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Diana Chew
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104-033
16 November 2016
Just Hair!

Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? A question that Malcolm X proposed in
a short speech he gave at a funeral service in 1962. A prominent leader in the African American
community, as well as an important figure in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X promoted the
concept of race pride and Black Nationalism during the 1950s-60. Malcolm X goes on to
explain how, The most disrespected woman in America, is the black woman. The most
unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the
black woman More than fifty years later his words ring truth. More than fifty years later black
women, as well as black men, are still being taught to hate the texture of their hair, like they have
a choice on how their hair naturally grows. Which bring me to my inquiry question: How does
black hair play a role in the lives of black people?
Throughout history black hair has been instrumental in black culture. In ancient African
civilization hair established everything from personal family background to social status. Lori
Tharps, co-author of the book Hair Story, about the history of black hair, explains how, When
men from the Wolof tribe went to war they wore a braided style, while a woman in mourning
would adopt a subdued style. But in today's society black hair brings up questions of identity,
cultural pride, and even self-worth. .Take Dreadlocks for example, a hairstyle that has become
increasing popular with men and women in the black community. But this particular hair style
has an interesting history. The first example of dreadlocks can be traced back to Ancient Egypt,

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where they appeared on Egyptian artifacts. According to the Romans, Germanic tribes were also
described as having dreaded hair. In the 20th century we saw dreadlocks most commonly
associated with reggae, and Rastafarianism. But in much of American culture today, dreadlocks
hold a particular stigma when hanging from a black head. With locked hair and a black face,
comes discrimination, negative stereotypes, and misconceptions. There has been recent
conversation over dreadlocks and its place in Corporate America. A number of black
professionals, have been faced with decision of whether or not to cut their locks in order to be
more successful in the workplace. Well it's just hair, right?
Wrong!
To fully understand how hair can define a person, we must first examine what
makes black hair so different from other ethnic groups? Besides its obvious physical appearance,
black hair is unique in its growth and upkeep. We know from science and biology classes that
hair, no matter the ethnicity, is made up of water, lipids, and a protein called keratin. This hard
protein, keratin, is actually dead, which means the hair you see on your head is dead as well.
However hair growth occurs in the follicles. The shape of these follicles determine the texture of
your hair. Hair texture can range anywhere from straight to extremely curly. Follicles that are
round create straight hair, while oval shaped follicles give rise to curly hair. Those who have
tightly coiled hair have nearly flat like structured follicles. Which is specific to people of African
ancestry and is typically referred to as afro-textured hair.
All though afro-textured hair produce more oils than that of Caucasian hair, due to the
tight nature of the curls it doesnt evenly spread along the fiber of the hair. So without further
moisture afro-texture hair is susceptible to become really dry and for the fibers to break. This is
why delicate care is needed to promote healthy hair growth and prevent breakage. Unlike

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Caucasian or Asian hair, afro-textured hair doesnt benefit from being washed every day because
of it naturally dry state. Excessive washing can be harmful as it strips fibers of essential oils
which leads to further dryness and breakage.
Yes black hair is naturally curly but due to advancement in the hair care field there are
two options to keep the hair straight, chemical straighten or heat straighten. Chemically
straighten involves relaxers, which chemical changes the actual dynamic of the hair fiber, but it
also cause damage to the scalp due to the toxicity of the chemicals in the process, as well as an
array of other health problems associated with its use. Afro-textured hair can also be straightened
through heat, from blow dries and flatirons. But heats also has some of the same negative effects
as the chemically straighten process. Despite the negative effects, many black women feel as
though straightening their hair is less of a privilege and more of a necessity.
So what makes afro- textured hair so problematic for blacks? Well it wasnt, until
someone told black people it was.
It use to be, that different cultures and regions around the world had their own unique
ideas of what beauty should look like. But with the rise of technology connecting people and
their cultures across the globe, our world is getting smaller. We idolize the same celebrities
and are subjected to the same ideals of beauty. Beauty isn't geographical anymore. It seems that
we have normalized European Beauty standards as the end- all be-all to what it means to be
beautiful and desired. And if you're not white, then this can be stressful. And even if you are
white, beauty standards and body image can still take its toll on you. But let us say, for
arguments sake, that you arent apart of such a privileged, white, society. Imagine you're a young
black girl and you are constantly bombarded with images of thin, pale skin, straight hair, blue
eyed Angels. This is what it means to be beautiful, they say. But you don't look anything like

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that. Your skin is the darkest shade of chocolate, your hair doesn't fall straight down your back,
and your eyes burn a dark brown. That Angel is everything you can never be, but yet that is
what it means to be beautiful. So if thats beautiful, what are you?
These unrealistic standards are especially damaging to black women. These European
beauty standards further perpetuate the idea that black hair, in its natural state, isnt normal or
attractive. Leading black people to try and conform to these ideals, by altering the state of their
hair no matter the negative effects. So to answer Malcolm Xs question of Who made you hate
the texture of your hair? Well, white society did? There is a controversial quote floating around
on Tumblr, a popular social media website utilized by black activist that says, No, individual
white people did not tell you to hate yourself. But European ideals did perpetuate a society that
forced black women to internalize self-hate. So yeah white people its kinda your fault. This
type of brutal honesty comes with the conversation. And when talking about hair black women.
in particular, naturally get defensive. Thats why black women don't let you play in their weave,
or black men don't offer their afros as petting zoos for curious white minds, or why they dont
appreciate comments such as your hair is long for a black girl. Because no, it isn't just Hair. It
represent individuality. It solidifies identity. It empowers. But it can also destroy.

So what about the women who support the idea that black hair in its natural state is
beautiful, how are they affected? Well Those black women who chose to wear their hair as it
naturally grows are often are discriminated against in areas of the military the workplace and
even schools. Protective styles, used to promote healthier hair, are often deemed undesirable or
inappropriate in professional settings. But these protective styles, such as dreadlocks, twist,
braids, and updos, are used because they can be worn for longer periods without constant
manipulation of the hair, protecting it from damage and breakage. So it does not seem to matter

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which style you choose. If you wear weave you are conforming, if you are natural youll be
discriminated against, and if you lock your hair you'll be stigmatized.
As if that wasn't enough, black people also face appropriation of hair culture. Susan
Scafidi the author of Who Owns Culture? Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law,
defines cultural appropriation as follows:
Taking intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from
someone else's culture without permission. This can include unauthorized use of another culture's
dance, dress, music, language, folklore, cuisine, traditional medicine, religious symbols, etc. It's
most likely to be harmful when the source community is a minority group that has been
oppressed or exploited in other ways or when the object of appropriation is particularly sensitive,
e.g. sacred objects.
In a short YouTube video entitled Dont Cash Crop off My Cornrows Amandla
Stenberg, a young actress and activist, talks about the appropriation of black culture. In this
video Amandla explains how hair is as a large part of the image of Hip Hop and R&B, style of
music which African American communities created in order to affirm our identities and our
voices. So as hip hop became more widely accepted, black culture was integrated in pop
culture. As the early 2000s turned into 2010s, white people began to wear clothing and
accessories associated with hip hop, more and more celebrities could be seen wearing cornrows
and braids and even grills. Cornrows were even seen on the high fashion runways. Amandla
states how white stars and celebrities were adopting black culture as a way of being edgy and to
gain attention. Some saw this appropriation as a mere sharing and integration of culture while
other were more offended. Rapper Song writer Azealia Banks found herself on the defensive side
of this conversation. The message to white kids, Banks said, is youre great. Youre amazing.

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You can do whatever you put your mind to. And it says to black kids, you dont have shit. You
dont own shit, not even the shit you created yourself.
Do you still think its just hair?

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Work Cited
"Azealia Banks." Interview by Ebro Darden. Hot 97. New York, NY, 18 Dec. 2014. Radio.
Don't Cash Crop On My Cornrows. Dir. Amandla Stenberg. Perf. Amandla Stenberg. N.p., 15
Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2016. <clandesteen.tumblr.com/post/107484511963/dont-cashcrop-my-cornrows-a-crash-discourse-on>.
Scafidi, Susan. Who Owns Culture?: Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law. New
Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 2005. Print.
Tharps, Lori L., and Ayana D. Byrd. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair. New York:
St. Martin's, 2002. Print.
X, Malcolm. Who Taught You to Hate Yourself? Los Angeles. 5 May 1962. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.