Journal Articles – Politics of Black Hair

Don’t Touch My Hair: Problematizing Representations of Black Women in Canada

by Shaunasea Brown

This article discusses how hair politics impact the employment opportunities for black women in Canada. It details various stereotypes that have become attached to black hairstyles. Canadian cases are provided regarding examples of workplace discrimination based on black hair. The article concludes with examples of how black women have utilized social media to provide a counter-narrative to this discrimination by sharing information on natural hair care, holding events, and lending support to victims of discrimination.

Brown, Shaunasea. "'Don't Touch My Hair': Problematizing Representations of Black Women in Canada." Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol. 12, no. 8, 2018, pp. 64-85. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.572943747&site=eds-live&scope=site. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.

Hair Matters: Toward Understanding Natural Black Hair Bias in the Workplace

by Gail A. Dawson, Katherine A. Karl, and Joy V. Peluchette

Available at Langara College Library

This article focuses on the negative stereotypes that are often associated with Black women’s hair in the workplace. A data collection from various websites indicate that the topic of natural black hair in the workplace has increased in recent years. The article details how the same hairstyle worn by women of other races only becomes perceived as deviant and ‘unacceptable’ when the hair of the person is natural black hair. It also includes examples from people who wore their natural hair to their workplace and the positive and negative reactions they received. The article also provides direction for future research on the topic and includes a variety of topics with resource suggestions.

Dawson, Gail A., et al. “Hair Matters: Toward Understanding Natural Black Hair Bias in the Workplace.” Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, vol. 23, no. 3, Aug. 2019, pp. 389–401. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/1548051819848998. Accessed 8 Nov. 2019.

Media Effects and Black Hair Politics

by Eletra S. Gilchrist and Courtney Thompson

Available online

This article studies how magazines and images impact the concepts of beauty and thereby shape choices in hair. I would recommend this article as it includes a study regarding Black hair media representation. It provides the research questions asked, the methodology used, the procedure, data analysis, and the results of the study. The article concludes with further discussion regarding the implications of the findings and recommendations.

“Media Effect and Black Hair Politics.” Hawaii University International Conferences, https://www.huichawaii.org/assets/gilchrist%2C-eletra---media-effects-and-black-hair-politics.pdf. Accessed 13 Nov. 2019.

Black Hair(tage): Career Liability or Civil Rights Issue?

by Kaili Moss

Available at Langara College Library

This article looks at American laws regarding workplace grooming policies and the current court conceptualization of race. It presents various civil rights cases, from the past and present, that show the underlying racial implications of these laws as well as the historical context from which they arise. This article does a good job in explaining the American legal system and workplace discrimination regarding natural Black hair.

Moss, Kaili. “Black Hair(Tage): Career Liability or Civil Rights Issue?” William & Mary Journal of Women & the Law, vol. 25, no. 1, Fall 2018, pp. 191–219. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=i3h&AN=135466532&site=eds-live&scope=site. Accessed 13 Nov. 2019.

Nap Time: Historicizing the Afro

by Robin D. G. Kelley

Available at Langara College Library

This article investigates the history of the Afro and its framing in popular culture. It presents the history of the Afro and the context in which it became politicized during the 1960’s. The article also looks at how gender plays a complex part in the social framing of the Afro. While Black men are often hyper masculinized by wearing their hair in an Afro, in contrast, Black women are often viewed as less feminine. This article provides a history of the Afro that is still shaping how people view this natural hairstyle today.

Kelley, Robin D. G. “Nap Time: Historicizing the Afro.” Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, vol. 1, no. 4, Dec. 1997, pp. 339–351. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2752/136270497779613666. Accessed 13 Nov. 2019.