Returning to the Roots- The Natural Hair Debate

A woman’s hair is her pride and joy. It is her crown, her glory, her power, and a mark of not only her self expression, but her femininity as well. A full, luscious head of hair denotes a woman’s confidence, identity, and sense of worth, while also acting as a distinctive part of a larger presentation. For decades, European hair standards have acted as a universal bar, withstanding the test of time and pushing the market for all products that achieve trimmed, tame, and most importantly, straight hairstyles. The gradual emergence of a cookie-cutter mold involving hair merits has formed marginalizing expectations governing a woman’s hair. The question then, is where do women with kinky, curly, and volumized hair fit in to these expectations? Unfortunately, they do not. Black women’s hair is treated as second best, with a majority of hair product companies marketing in favor of white women instead of all women. Women of color continue to struggle with loving and accepting their coily tresses as a part of their identity as a result of living in a society wherenatural hair is cast aside in favor of chronic European fashion trends.
A damaging fallacy presented to African American women, specifically, is that natural hair is ‘unkempt’ and ‘unprofessional’. Since being brought over via Middle Passage, African American women have been ashamed to fully embrace their natural, curly hair. Bullied into fitting European beauty standards, African American women commonly buckle under the pressure, straightening, perming, relaxing, and hiding their hair to be accepted. Wigs, weaves,and extensions are common place among African American women and women of color. A study, The Good Hair Survey, conducted by The Perception Institute in 2016, found that “On average, white women show explicit bias toward black women’s textured hair...rate[ing] it as less beautiful, less sexy/attractive, and less professional than smooth hair” (Johnson, 2016). This negative subliminal message that says a natural part of African American women is undesirable blurs the way they view and see themselves, and progressively marginalizes the unique traits of African American women. The Perception Institute’s Good Hair Survey also found that “One in five black women feel social pressure to straighten their hair for work — twice as many as white women” (Johnson, 2016). White women are not subject to the same scrutiny and projected disapproval as women of color are because their features, primarily hair, are the basic standards for the workplace. A positive conclusion found by The Perception Institute, however, was shown that “Black women who are part of an online natural hair community are more likely to show a preference for black women’s textured hair” (Johnson, 2017). Statistics like these support the idea that when African Americanwomen have a place to come together, free from judgement, many
can relax and feel comfortable to outwardly show appreciation for their natural tresses.
Hair in the African American community is also an essential and often times meticulous part of culture. When learning how to take care of their textured hair, black women learn from their mothers by testing different types of products and chemicals. Ami Zota, a researcher at George Washington University and cited in Kendra Lewis’ natural hair article, found that to achieve results “Such as lighter skin and straighter, less coiled hair...women of color must expose themselves to an additional battery of chemicals that white women do not” (Lewis, 2017). Coupled with parabens, sulfates, and other harmful agents and artificial fragrances found in hair products, African American women were found to have “Higher levels of beauty related chemicals in their body” (Lewis, 2017). This is all the result of African American women being pressured on all sides to uphold society’s definition of beauty, instead of being encouraged to create their own.
Similarly, The New York Times held a Student Journalism Institute, a two week camp adapted to generate more diversity in newsrooms. The Times gathered statements from students who shared their experiences on hair judgement, with student Mariana Alfaro stating that she had, “A hard time growing up in El Salvador, where chemically treated hair was the norm...Her own hair is brown and voluminous, and she has been called ‘Mufasa’ because of her ‘lion’s mane’” (Gomez, 2017). Discrimination against atypical hair is not just seen in America, but other countries as well. Another student, Gabriella Angotti-Jones, claimed that the stigmas associated with natural hair “Made me question who I was, and if I was pretty or not because I couldn’t do more stuff with my hair” (Gomez, 2017). Women with lighter complexions names are not categorized as ‘nappy’ and as such, they can confidently attract men of their choosing, unlike Miss Angotti-Jones. It is not uncommon for African American women to find it harder to find and form meaningful relationships because other African American men recognize “That there are economic and social advantages to having a light skinned wife, such as greater social acceptance and subsequent employment outcomes” (Bryant, 2013). Knowing this, darker skinned women are the least likely to be married (Bryant, 2013).
A woman’s confidence generally flows from a healthy appreciation of herself, beginning with how she sees herself and how others do as well. However, women of color often receive a skewed depictions of themselves and their identities in the media, constantly barraged with advertisements and images that glorify European beauty standards, shunting natural hair textures aside. As defined by researcher Susan L. Bryant, European beauty standards are “The notion that the more closely associated a person is with European features, the more attractive he or she is considered” (Bryant, 2013). This means that traits like fairer skin, thin facial features (lips, nose, small foreheads), and straight hair are considered more valuable, highlighting women of color as a direct contrast to what society deems desirable (Bryant, 2013). This has pitted women of color against each other, allowing for prejudice against lighter and darker skinned women to fester and create a cynical, hierarchical, caste that states which type of woman is deemed more valuable, based on how close they come to meeting beauty standards. This, in essence, is the definition of colorism.
Comparatively, undercurrents of colorism and their damaging effects present at an early age in children, given that colorism is saturated in news, media, and most interactive environments that children come in contact with. A prominent illustration of colorism can be seen in the recreation of the landmark study known as “The Doll Test”, one that was conducted by Kiri Davis in 2005. Preschool aged children were shown identical dolls, one black and one white, and asked to identify which “looks bad” (Bryant, 2013). It was reported that when asked, a black girl “Chose the black doll, but when asked for the doll that looked like her, the girl first touched the white doll and then reluctantly chose the black doll” (Bryant, 2013). This means that devaluing messages released in society already mentally condition children of color to believe that they are less than people with lighter skin and are not as beautiful. Bryant also notes that “Black children are particularly vulnerable to media portrayals due to their higher rates of media consumption” (Bryant, 2013). This begins the crippling process of internalizing self hate in African American women at an earlier age and gives power to the disproportionate and false narrative that black locks, skin, and features do not reach the standards of beauty. It also suggests that children are taught racial and beauty biases, and do not come to these conclusions unaided. A message does not have to be verbalized to be understood.
With negative subtexts in all forms of advertisement geared towards idolizing European beauty and purposely under representing and appreciating textured curls, it is pivotal that women of color of all ages receive and establish firm reinforcements that black culture and beauty is wanted and accepted in today’s constantly changing world. Colorism must become a concept of the past, and minority women most come together in support of one another, seeing as each faces the same discriminations. European beauty standards are narrow minded, elitist, and primitive monuments dedicated to a society that is unwilling to broaden its interpretation of beauty and expression. Controlling what is marketed to women of color is essential when fighting to keep their self esteem, unique identity and confidence in tact. It is up to African American concentrated locations like historically black colleges to educate black women on why they are beautiful, with black male support being essential. The responsibility of repairing natural image lies with both minorities and moajorities to recognize and support each other's differences and abstain from isolating the other. A collective effort can endorse a more diverse and socially accepted and equal setting, not only in communities and families, but globally as well. African American women as well as women of color who wear their curls naturally are rebelling against labels placed on them, defining themselves and their beauty on their own terms, and deconstructing systematic and oppressive standards.
References
Bryant, Susan L. (2013). The Beauty Ideal: The Effects of European Standards of Beauty on
Black Women. Columbia Social Work Review. Retrieved from
https://cswr.columbia.edu/article/the-beauty-ideal-the-effects-of-european-standards-of-beau
ty-on-black-women/
Gomez, Melissa. (2017). Embracing What’s Natural. The New York Times. Retrieved from
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/us/embracing-whats-natural.html
Johnson, Alexis M. (2016). The “Good Hair” Study: Explicit and Implicit Attitudes towards Black
Women’s Hair. Perception Institute. Retrieved from https://perception.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TheGood-HairStudyFindingsReport.pdf
Lewis, Kendra P. (2017). Beauty Standards are Literally Toxic for Women of Color. Popular
Science. Retrieved from https://www.popsci.com/personal-care-products-are-especially-toxic-for-women-color