body, it is psychologically debilitating to try to blend in with others, and living as one was born is liberating. In 2013, there is no one forcing African Americans to conform to Eurocentric standards anymore. It is time to transition into what is natural. It is time to truly be oneself Works Cited Patton, Tracey O. "Hey Girl, Am I More Than My Hair?: African American Women And Their Struggles With Beauty, Body Image, And Hair." NWSA Journal 18.2 (2006): 24-51. Humanities International Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Sieber, Roy, and Frank Herreman. "HAIR In African Art And Culture." African Arts 33.3 (2000): 54. Humanities International Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Thompson, Cheryl. "Black Women And Identity: What's Hair Got To Do With It?." Michigan Feminist Studies 22 (2009): 78-90. Humanities International Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
By the twentieth century, slavery had damaged black pride, and made it known that black features were inferior. When it came to black women and their hair, black women desperately wanted to match the standard of “white” beauty. Walker’s solution to this was to create a look that was Afro-American without trying to imitate whites. Walker spoke about beauty emphasizing that to be beautiful does not refer to the complexion of your skin, or the texture of your hair, but having a beautiful mind, soul, and character.
The history of the significance and culture related to African-Americans’ hair is a very deep and interesting topic. There are many different hairstyles and troubles from having to live with those different sorts of hairstyles, but which hairstyle would someone choose and why? This book shared the experience of African-American men and women in the 1800's to the current era in extensive detail to help answer that question.
Thomas, A., Hacker, T., & Hoxha, D. (2011). Gendered Racial Identity of Black Young Women. Sex Roles, 530-542.
Hair Care is another popular africanism present in America for African americans. For african american woman going for a natural hairstyle is quite common. Dating back to pre-colonial africa a natural afro hair style defined status and identity. Different styles indicated certain qualitie...
The ideal female beauty in American culture is predominately white (Bankhead & Johnson, 2014). Throughout U.S history, women’s mainstream beauty ideal has been historically based on white standards such as having blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, a thin ideal body, straight hair, and thin lips (West, 1995; Yamamiya, Cash, Melynk, Posavac, & Posavac, 2005; Leslie, 1995). Therefore, the features of African American women tend to be viewed as undesirable and unattractive compared to the European standards of beauty (Awad, Norwood, Taylor, Martinez, McClain, Jones, Holman, & Hilliard, 2014). According to Ashe (1995), “African beauty, body and hair have been racialized, with slim/”keen” European features being the accepted standard of beauty since enslaved Africans was forcefully brought to the Americas.” The physical characteristics of Black women such as having broad noses, brown skin, full lips, large buttocks and course hair has been looked down upon throughout United States history (Byrd & Tharps, 2001). In effect, the standard of beauty of European features that were forced on slaves are internalized and currently seen in the standard of beauty of African Americans (A.A) (Chapman, 2007). These standards include African Americans perceiving light-skinned as being more favorable than dark-skinned (Maddox & Gray, 2002; Perdue, Young, Balam,
It is no surprise hair texture varies based on ethnic background. But what exactly determines the hair texture of someone based on their ethnic background? In today’s society, image is everything and hair is a great part of one’s image. In fact, the total revenue of the hair care industry in 2013 was $64.8 billion, according to the 2013 Professional Salon Industry Haircare Study. Because the hair industry is so lucrative, it is safe to say that hair is important to many.
Alice Walker’s short creative nonfiction, Dreads uses imagery to convey her narrative about a hairstyle that was inspired by singer, Bob Marley. Dreads are defined as a “hairstyle in which the hair is washed, but not combed, and twisted while wet into braids or ringlets hanging down on all sides”, according to howtogetdreads.com. Imagery was chosen for this paper by the depth of Walker’s illustration of beauty that natural hair has that might seem to be abonnement or not professional by society standards. This reading sparks interests just by the title a lone. That people have mixed feeling about dreads, some might see it as being spiritual; or as a political statement. However, Walker loves the way her natural hair is supposed to form without
With more women wearing their hair natural, black women have begun to accept their unaltered appearances while redefining their perception of beauty. The natural hair movement has provided a shift in history for black women to free themselves from the oppression of the dominant white society and increase their self-acceptance. This shift in the perception of black hair has allowed black women to appreciate the complexities of their identities, and their pride in being black. Although black women still are often ridiculed for their puffs and locs, many women seem to be invincible to society’s negative connotation to the natural woman’s hair. With this negative perception comes the concept of cultural appropriation because non-black individuals have begun to appropriate themselves with black culture through tanning methods to achieve darker skin and obtaining natural hairstyles such as bantu knots, afros, cornrows, baby hair, and more because society views it as “high fashion.” Hairstyles that have been deeply rooted within African culture are now being deemed as highly attractive because of the white skin color of those who wear them and attempt to mimimic these hairstyles as if they are the original creators. To women of African descent, it is a slap in the face that white women can wear natural styles with no backlash and be praised for creating “new trends” while black women are often ridiculed for their natural hairstyles. According to Michael Omi and Howard Winant, to understand the concept of racial formation we must first look at the cultural resistance, discrimination and prejudices among race that is presented within identity (Omi and Winant 91). For the black woman her race is deeply rooted within her identity, that masks the oppression she has had to
“Good” hair has become a prerequisite to be considered for a job or to be allowed in some schools. Institution policies have violated black bodies in many instances where black people were not considered humans unless they conformed to chemically or manually altering who they are. Black hair is not a crime and a black person wearing their natural hair should not be a revolutionary act. For generations, the dominance of the white culture has been reflected through the way blacks wore their hair. African Americans have constantly been forced to compromise their authenticity to fit the white man’s standards. One group of people should not have to compromise their behavior and appearance to gain human rights. The dehumanization of Black American females has contributed to internalized racism, self-hatred and self-policing seen today in black women and needs to come to an
It has often been said that hair weaves are typically thought to be used by African Americans. Weaving is a technique that consist of sewing artificial or human hair that has been sewn onto a weft onto braids or a weaving net. A weaving net helps to protect your hair from damage caused by the tension of the thread while pulling it to secure the wefts.
A) In her magazine article "Black Women's Politically Correct Hair," Regina Jere-Malanda makes the following observation: "Physically, socially, economically and stylistically, black women's hair is indeed, not just hair. It is a big deal which evoked serious debate..." Explain what she means by referring to her article, Chris Rock's Good Hair, and The Tyra Banks Show video clips screened in class.
Almost 250 years of slavery and anti-blackness within the United States has created a divide in what type of hair is acceptable. According to Cynthia L. Robinson, “Black hair texture is graded” (Robinson 2011). Precisely, this means that a Black woman has either good hair or bad hair. Good hair has a resemblance of European hair texture, meaning straight and wavy curls. Good hair also diminishes the look of African ancestry. Bad is the complete opposite. The texture is kinky, coiled, and thick, giving the appearance of short hair (Robinson 2011). Hair that bears a resemblance to Eurocentric beauty standards is more beautiful and makes the individual with that hair type more beautiful as well (Robinson
The article Straightening My Hair by Bell Hooks makes her argument of finding the reason of why African American women straighten their hair. She first states that Black Americans straighten their hair because it is the stage of transformation; it closes the door of innocence and opens the door to adulthood. Slowly, she starts changing her views. She comes up with the statement that African Americans do not straighten their hair for reasonable reasons, but to imitate the characteristics of white women. She informs that black people repeat this process because they have low self-acceptance of their roots and background, and that they have lost beauty in themselves. My argument against this statement is that it is erroneous to claim that the straightening of African American hair is misinterpreted as their acceptance into the white community; straightening of hair is the symbolism of impending womanhood, closing the door of innocence, and sharing a time to meditate by relaxing your soul.
During an interview with Channel 4, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said that “hair is a political thing”. Indeed, the way people wear their hair tell something about them. As the author said, if a black woman wears braids, people will have a certain image of her, as a radical, an artist, a traditional African woman and so on. It opens the debate on what society consider as beautiful. Most of the time, straight hair would be considered as beautiful and professional. In Americanah, Ifemelu has an
Describing the hair salon experience as “of something organic dying which should not have died,” Ifemelu expresses regret for this attempt at conforming to American standards. Therefore, Ifemelu grieves the loss of her identity as she leaves the hair salon. After “she breezed through the job interview,” Ifemelu wonders “if the [interviewer] would have felt the same way had she walked into that office wearing her thick, kinky, God-given halo of hair, the Afro” (252). By describing her hair as a “God-given halo,” Ifemelu captures the sanctity of her natural hair (252). Despite her success in the interview process, Ifemelu remains disgruntled about her new relaxed hair, which “is like being in a prison” (257). Desperate to resist caving into the pressure of assimilating into American culture and to reconnect with her Nigerian roots, Ifemelu allows Wambui to cut her hair, “leaving only two inches, the new growth since her last relaxer” (258). While Ifemelu initially cedes to American beauty standards to achieve success, she ultimately rejects them to stay aligned with her Nigerian