'Groundbreaking . . . a scintillating, intellectual investigation into black women and the very serious business of our hair, as it pertains to race, gender, social codes, tradition, culture, cosmology, maths, politics, philosophy and history' Bernardine Evaristo Straightened. Stigmatized. 'Tamed'. Celebrated. Erased. Managed. Appropriated. Forever misunderstood. Black hair is never 'just hair'. This book is about why black hair matters and how it can be viewed as a blueprint for decolonisation. Over a series of wry, ...
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'Groundbreaking . . . a scintillating, intellectual investigation into black women and the very serious business of our hair, as it pertains to race, gender, social codes, tradition, culture, cosmology, maths, politics, philosophy and history' Bernardine Evaristo Straightened. Stigmatized. 'Tamed'. Celebrated. Erased. Managed. Appropriated. Forever misunderstood. Black hair is never 'just hair'. This book is about why black hair matters and how it can be viewed as a blueprint for decolonisation. Over a series of wry, informed essays, Emma Dabiri takes us from pre-colonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, Black Power and on to today's Natural Hair Movement, the Cultural Appropriation Wars and beyond. We look everything from hair capitalists like Madam C.J. Walker in the early 1900s to the rise of Shea Moisture today, from women's solidarity and friendship to 'black people time', forgotten African scholars and the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian's braids. The scope of black hairstyling ranges from pop culture to cosmology, from prehistoric times to the (afro)futuristic. Uncovering sophisticated indigenous mathematical systems in black hairstyles, alongside styles that served as secret intelligence networks leading enslaved Africans to freedom, Don't Touch My Hair proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation.
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Add this copy of Dont Touch My Hair to cart. $2.19, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2020 by Penguin Books Ltd.
Add this copy of Dont Touch My Hair to cart. $6.31, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Allen Lane.
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Add this copy of Don't Touch My Hair to cart. $19.00, new condition, Sold by Ria Christie Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Uxbridge, MIDDLESEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2020 by Penguin Books Ltd.
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'Strand by strand, the past is weaved skilfully together with the present'.
As someone with Type 1B blonde hair, Don't Touch my Hair was an eye-opening and educating read. Emma Dabiri explores a wide range of topics and takes us on a journey examining African history, slave trade European influences and modern-day pop culture through the lens of beauty standards and hair dressing. There's a lot to learn here and some things I had to Google, unaware that such things could actually be true (there was actually a petition to comb Beyonce's child's hair!?) There's some beautiful pictures in here as well, both of traditional hairstyles and also a few advertisements that show a (thankfully) bygone era. Dabiri also weaves in her personal experience of growing up mixed race in Ireland, where she tries to tame her hair with poisonous chemicals and damaging hot combs.
There's certainly a lot to learn in here, however the book seemed to be billed as a popular market book rather than an academic paper and this is emphasised by its blurb. I did find in places it was very much an academic piece and some of it felt quite dry and difficult to progress through. I felt that the structure was a bit of a mess, the chapters didn't seem to link up and we jumped timelines quite a bit throughout with some repetition in places. I also personally would have loved a few more photos in the book as they are used well in parts, but photographs of the women discussed such as Fairy Mae Bryant would have been welcome. It did encourage me to do a lot of my own research though which was nice!
The book is also well formatted for the Kindle, with interesting asides worked into footnotes that are in the bulk of writing (just a different colour) and reference footnotes just noted and then presented at the end of the book.
Overall, Don't Touch my Hair was an eye-opening and important read. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Books and Allen Lane for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
