Afro-textured hair, or
Black hair, are terms used to refer to the typical texture of
Black AfricanThe term black people usually refers to a racial group of humans with skin colors that range from light brown to nearly black. It also has been used to categorize a number of diverse populations into a common group. Some definitions of the term include only people of relatively recent Sub Saharan...
hairHair is a protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the dermis. The fine, soft hair found on many nonhuman mammals is typically called fur; wool is the characteristically curly hair found on sheep and goats. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the...
that has not been altered by hot combs, flat irons, or chemicals (by perming,
relaxingA relaxer is a type of lotion or cream which makes hair less curly, and easier to straighten by chemically "relaxing" the natural curls. The active agent is usually a strong alkali, although some formulations are based on ammonium thioglycolate instead....
,
straighteningHair straightening is a hair styling technique which involves the flattening and straightening of hair in order to give it a smooth, streamlined and 'sleek' appearance. It may be accomplished by using hair irons and hot combs, chemical relaxers, Japanese hair straightening, or Brazilian hair...
, bleaching or
coloringHair coloring is used:*to return gray hair to its previous color;*to change hair color to a shade regarded as more fashionable or desirable;*to return hair to its original color after chemicals Hair coloring is used:*to return gray hair to its previous color;*to change hair color to a shade...
). Each strand of this hair type grows in a tiny spring-like, corkscrew shape. The overall effect is such that, despite relatively fewer actual hair shafts compared to straight hair, this texture appears (and feels) denser than its straight counterparts. Due to this, it is often referred to as 'thick', 'bushy', or 'woolly'. For several reasons, possibly including its relatively flat cross section (among other factors), this hair type also conveys a dry or matte appearance. It is also very coarse, and its unique shape also renders it very prone to breakage when combed or brushed. Adjectives such as "hard", "kinky", "
napPrimarily, nap is the raised surface on certain kinds of cloth, such as velvet. Nap can refer additionally to other surfaces that look like the surface of a napped cloth, such as the surface of a felt or beaver hat....
py" or "spiraled" are often used to describe natural afro-textured hair in Western societies.
Structure
There are differences across ethnicity in the structure, density, and growth rate of hair. With regards to structure, all human hair has the same basic chemical composition in terms of keratin protein content. However, Franbourg et al. have found that Black hair may differ in the distribution of lipids throughout the hair shaft. Afro-textured hair was neither as densely concentrated nor as rapidly growing as other phenotypes. Specifically, the average density of Afro-textured hair was found to be approximately 190 hairs per square centimeter. This was significantly lower than that of Caucasian hair, which, on average, produces approximately 227 hairs per square centimeter. Further, Loussourarn found that Afro-textured hair grows at an average rate of approximately 256 micrometers per day, while that of Caucasians grows at approximately 396 micrometers per day. Finally, in most cases, unless natural Afro-textured hair is left alone (i.e., not styled or grown into dreadlocks), In other words, due to conventional grooming practices, loose natural Afro-textured hair, upon reaching a certain length (which varies by the tightness of the coil), reaches a "steady state" such that it does not appear longer despite continual new growth.
History in the United States
Diasporic Black Africans in the Americas have been experimenting with ways to style their hair since their arrival in the Western Hemisphere well before the nineteenth century. In the U.S. following emancipation (between the late 1890s and the early 1900s),
Annie MaloneAnnie Turnbo Malone was an African-American businesswoman, inventor and philanthropist who, in the first three decades of the 20th century, built a large and prominent commercial and educational enterprise centered around cosmetics for African-American women and, subsequently, training and poise...
, Madam C. J. Walker and Garrett Augustus Morgan revolutionized African American hair care by inventing and marketing chemical (and heat-based) applications to alter the natural tightly curled texture. During the 1930s,
conkThe conk was a hairstyle popular among African-American men from the 1920s to the 1960s. This hairstyle called for a man with naturally "kinky" hair to have it chemically straightened using a relaxer , so that the newly straightened hair could be styled in specific ways...
ing (vividly described in "
The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Autobiography of Malcolm X was written by Alex Haley between 1964 and 1965, as told to him through conversations with Malcolm conducted shortly before Malcolm X's death , and published in 1965...
") became an innovative method in the U.S. for Black men to straighten kinky hair (whereas women at that time tended to either wear wigs, or to hot-comb their hair (rather than conk it) in order to attain the straight look).
It has been debated whether hair straightening practices arose out of a desire to conform to a Eurocentric standard of beauty, or some combination of both. Supporters of the second theory believe that the same prejudice that viewed lighter skin as preferable to darker, held that straight or wavy hair (i.e. "good" hair) was preferable to tightly curled hair, and that this prejudice originated not from Black African Diasporic peoples but from European slaveholders and colonizers as part of the rhetoric used to support slavery and racially-based social class stratifications. Some claim that the dominant prejudice for Eurocentric ideas of beauty pervades the western world.. Further, the tendency to judge people, especially women, based upon their physical appearance speaks to the fact that this issue is especially poignant for African American females. In other words, it is a clear example of an inherent, interlocking conflict that Black women face with Western norms that involves both race (i.e. the fact that the natural afro-hair texture of sub-Saharan African descended peoples deviates starkly from the global 'norm'), and gender (i.e. the fact that the disproportionately strong need for women to be physically 'beautiful' is heavily marketed to all Westerners, and is thus reinforced by men (and women) of all races).
The
civil rights movementThe Civil Rights Movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. It was accompanied by much civil unrest and popular rebellion. The process was long and tenuous in many countries, and most of these movements did not achieve or...
and
black powerBlack Power is a political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies. It is used in the movement among people of Black African descent throughout the world, primarily African Americans in the United States...
and pride movements of the 1960s and 1970s in the U.S. created an impetus for African Americans to express their political commitments and self-love by the wearing of fairly long, natural hair. This contributed to the emergence of the
AfroAn afro, sometimes shortened to "fro", is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo, cloud or ball.- History :...
hairstyle into American mainstream culture, as an affirmation of Black African heritage, that "black is beautiful," and a rejection of Eurocentric standards of beauty. It has been used in songs, as a symbol of Black African heritage, notably in
I Wish"I Wish" is a hit funk song by Stevie Wonder. It was released in 1976 as a single and included on the album Songs in the Key of Life. Written and produced by Wonder, the song focuses on his childhood...
by
Stevie WonderStevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Blind from birth, Wonder signed with Motown Records at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for the label. He has recorded more than thirty U.S...
. By the 1970s natural hair had evolved into a popular hairstyle.
Over the years, the popularity of natural hair has waxed and waned. Today, a significant percentage of African American women elect to straighten their hair with relaxers of some kind (either heat or chemically based). This is done despite the fact that prolonged application of such chemicals (or heat) can result in overprocessing, breakage and thinning of the hair. Nonetheless, over the past decade or so, natural hair has once again increased in popularity with the emergence of styles such as cornrows,
locksDreadlocks, also called locks or dreads, are heavy matted coils of hair which form by themselves eventually fusing together to form a single dread. This is possible in all hair types if the hair is allowed to grow naturally without grooming or conditioning for a long period of time...
, braiding, twists and short, cropped hair, most of which originated in Ancient Africa. With the emergence of hip-hop culture and Caribbean influences like reggae music, more non-blacks have begun to wear these hairstyles as well. There has been a boom in marketing hair products such as "Out of Africa" shampoo to African American consumers. Slogans that promote a pan-Black African appreciation of Afro-textured hair include "Happy to be nappy," "Don't worry, be nappy," as well as "Love, peace and nappiness."
As mentioned however, most black women in the West, continue to relax their hair. For, even today, people (particularly women) are subtly (or overtly) discouraged from wearing their hair in a natural style in the workplace and/or by their families, friends, or significant others (see the section below for examples). Notably, the Western standards of appearance are growing in strength throughout the world as a whole. Hence, the American marketing strategies that have inspired Black women throughout the African diaspora to straighten their hair are now being directed at Black Africans themselves. For this reason, in many urban areas of the African continent, and increasingly in some rural areas, straightened hair (and all of the mentioned complications associated with it) is common among adult females, and traditional hair care methods are being increasingly discarded and forgotten.
Controversy over natural Afro-textured hair in the United States
Although there has been a reemergence of natural Afro-textured hair, there is still the fact that straightened hair is considered to be a more acceptable or professional hairstyle. This is evidenced by the fact that high-profile black women in professions such as journalism and politics still wear straight hair.
A 1998 incident became national news when Ruth Ann Sherman, a teacher in
Bushwick, BrooklynBushwick is a neighborhood in the northeastern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by East Williamsburg to the northwest, Bed-Stuy to the southwest, the Cemetery of the Evergreens and other cemeteries to the southeast, and Ridgewood, Queens to the northeast. The...
, introduced her students to the book
Nappy Hair by African American author
Carolivia HerronCarolivia Herron is a Jewish American writer of children's and adult literature, and a scholar of African-American Judaica.-Personal life:She was born to Oscar Smith Herron and Georgia Carol Herron, in Washington D.C....
. Sherman, who is white, was criticized by parents of black children, who thought that the book presented a negative stereotype.
On Wednesday, April 4, 2007 radio talk-show host
Don ImusJohn Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, writer, and philanthropist. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, airs throughout the United States on Citadel Media.-Personal life:...
referred to the
Rutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in the state of New Jersey. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766 and is the eighth-oldest college in the United States...
women's basketball team playing in the Women's NCAA Championship game as a group of "nappy-headed hos" during his
Imus in the MorningImus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Citadel Media , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
show.
Bernard McGuirkBernard McGuirk is the executive producer of the Imus in the Morning radio program. He was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York, where he also worked in his younger years as a taxicab driver. McGuirk has worked in radio and television since 1986 after he graduated from College of Mount...
then compared the game to "the jigaboos versus the wannabes," alluding to
Spike LeeShelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He also teaches film at New York University and Columbia University...
's film
School DazeSchool Daze is a 1988 musical-drama film, written and directed by Spike Lee, and starring Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tisha Campbell-Martin. Based in part on Spike Lee's experiences at Atlanta's Morehouse College, it is a story about fraternity and sorority members clashing with...
. Imus apologized two days later, after receiving criticism. CBS Radio canceled Don Imus' morning show on Thursday, April 12, 2007.
During August 2007, American Lawyer Magazine reported that an unnamed junior
Glamour MagazineGlamour magazine means:* Glamour magazine, a U.S. publication aimed at a female readership* a girlie magazine aimed at a male readership featuring photographs of women...
staffer did a presentation on the "Dos and Don'ts of Corporate Fashion" for Cleary Gottlieb, a New York City law firm. There was a slide show where the woman made negative remarks about black women's natural hairstyles in the workplace, calling them "shocking," "inappropriate," and "political." Both the law firm and Glamour Magazine issued apologies to the staff. However, natural afro hair texture continues to be an issue in US workplaces.
When asked by his daughter, "How come I don't have good hair?"
Chris RockChristopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted by Comedy Central as the fifth greatest stand-up comedian of all time....
spent two years making a documentary entitled
Good HairGood Hair is Chris Rock's documentary comedy film that premiered on October 9, 2009. The movie focuses on African Americans and seeks to explore some of the aspects of African American hair...
where he seeks to explore some of the aspects of African American hair, a $9 billion dollar a year industry. The film debuts October 9, 2009.
See also
- Afro
An afro, sometimes shortened to "fro", is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo, cloud or ball.- History :...
- Cornrows
- Dreadlocks
Dreadlocks, also called locks or dreads, are heavy matted coils of hair which form by themselves eventually fusing together to form a single dread. This is possible in all hair types if the hair is allowed to grow naturally without grooming or conditioning for a long period of time...
- Conk
The conk was a hairstyle popular among African-American men from the 1920s to the 1960s. This hairstyle called for a man with naturally "kinky" hair to have it chemically straightened using a relaxer , so that the newly straightened hair could be styled in specific ways...
- Perm (hairstyle)
- Jheri curl
The Jheri curl is a hairstyle that was common and popular in the African American community. Invented by and named for Jheri Redding, the Jheri curl gave the wearer a glossy, loosely curled look...
- Hair weave
The most recent development in weaving extensions is lace extensions. Lace extensions are made from a nylon mesh material formed into a cap that is then hand ventilated by knotting single strands of hair into the tiny openings of the capform, giving the hair a more natural, realistic flow than...
External links