Black Womens Hair 1

How and Why Black Womens Hair has Evolved

Autumn Woodbury
Glen Allen High School

Introduction

Black Womens Hair 2

Throughout black history, black females have changed their hair styles
numerous times. These changes in hair styles are known as movements.
Black females have changed their hair from wearing afros, to wearing
weaves, and to straightening their hair. The most recent being the natural
hair movement, where many black females are starting to wear their
natural texture instead of chemically straightening it. The reason why this
topic is relevant is because when black women change their hair it is still
very much noticed by people in the media. The latest Zendaya Coleman
scandal, where she wore faux dreads was commented on by Guiliana Rancic
who said that Zendaya looked like she smelled like weed and patchouli oil.
This review look into why and how black womens hair has evolved?
History
Chanel Donaldson writes about some of the history behind the change in
black womens hair in the article, Hair Alteration Practices Amongst Black
Women and the Assumption of Self-Hatred. Donaldson believes that the
slave masters privileged those with straighter hair over those that reflected
more African features. As a result, Black beauty ideals were changed to
parallel White ideals (Donaldson).
Black women adopted certain White cultural ideals such as the groomed
image of docility as a survival tactic: they wanted to convey a nonthreatening image to White society (Donaldson).

Black Womens Hair 3

The website thirstyroots.com looks at a bit of the history of black womens

hair through a timeline. On the timeline it has that in 1619 the first slaves
are brought to Jamestown, and as a result the African language, culture, and
grooming tradition begin to disappear. The timeline attributes the loss of
elaborate African hairstyles to the calling of black hair wool by many
whites in the 1700s (thirstyroots.com). It also adds that in the 1800s
straight-haired slaves command higher prices than kinky-haired ones, and
as a result blacks promote the idea that blacks withkinky hair are less
attractive and worth less (thirstytroots.com). In a CNN article by Daisy
Carrington it is believed that black women changed their hair styles to get
closer to the Europeans who colonized Africa.
"Under colonization a lot of things happen. You want to get closer to the
colonizer because that's the person that holds the power, so you let go of a
lot of things that resemble your culture," she surmises (Carrington).
Assimilation
Many believe that assimilation is one of the motivating factors for black
women to change their hair. Chanel Donaldson believes that black women
alter their hair as an assimilation mechanism, because they believe that
on some level their daily lives could be affected in negative ways unless
they straighten their hair. Donaldson also argues that black women try to
attain beauty by white standards, but that they cannot reach it fully.

Black Womens Hair 4

In an attempt to fit into the model of White beauty, Black women have
taken part in many Whitening practices that include hair straightening.
Such practices allow Black women to come closer to, but still never actually
attain, the type of beauty they desire. Hair alteration is effective in
transforming the Black woman into something that is simply adequate or
sufficient rather than beautiful (Donaldson).
An article on the African American registry website, talks about how many
black women imitated European ideals of beauty and grooming, because
they felt that it was necessary in order to be accepted by white culture,
especially by potential white masters and employers.
Media
Chanel Donaldson also looks at how the media plays a role in the change in black
womens hair styles. Donaldson believes that straighter hairstyles are privileged in
advertisements and Black hair magazines, and because of this many black women straighten
their hair. The lack of celebrity role models and women in advertisements with kinky or natural
hair subliminally links the natural image with non-beauty (Donaldson). The images reinforce a
negative portrayal of Black womens natural attributes by encouraging them to straighten their
textured hair (Donaldson). The African American registry website looks at how films and the
internet play a role. Films that center on beauty salons show black culture in the United States
and encourage black women to accept their hair. What also contributes to black women accepting
their hair more is the popularity of natural African American hairstyles on the Internet, where
there are websites devoted to natural styles, braids, and dreadlocks (African American

Black Womens Hair 5

registry). In an article named Curlism: Bias Against Curls? Tracey Wallace discusses how
celebrities are now being seen on the big and small screensembracing their natural textures
more often. She uses Solange Knowles as an example, and the Disney princess Merida. Jessica
Andrews agrees with Wallace that there are more celebrities embracing their natural hair, but that
it is a very particular type of curly look. Andrews believes that its another way for the
arbiters of mainstream beauty to divide our community.
Society/Culture
In the article, Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics, Catharine Louis discusses how
straightening hair has been seen as acceptable to certain relatives, as well as to the white
establishment. People in the black community see black women who straighten their hair as
selling out, and people in the white community see black women who do not straighten their
hair as not practicing appropriate grooming practices (Louis). Daisy Carrington wrote a CNN
article and she interviewed someone from Africa who has a friend that has natural hair, but has to
wear a wig to work.
"I have one friend who has natural hair, and she has to wear a wig to work. They will not
even let her inside the building with natural hair," says Azi Oyourou, founder of Re-Zen
Up, one of the few salons in the capital that specializes in natural hair styles. (Louis)
Tracey Wallace adds that Hair companies even promote a certain curl pattern over another. She
argues that companies like Carols Daughter and Miss Jessies promote products that loosen
your curl (Wallace). She gives the example of Miss Jessies slogan being turning kinks into
curls (Wallace).
Conclusion

Black Womens Hair 6

The articles in this literature review looked at the history behind black womens hair. It
also looked at how assimilation, media, society/culture contribute to why black womens hair
styles have changed. Further researching will look at if there is a psychological reason black
women changed their hair styles. It will also look at how the economy plays a role and also how
black women have changed their hair in order to protest. With the research done so far history,
assimilation, media, and society/culture have played a role in why black women's hair has
evolved through different styles such as braids, afros, straight, and natural.
Reference List
Andrews, J. (2012, June 25). How Natural is Too Natural? Retrieved from
http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/how-natural-is-too-natural/
Black hair care and culture, a story. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/black-hair-care-and-culture-story
Carrington, D. (2015, February 17). Ivory Coast's natural hair movement is turning heads
CNN.com. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/africa/ivory-coast-naturalhair-movement/
Discovering Our Roots: Do I Hate My Hair? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://thirstyroots.com/blackhair-history/discovering-our-roots-do-i-hate-my-hair
Donaldson, C. (n.d.). Hair Alteration Practices Amongst Black Women and the Assumption of
Self-Hatred - Applied Psychology OPUS - NYU Steinhardt. Retrieved from
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/opus/issues/2012/fall/hairalteration

Black Womens Hair 7

Louis, C. (2009, August 26). Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics. New York times. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/fashion/27SKIN.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
Wallace, T. (n.d.). Curlism: Bias Against Curls? Retrieved from
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/wavy-hair-type-2/curlism-racism-againstcurls/