"Can I Touch It?"
“Can I touch your hair?” is a question I have been multiple times by white and non-Black people of color in response to me sporting my natural curly afro. In many ways, this question is offensive. I know that my hair may be different than that of most of one’s peers; however, I am not a sheep, and this is not a petting zoo. My hair is part of my personal space and in the same way that you probably would not ask someone if you could touch their nose or their cheek or whatever, it is not appropriate to request to touch my hair. In my experience, and from what I have learned from conversations with other natural Black women (and sometimes men), this is a question commonly asked of us by our non-Black peers, but not a question that is ever asked of them. These types of scenarios highlight the fascination associated with Black hair and the historical and political aspects that have been associated with it since Europeans first encountered African peoples in the 16th century. It also highlights the ignorance amongst some of our peers because it is clear that they do not understand what they are really asking. When asking Black people if you can touch their hair, you are making Black hair a spectacle—something that Black people have been subjected to for centuries. By asking Black people if you can touch their hair, you are ignoring the history involved with Black hair and essentially overlooking the autonomy that that individual has by asking if it is acceptable to intrude on their personal space—something else that Black people have been historically subjected to.
I’m sure some of you are reading this and thinking: “its just hair. Why does any of this matter?” And that may be true. It is just hair. But it matters because of the history and politics that come along with this hair.
Women’s struggle with identity in all aspects of society is a social and political issue that is on going. Strides have been made to combat some of these struggles for autonomy and acknowledgement in the public sphere, and progress has come from this; however, this is not an indication that women’s roles in society are not still bounded in many ways. One way in particular that women’s identities are bounded by society is the constant focus on beauty as a measure of our value. For women of all colors and ethnicities, beauty has become a way in which we are defined in society—by ourselves as well as by other people. For Black women in particular, much of the focus on our beauty is attributed to our hair. Black hair is part of the Black identity because it is so unique in comparison to hair of people of other races: it is an identifier of African ancestry. For some people, this is problematic because of the social, political, and economic implications that are associated with Blackness as in identity. But for other, this is a reason to take pride. In recent years, many Black women have begun to take pride in their hair and Black hair has become popularized, inciting the most recent Natural Hair Movement. The Natural Hair Movement of today is not the first, which is why I refer to it as the New Natural Hair Movement. To be clear, this is not to say that there were not women who took pride in their hair before this movement nor is it to say that all women who do not wear their hair naturally are ashamed of their hair; however, in the past few years this natural hair craze has taken over the Black hair care world. I would like to explore this movement on a more in-depth level. My research will focus on the history of this movement and the politics of Black hair in an attempt to spread knowledge about the subject for those who need to be educated on the subject in order to avoid ignorance and microaggressions such as requesting to touch Black people's hair and/or for those who are simply interested in knowing more.
I’m sure some of you are reading this and thinking: “its just hair. Why does any of this matter?” And that may be true. It is just hair. But it matters because of the history and politics that come along with this hair.
Women’s struggle with identity in all aspects of society is a social and political issue that is on going. Strides have been made to combat some of these struggles for autonomy and acknowledgement in the public sphere, and progress has come from this; however, this is not an indication that women’s roles in society are not still bounded in many ways. One way in particular that women’s identities are bounded by society is the constant focus on beauty as a measure of our value. For women of all colors and ethnicities, beauty has become a way in which we are defined in society—by ourselves as well as by other people. For Black women in particular, much of the focus on our beauty is attributed to our hair. Black hair is part of the Black identity because it is so unique in comparison to hair of people of other races: it is an identifier of African ancestry. For some people, this is problematic because of the social, political, and economic implications that are associated with Blackness as in identity. But for other, this is a reason to take pride. In recent years, many Black women have begun to take pride in their hair and Black hair has become popularized, inciting the most recent Natural Hair Movement. The Natural Hair Movement of today is not the first, which is why I refer to it as the New Natural Hair Movement. To be clear, this is not to say that there were not women who took pride in their hair before this movement nor is it to say that all women who do not wear their hair naturally are ashamed of their hair; however, in the past few years this natural hair craze has taken over the Black hair care world. I would like to explore this movement on a more in-depth level. My research will focus on the history of this movement and the politics of Black hair in an attempt to spread knowledge about the subject for those who need to be educated on the subject in order to avoid ignorance and microaggressions such as requesting to touch Black people's hair and/or for those who are simply interested in knowing more.