Hair Matters Chapter Summary

not explain the advancement into a new era. Rooks provided insignificant details about Walker, without stating the connection to the subject, it often appeared as if she had abandoned the topic altogether.

In “Hair Matters: Beauty, Power, and Black Women’s Consciousness” written by Ingrid Banks, her book was created to fill the gap between black women’s hair and how it relates to our cultural identity. Banks takes on an analytical approach with her ethnographic research on 61 Black Women of various ages, and provided a platform for informal discourse on the politics of Black Women’s hair in America. The inspiration behind Hair Matters was launched during November 1998, when Ruth Sherman a White teacher at a predominantly Hispanic and Black

public school supplied her third-grade students with a children’s book written by Carolivia Herron titled “Nappy Hair”. The book was about a child of color embracing her hair texture, however the incident caused national attention and received a multitude of backlash.
Residents in Brooklyn felt that the term “Nappy” was inappropriate, and that the White teacher had no right to openly refer to the word. The counterattack from Black residents reiterate how the Black culture has been socialized to reject their own features and the terms associated with them. “Nappy” hair is a condescending expression used to reject hair that is natural and tightly coiled. Banks conveys how it is more than the rejection of hair texture, but it is also the rejection of a culture that embodies those features.
The underlying issue of the incident with Ruth Sherman exposed how hair forms racial identities. Banks entail that during the early 20th century African Americans began to associate hairstyles with their ability to achieve economic success in a segregated society. Which is comparable to Rooks philosophy on how Madam C.J. Walker saw hair as a method to achieve social mobility. Hair represented social control therefore, to be embraced by society one must obtain the dominant features.
As opposed to Rooks, Banks data was conceived through ethnographic research. Rooks employed a quantitative style of research method, and Banks applied a qualitative research study for her findings. Most of the women reiterated the theories of society being at fault for the negativity regarding Black Women’ hair in America. However, Banks only provided a small synopsis on opposing views from interview participants and gave more elaboration to those who aligned with her overall views on the topic.
In contrast to Rooks perspective, that Madam C.J. Walker wanted to create positive images for Black Women and beauty, and that the straightening of hair was identified was a signifier for middle class status. Banks insinuates that Madame C.J. Walker rejected the idea of Black is Beautiful, in her opinion the pressing comb and chemical relaxers are oppressive since they symbolize the shame associated with black hair in its natural state. Straightening of the hair also became representational of the self-hatred theory in the Black Panther movement, since wearing natural hair was deemed as a decision to challenge mainstream descriptions of beauty.
For Black Women going natural is declining the conception of female beauty that even Black Men sustains.

An indicator that Black Men do not fully embrace their Women, leaving Black Women alone to challenge the invisible barriers of intersectionality on being Black and Female. Several Black men have directly complimented me on my decision to be natural, while others were audacious enough to ask why did I do it? Or convey to me, how they believed that I looked better with longer hair. It was as if I broke the dominant invisible norms of femininity. Banks reiterated how length is associated with the rules of femininity, and that there is a relationship between hair and gender. Long hair is often associated with femininity and short hair with masculinity. Hereafter, I developed my own sense of beauty that deconstructed mainstream constructions of beauty which resulted in developing an empowered sense of

identity.
Banks ethnographic study was very thorough and she allowed the research participants to discuss their feelings in everyday settings to allow an informal discourse to occur as she theoretically analyzed the feelings of Black Women of diverse backgrounds and various ages.

In contrast Rooks decided to take more of a personal approach and allow the life of Madam C.J. Walker to theoretically predict the logic of other Black Women and their hair decisions. Banks ethnographic research is shaped around the real-life experiences of Black Women, while Rooks makes more assumptions on how Black Women felt. Banks and Rooks both classify that hair is a way people not only define others, but how they define themselves as well. Even though, both authors articulate their thoughts in dissimilar ways both of their theories agree on the main theme that hair is a badge of cultural pride that reflects notions about perceptions, identity, and

self-esteem.
Although, both authors had great claims, Banks entirely verified my reasoning on how the stigma surrounding hair is based on preconceived notions of westernized laws of beauty. To understand the shame on natural hair we must recognize the historic connection between Hair and the Black Women’s Social Identity. Once you assess society’s definitions of “Good Hair” and “Bad Hair” only then will one perceive the reasoning on society’s pressure for Black Women to alter their natural hair and adapt to dominant ideologies of beauty.
One possible method to change the negative perceptions of Black Women’s natural hair, could be to teach Black Parents, and children how to properly care and manage their natural hair. By doing so it could increase the likelihood of more Black people embracing their hair. Another intervention could be to take the route that the teacher Ruth Sherman had and raise awareness in settings such as schools, and work sites. Promoting cultural diversity, and teaching individuals to become more culturally competent who are unaware or misinformed on the politics of Black Hair could be a great starting point to positively impact the stigma of natural hair. Banks and Rooks, research on Black Women’s beauty occurred in the 1990’s. As time has progressed, and the politics of Black Women’s hair is constantly changing. A modern investigation should occur based on the twentieth century politics of hair for Black Women, and how things may have changed, or have yet to change. Despite the controversy on natural hair, going natural was the best hair decision that I’ve made thus far. I have never felt more beautiful, or freer from society’s limitations and stipulations on beauty.
“Oh, the happy that I have found in my nappy”.