2. Overview of Presentation
• Introduction of the topic
• Evolution of Black Hair
• The Struggles of Black Hair
• The Cultural Significance of Black Hair
• The Statistics of Black Hair
• Personal Anecdotes
• Relation to Social Work
3. Black Hair and its connection with Black Women
Strengths Struggles
4. Evolution of Black Hair (Mohammad, 2021)
• Black Hair was
dehumanized
• Considered “wool”
1770’s
• Francois Marcel Grateau
created the hot comb in 1872
in order to straighten kinky &
curly hair
1800’s • Madame CJ Walker and Annie
Turnbo Malone invented a
“hair grower,” pressing iron,
and more!
1900’s
• Garret A Morgan created the
first relaxer
1909 • The civil rights movement
encouraged black people to
embrace their natural selves
• Afros and Kinky hair ermerged
1960’s
• “Jheri curls” emerged
• Popular celebrites started
wearing jheri curls and Black
women were embracing
cornrows again
1970’s-1980’s • Media started to show a
postivite perspective of balck
hair due to the representations
on the iconic TV ahows
• Black women were wearing
different styles: wigs, braids,
locs, and more!
1990’s
• Michelle Obama wore her
natural hair as she was leaving
the office in 2017 which
inspired different nations and
influencers
• Birthed World Afro Day in the
UK
2010’s
5. Policed
• Enslaved Black women were frequently forced to
wear headscarves or bonnets to hide their hair
and comply to European beauty standards
enforced by slave owners (PBS)
• In the post-slavery era, there was an enormous
pressure on Black women to straighten their hair
in order to comply to Eurocentric beauty ideals
(Griffin, 2019)
• Black women have suffered employment and
school discrimination and hair-related regulations
with certain hairstyles have been regarded
unprofessional, messy, or distracting, resulting in
discriminatory practices and hair policies that
primarily target and marginalize Black women
(2023)
Fetishized
• Natural hair texture, curls, or distinctive hairstyles on
black women are occasionally fetishized for their
supposed “exotic” attractiveness which spreads
negative stereotypes and objectify their identities
(Collier, 2021)
• Black hairstyles such as braids, cornrows, and
locs have been taken by people from other cultures
without appropriate recognition or respect for their
cultural significance. This appropriation has the
potential to devalue and fetishize Black hair, depriving
it of its cultural context and turning it to simply
a trend or fashion statement (Collier, 2021)
• The beauty industry has frequently exploited Black
women's hair by developing products and services
that appeal to changing beauty standards rather than
recognizing Black hair's natural diversity. This
exploitation could feed the perception that Black hair
must be treated or tamed in order to fit with society's
expectations (Yang, 2021)
• The underrepresentation of Black women
with natural hair in the media, advertising,
and beauty campaigns might generate the
impression that natural hair is less desired
or appealing. This lack of representation
promotes stigma and can have an impact on
self-perception (Yang, 2021)
• Microaggressions, such as rude comments
or questions about their hair, can further
stigmatize and marginalize black women.
Black hair stereotypes and preconceptions,
such as linking it with being "wild" or
"unprofessional," lead to stigmatization.
(Ogundele, 2021)
• Peers, family, and cultural expectations may
put pressure on black women to straighten
or change their hair in order to conform to
Eurocentric beauty standards.
Stigmatized
6. Cultural Significance of Black Hair
• Black hair is linked to African ancestors and their cultural past. It represents the diversity and depth of African cultures, traditions, and historical events visually.
Connection to Roots
• Natural Black hair reflects the distinct beauty and uniqueness of Black people. Natural black hair resists Eurocentric beauty standards and encourages self-acceptance by appreciating the unique
textures and styles seen in Black hair.
Celebration of Natural Beauty
• Black hair is a kind of self-expression that allows black people to display their creativity, personalities, and backgrounds. Black people express their pride in their culture by wearing braids,
twists, locs, afros, and other styles.
Cultural pride and self-expression
• Embracing and celebrating natural Black hair is an act of resistance against societal norms and stigmas. It challenges systems of oppression and empowers individuals to define beauty
standards on their own terms, reclaiming their narratives and challenging stereotypes.
Resistance and empowerment
• Hair care routines like braiding and style allow for connecting and community-building within the Black community. Doing hair is like a gathering place for shared experiences and family
bonding.
Bonding and community
• Hair style techniques have been passed down through generations, establishing a sense of kinship with ancestors and tradition.
Tradition
• The cultural significance of Black hair has also resulted in the development of a thriving hair care market, which has created economic opportunities for Black entrepreneurs while also
supporting enterprises that focus exclusively to the unique needs and styles of Black hair.
Economic and entrepreneurial opportunities
7. The Statistics of Black Hair (Prinzi, 2022)
• 1 in 4 black women have difficulty finding products for their hair.
More than half have been unable to find them.
• Black women perceive a social stigma against textured hair,
substantiated by white women’s devaluation of natural hairstyles.
• 58% of black hair care products contained at least one toxic
ingredient.
• Natural hair care made up 8.74 billion of the global hair care
market in 2019
• The natural hair care market is estimated to have a growth rate of
4.7% annually from 2019
• Black Americans spend 35% of their money on hair products on
styling products.
• South Korean businesses hold a majority of the ethnic hair market
with a hold of 60-80%, while black-owned ethnic hair products
only make up 3% of the ethnic hair market.
• Households of low-income families make up 43.3% of the natural
hair market spending.
• 50% of black women believe that their natural hair and care are
essential to their identities.
• The global natural hair care product market was valued at USD 8.74
billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7% from 2020 to 2027.
• Rising awareness of the benefits of natural hair care products is
one of the key factors fueling market growth.
• 1 in 5 black women feels social pressure to straighten their hair for
work — twice as many as white women.
10. Question 1 Response
• 1a. Growing up, my mom was very big on taking care of my hair.
I’ve always had natural hair and at the time in the early 00s, many
young girls like my sister wore straight hair or perms. I had
always also been extremely tender-headed and my mom would
wash, condition, hot oil treat, comb, and braid my hair every two
weeks until my freshman year of high school. After straightening
my hair for years, I learned to embrace my curls. My mom was so
big on hair that she wouldn’t allow me to cut off heat damage or
dye my hair in any fashion. I’ve had only family members ask
“Why do you wear your hair like that?” or “What we gonna do to
that head?” But once I learned to care for my curls I didn’t care
what others thought of it. I spent hours on youtube and in front of
a mirror, styling my hair different ways that I loved. I got good at
styling my hair different ways that were low tension and low heat.
For me it was great being able to avoid a comb as often as
possible.
• 1b. Because my hair was thick and long, many people assumed I
wore puff pieces or weave to make my hair seem longer. I was
also always questioned about my race by other black peers. I
would get asked “What are you mixed with?” and when i say Im
just black, they would say “no really what are you?” My skin is
brown, I’m a black girl. My hair texture doesn’t make me any more
or less African American. I began to detach from my hair a lot
because I didn’t like to get it done. It hurt so much, the parting,
the combing, the braiding. I didn’t want the hair but I was stuck
with it.
~ Jada H.
11. Question 1 Response
• My relationship with my hair has been a journey, to say the least. Up until
about middle school, I was heavily influenced by one side of my family to
keep my hair “neat” and their definition of neat was a bone straight silk
press. If my hair was ever slightly frizzy around them, it was always “What’s
going on with that head?” “You need to do something with that mop.” It made
me feel uneasy because I felt a sense of freedom when my hair was frizzy
that I didn’t quite understand as a child. Around middle school (2012/2013)
is when the natural hair movement started getting popular. I felt inspired by
that and so I started to use less heat on my hair and wear more curly styles. It
was rough the first year or two while I learned what worked for my hair and
what styles I liked but slowly I became almost a natural hair guru. To the
point where, in high school, I was known for my signature high puff. I loved
learning my hair and helping it grow and I stayed that way for about 8 years.
Eventually, all the maintenance and effort that I had to put in to care for my
hair got to be overwhelming and I felt like I wasn’t able to keep up, so I
looked into starting locs. My mom and aunt both had locs most of my life so I
was pretty familiar with them and quickly settled on my new hairstyle. I feel
like there has recently been a lot more appreciation for locs socially and that
has helped me to embrace my loc journey. So society has influenced my hair
journey a lot, both positively and negatively at times but ultimately I'm very
happy with my hair and I'm excited to continue to care for it and help it grow.
~ Raygen D.
12. Question 1 Response
• 1a. I cannot say that my hair is a part of my identity
because, whether my hair was shaved or long I still value
who I am. However, I have learned to appreciate my raw
natural beauty more when I shaved my head a few years
back.
• I take pride in who I am as a black woman and being able
to have curly and kinky hair. I have come to realize that
black women are privileged to do the things with their
hair that other cultures are not able to do. We can always
straighten, cut, and grow our hair, but other cultures do
not have the capability of manipulating their hair to look
like the way our hair has been designed.
• 1b. In my opinion, society’s perception of my THICK black
hair tries to make us feel less than because our hair do
not meet society’s standards of beautiful. As I get older
and learn more about my hair and as my texture is always
changing, I make it a point to embrace the journey that I
am in whatever stage my hair is in. Although my hair is
thick, it is still beautiful in his own way.
~ Brayana J.
14. Question 2 Response
• I like to wear my hair in different
styles along with wearing wraps. To
me, wearing a head wrap is symbolic
to African culture and helps to protect
the hair from environmental
extremes, which I happened to
experience during COVID. I’ve had a
job setting that told me because I am
not Muslim, wearing a wrap in the
workplace is inappropriate. This boss
was a black woman with natural hair
herself. I explained to her that
wearing a wrap can protect our hair
from germs in the childcare
environment. ~ Jada H.
15. Question 2 Response
• As I was quitting my first job I was told, by a
back man, that no one else would hire me
because of my hair. Working at this job I have
always kept my hair and it’s natural state
whether it was curly and an Afro puff or in
braids. During that time I was already furious
and fed up with the job. I made it a point that
my next job would accept me along with my
natural hair. It was my mission to prove him
wrong and I did.
~ Brayana J.
16. Question 2 Response
• No, I have not. Most of my schools
have accepted my hair the way it
comes. I attended a predominantly
Black High School and I attend a
Historically Black College and
University, so hair is something that
gets praise there.
~ Demia G.
18. Question 3 Response
• I don’t like it. For me, personally, when i see people
that aren’t black with braids / feed in cornrows /
locs or other back styles I get irritated because 1. it
doesn’t look right and 2 because I’m more “fair
skinned”. I don’t know why, but when I have braids
it makes me “feel Black” for once if that makes
sense, because everybody always thinks I’m
something other than Black. So when I have these
certain styles in that are specifically for us, I feel
like I’m finally not mistaken for white, hispanic, or
anything else. But now that the caucasians and
everybody else are starting to appropriate it. It’s
not even special anymore.
~ Lauren W.
19. Question 3 Response
• I feel that culture appropriation with hair can
be a hard lesson for those who do it to learn. I
think at this point as black women, we have to
stop trying to educate people who decide to
be ignorant and wear things that can damage
their hair. I think we should sit back and laugh
at them as they bald.
~ Jada H.
20. Question 3 Responses
• I am against cultural appropriation. I feel that
you should educate yourself before making
the decision to participate in a culture that
you don't belong to. Once you are properly
educated and understand the history and
significance of our hair and culture, I feel like
you'll be able to make a more informed
decision on whether you, as a non-black
person, should participate in our culture.
~ Raygen D.
22. Question 4
• My mom was always attached to my
hair, so much more than I was. I only
learned to style it myself because she
would hurt my head when she did it
and she said I couldn’t do anything to
my hair until after I graduated high
school. So the day after high school
graduation, 9:45 am, I sat in the chair
at a barbershop and cut off at least 12
inches of hair. I left some on top but 3
months later I cut that off too. I felt so
free. Months later I decides to grow
some of my hair back and start locs.
Though I had wigs, I didn’t want to
wear them. I embraced the “ugly
stage”, and learned to love my face and
my hair more. I dyed it any color I
wanted whenever I wanted. I finally
felt in control of who I wanted to be.
~ Jada H.
23. Question 4 Response
• My junior year of high school, I was selected
to sing a solo in my school's spring concert. It
was very exciting because typically only
seniors were chosen for those spots. I don't
think it was really a conscious decision but I
just happened to be wearing my hair out
around the time of the concert, so I ended up
wearing a big afro the day of. I received so
much love from not only my fellow choir
members but also members of the audience.
Plenty of people saying they loved my hair,
asking for tips, saying I inspired them, etc. It
made me feel really strong and empowered.
~ Raygen D.
24. Question 4 Response
• I love how whenever I try a new
hairstyle that’s popular in our
community my friends hype me up no
matter what race they are, it makes
me feel really pretty!!
~ Demia G.
25. Question 4 Response
• I would love to share that for years I did not properly
take care of my hair, one because I was not taught to
take care of my hair and because I didn’t really see the
true importance of truly taking care of my hair. I
always felt like hair is hair. Right before COVID when I
first shaved my hair and saw the difference in my
texture when my hair grew back healthy I was able to
view myself in a different perspective. As I stated
before, I was able to embrace and appreciate my true
beauty by taking care of my hair, so that my hair can
grow back strong and healthy. Now that my hair is
healthy and taken care of I am able to truly have
cultural pride when it comes to my hair. My hair
reflects me; strong, healthy, and growing.
~ Brayana J.
26.
27. Understanding Black women’s hair and its relation
to Social Work
Cultural Competence
• Understanding the importance of hair in Black communities assists social workers in recognizing and respecting the cultural
values, traditions, and experiences that define a person's identity and confidence.
Empowerment and Positive Reinforcements
• Social workers can provide support that encourages empowerment and positive self-image by knowing the particular issues that
Black women may encounter with their hair.
•Validating and celebrating natural hair choices, questioning beauty standards, and talking about the impact of hair-related
discrimination may all be part of this
Advocacy and Policy Change
•Social workers can use their knowledge of Black women's hair difficulties to advocate for changes in law and to establish
more inclusive environments.
• By raising awareness and pushing for more inclusive policies, they may assist in fighting discriminatory practices such as
workplace or school rules that target natural Black hairstyles.
Community Engagement
- Social workers can partner with community organizations and hair care experts to develop courses,
workshops, and support networks that address the specific needs and issues that Black women
confront.
28. References
• Mohammad, S. (2021). 8 historic black hair moments to remember, from the 1700s to the present day. stylist.co.uk. https://www.stylist.co.uk/beauty/hair/black-hair-
history-definitive-historic-moments/437183
• Slavery and the making of america . the slave experience: Men, women & gender: PBS. Slavery and the Making of America . The Slave Experience: Men, Women & Gender
| PBS. (n.d.).
https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/slavery/experience/gender/feature6.html#:~:text=Originally%20the%20head%2Dwrap%2C%20or,signs%20of%20poverty%20a
nd%20subordination.
• Griffin, C. (2019, July 3). How natural black hair at work became a civil rights issue. https://daily.jstor.org/how-natural-black-hair-at-work-became-a-civil-rights-
issue/
• Natural hair discrimination faq. Legal Defense Fund. (2023, March 22). https://www.naacpldf.org/natural-hair-discrimination/
• Collier, Z. (2021, November). Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association.
https://docs.rwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1117&context=nyscaproceedings
• Yang, L. (2021, March 5). How the beauty industry is hurting women of color. The Daily Californian. https://dailycal.org/2021/03/05/how-the-beauty-industry-is-
hurting-women-of-color
• Ogundele, A. (2021, September 12). Afro hair: The petting microaggression. Diverse Educators. https://www.diverseeducators.co.uk/afro-hair-the-petting-
microaggression/
• Gitnux. (2023, May 20). Black hair industry statistics and trends in 2023 • Gitnux. GITNUX. https://blog.gitnux.com/black-hair-industry-
statistics/#:~:text=The%20black%20hair%20care%20industry%20is%20estimated%20to%20be%20valued,and%20success%20that%20it%20holds.
• Prinzi, L. (2022, September 13). Hair facts: 50 impressive black hair industry statistics. All Things Hair United States. https://www.allthingshair.com/en-us/all-things-
natural-hair/black-hair-industry-statistics/
