Literature Review: Linear Essay
The New Natural Hair Movement is a movement that is about self-love and embracing yourself. The participants in the movement—Black women (and sometimes men)—have been making strides for years within this movement to appreciate the hair that grows out of their heads despite what society may say about Black hair. For Black women, hair operates as a symbol of identity and power, but also as means for subjectivity and criticism. The symbolism behind Black hair dates back to the 17th century: a time in which Europeans began to construct the ideas about Blackness that still permeate society today. These ideas, along with the political aspect of Black hair, have caused Black women such as myself to experience microaggressions from white and non-black people of color. Microaggressions in reaction to Black hair is problematic and dangerous to Black women’s autonomy and expression of identity.
The New Natural Hair Movement has been used as a means to combat this type of behavior by empowering Black women and educating those who do not understand the politics of Black hair. The New Natural Hair Movement has had an impact on Black individuals and the Black community as a whole. In addition to this, the rise of the New Natural Hair Movement has impacted the Black hair care industry. According to data found by Mintel, there has been a rise in revenue for natural hair care products and significant declines in sales of dangerous chemical hair treatments like relaxers. Overall, these are positive results of the New Natural Hair Movement.
These changes are important because Black hair is an integral part of Black identity. When the first Natural Hair Movement took place in the 1960s and 70s, wearing afros and natural hairstyles were political statements of rejection of white culture by members of the Black community. As time has passed, natural hair has gained new meaning for some people. For certain people natural hair is still about making a political statement about Blackness, for others it is about making an individual statement. In either case, Black hair is used as a way to make a statement about one's identity.
The purpose of this project is to educate people on the current Natural Hair Movement and the important aspects of Black hair in order to provide people with the knowledge needed to understand Black hair and gain respect for Black peoples’ personal and communal space. 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 know and/or for those who are simply interested in knowing more. By educating people on this topic I hope to combat negative ideas that people may have about naturalistas and Black hair and I hope that as a result people become more aware of their views and mindsets that may need to be unlearned, resulting in reduction of microaggressions and unwarranted invasion of personal space.
Works Cited
The New Natural Hair Movement has been used as a means to combat this type of behavior by empowering Black women and educating those who do not understand the politics of Black hair. The New Natural Hair Movement has had an impact on Black individuals and the Black community as a whole. In addition to this, the rise of the New Natural Hair Movement has impacted the Black hair care industry. According to data found by Mintel, there has been a rise in revenue for natural hair care products and significant declines in sales of dangerous chemical hair treatments like relaxers. Overall, these are positive results of the New Natural Hair Movement.
These changes are important because Black hair is an integral part of Black identity. When the first Natural Hair Movement took place in the 1960s and 70s, wearing afros and natural hairstyles were political statements of rejection of white culture by members of the Black community. As time has passed, natural hair has gained new meaning for some people. For certain people natural hair is still about making a political statement about Blackness, for others it is about making an individual statement. In either case, Black hair is used as a way to make a statement about one's identity.
The purpose of this project is to educate people on the current Natural Hair Movement and the important aspects of Black hair in order to provide people with the knowledge needed to understand Black hair and gain respect for Black peoples’ personal and communal space. 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 know and/or for those who are simply interested in knowing more. By educating people on this topic I hope to combat negative ideas that people may have about naturalistas and Black hair and I hope that as a result people become more aware of their views and mindsets that may need to be unlearned, resulting in reduction of microaggressions and unwarranted invasion of personal space.
Works Cited
- Banks, Ingrid. Hair Matters: Beauty, Power, and Black Women's Consciousness. New York: New York UP, 2000. Print.
- Byrd, Ayana D., and Lori L. Tharps. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. New York: St. Martin's, 2001. Print.
- Roberts, Tonya. "5 Trends Set to Shape the Black Haircare Market in the Next 5 Years." 5 Trends Set to Shape Black Haircare in the Next 5 Years. Mintel, 23 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 May 2015.
- "The Changing Business of Black Hair." Unruly. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.