Banks, Ingrid. Hair Matters: Beauty, Power, and Black Women’s Consciousness. New York University Press, 2000.
Black women’s hair politics are examined by Banks, who shows how they are relevant to their empowerment and awareness. Using this source will make it easier to comprehend how Black hair relates to more general questions of race, gender, and power. Additionally, Banks offers readers an original intersectional perspective that helps them learn the complexities of Black identity and the significance of hair in individual and societal dynamics.
Barnes, Tyshondra. The Black Comb: The Black Hair Culture in America. Independently published, 2019.
Barnes examines the significance of hair culture in the African-American community. Barnes provides a comprehensive understanding of Black hair culture’s social, economic, and cultural facets using ethnographic methods. This resource is crucial for thoroughly understanding the complex Black hair culture. Barnes’ ethnographic approach additionally offers a close-up perspective on the experiences and stories of Black people, highlighting the significance of hair for both the individual and the community as a cultural symbol and means of self-expression.
Bell, Stephanie. Loc It & Love It: The Black & Brown Woman’s Guide to Help Embrace Your Loc & Spiritual Journey. Independently published, 2022.
Bell’s book is a manual that walks Black and Brown women through locking their hair while tying this outward change to inward spiritual development. It is a practical manual with spiritual overtones that can shed light on the relationship between African-American women’s spirituality and physical appearance. Additionally, Bell’s work emphasizes hair’s symbolic significance in terms of spiritual and personal development. It emphasizes how deeply personal identity and cultural heritage are connected in Black and Brown women’s hair journeys.
Byrd, Ayana, and Tharps, Lori. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. St. Martin’s Press, 2002.
Byrd explores the development of Black hair in America over time, from its African origins to current trends, in “Hair Story,” This source will advance the study by providing a thorough historical perspective and tracing the development of Black hair culture. It also highlights the sociopolitical context of each historical era and how it affected black hairstyles, aesthetics, and cultural significance. Furthermore, Byrd’s thorough investigation sheds light on how the legacy of these historical influences is still shaping current perceptions and Black hair care practices.
Dabiri, Emma. Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture. Harper Perennial, 2020.
The complicated development of Black hair culture is chronicled in “Twisted.” Black hair has been viewed, commercialized, and politicized historically in a nuanced way by Dabiri. It is a crucial resource for understanding historical context, societal shifts, and the effects of Black hair. The significance of the relationship between hair and identity in Black communities is also emphasized in Dabiri’s work, as is the pervasive impact of racial dynamics on ideas of beauty and self-worth.
Evans, Venus E. Black Feminism in Qualitative Inquiry: A Mosaic for Writing Our Daughter’s Body. Routledge,2019.
Evans offers a ground-breaking viewpoint on Black feminism, emphasizing the effectiveness of qualitative inquiry in communicating Black women’s lived experiences, including stories about their bodies. The author draws attention to how Black women’s bodies are portrayed while highlighting the significance of personal narratives in challenging conventional ideas of identity and beauty. The book offers a critical framework for comprehending how hair-related issues are intricately entwined with the politics of Black women’s bodies and identities despite not being solely focused on hair.
Johnson, Kalimah. Locs for Life: The Root to Well-Being for African-American Women. AuthorHouse, 2008.
The significance of locs (dreadlocks) in the African-American community, particularly among women, is the subject of this ground-breaking book. Johnson examines the effects of hair on Black women’s self-image, self-esteem, and sense of identity using personal narratives, historical accounts, and sociocultural analysis. This source will make understanding hair’s psychological and emotional effects in Black culture possible. Johnson’s study of dreadlocks also highlights the power and toughness African-American women’s hairstyles embody, especially in the face of prejudice and stereotypes from the wider society.
Johnson, Lisa C. The Black Woman’s Hair Bible: Everything You Have Always Wanted to Know About Your Hair but Didn’t Know Who To Ask. Adolescent Research, 2014.
Johnson offers a helpful manual for taking care of Black hair. In addition to providing helpful hair care advice, it dispels myths and informs readers about the particular characteristics of Black hair. Understanding the practical side of caring for and maintaining Black hair will be supported by this source. Johnson also adds to a more extensive discussion about self-acceptance, self-expression, and deconstructing racialized beauty standards by emphasizing the distinctiveness and beauty of Black hair. Johnson’s work also highlights the significance of having a healthy and positive relationship with one’s hair in developing self-love and acceptance.
Majors, Monroe A. Accomplished: African-American Women in Victorian America. Independently published, 2016.
In “Accomplished,” Majors examines how race, gender, and class interacted in Victorian America with an emphasis on the experiences of African-American women. Understanding the historical setting and societal pressures Black women experienced regarding their physical appearance will be supported by this source. Major’s research sheds light on how Victorian Victorian standards impacted Black women’s self-image, particularly concerning their hair. It also looks at how these women managed to maintain their cultural identity while balancing social expectations.
Oyewumi, Oyeronke. African Women and Feminism: Reflecting on the Politics of Sisterhood. Africa World Press, 2004.
With a focus on sisterhood and solidarity, Oyewumi’sbook book critically reflects on the politics of feminism in Africa. Although not focused on hair, it can offer a broader context for how social constructs, such as beauty standards, affect Black women. This source can assist in connecting the conversation about Black hair to more general social and political problems that Black women in Africa and the diaspora face.
Prince, Althea. The Politics of Black Women’s Hair. Idiomatic, 2010.
In his writing, Prince critically examines the politicization of Black women’s hair. She talks about issues with resistance, conformity, and self-identity. This source will be crucial when reviewing the political ramifications and cultural tensions surrounding Black hair. Furthermore, Prince’s insightful analysis aids in comprehending how race, gender, and politics intersect with the discussion of Black women’s hair and its broader societal repercussions.
Salami, Minna. Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone. Zed Books, 2020.
To examine various facets of society, such as ideas about beauty and the body, Salami’s work draws on Black feminist theory. The book challenges Western conceptions of beauty and makes the case for an inclusive and multifaceted understanding of both. By providing a more comprehensive perspective on how the aesthetics of Black women’s bodies, including their hair, are viewed in society, this source can contribute to the discussion of hair.