Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America

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Overview

An entertaining, historical, and anecdotal exploration of the history of black hair in America from Africa to the present.

Hairstory explores the complex cultural, political, economic, religious, and personal issues surrounding Black women and their hair. It reads as a timeline and includes profiles of major figures such as Madam C. J.Walker, who created a shampoo press and curl method for straightening hair, and other notable personalities. Interviews featuring both black and white americans document the generational shifts in attitudes towards hair styles such as the afro, braids, weaves, and dreadlocks. The authors bring their own unique and dynamic viewpoints to the subject, and ...

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More About This Book

Overview

An entertaining, historical, and anecdotal exploration of the history of black hair in America from Africa to the present.

Hairstory explores the complex cultural, political, economic, religious, and personal issues surrounding Black women and their hair. It reads as a timeline and includes profiles of major figures such as Madam C. J.Walker, who created a shampoo press and curl method for straightening hair, and other notable personalities. Interviews featuring both black and white americans document the generational shifts in attitudes towards hair styles such as the afro, braids, weaves, and dreadlocks. The authors bring their own unique and dynamic viewpoints to the subject, and expose the myths, secrets, perceptions and emotions of the love/hate relationship Black women have with their hair.

About the Author:
Ayana Byrd holds a bachelors degree in political science from Barnard College. She has worked as a research chief for Vibe magazine and done freelance writing for Rolling Stone and InStyle magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Lori A. Tharps attended Smith College and received a master's degree from Columbia University School of Journalism. She is currently a reporter for Entertainment Weekly magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, NewYork.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Whether it's hip-hop diva Lil' Kim's "weave of the week" or activist Angela Davis's Afro, black hair evinces the power to set trends and define icons. In this entertaining and concise survey, Byrd (a research chief for Vibe) and Tharps (a reporter for Entertainment Weekly) revel in the social, cultural and economic significance of African-American hair from 1400 to the present. The opening chapter chronicles the rise of the slave trade, revealing intriguing facts about the significance of hair in African culture--such as that only royalty donned hats or hairpieces, and recently widowed Wolof women stopped maintaining their hair as a sign of their mourning. The authors contextualize issues familiar to African-Americans while explaining black hair culture to the uninformed, so readers who don't already know what "the kitchen" refers to (hair at the nape of the neck, usually the "nappiest") will soon find out. Photos and illustrations are put to effective use, though amusing charts such as "Five Famous Men with Equally Famous Hair" and the "Black Hair Glossary" are out of sync with the text. Meanwhile, significant figures, like Madame C.J. Walker and Nathaniel "The Bush Doctor" Mathis, are revisited in detail in various chapters, resulting in unnecessary repetition. But these are small quibbles with a book that successfully balances popular appeal with historical accuracy, adeptly exploring the roots of pervasive intraracial discrimination while explaining, for example, how the much-maligned Jheri Curl ever became a fad. Agent, Marie Brown. (Feb.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780312283223
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press
  • Publication date: 1/28/2002
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 208
  • Sales rank: 239,763
  • Product dimensions: 6.21 (w) x 9.20 (h) x 0.57 (d)

Meet the Author

Ayan D. Byrd holds a bachelors degree in political science from Barnard College. Her work has appeared in Vibe, Rolling Stone, Honey, and InStyle magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Lori L. Tharps attended Smith College and received a Masters Degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She is currently a correspondent for Entertainment Weekly magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
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Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 5, 2006

    The last reviewer was right, everyone SHOULD read this book!!!

    First off, it is not a book on how to maintain black hair, it's on the history of why we started doing the things to our hair that we do. I wear my hair natural and I was looking for books about black hair, mainly how to care for natural hair. One of the authors of one of the books I read recommended this book. I am glad that I got it. It really opened my eyes about the history of my hair. To me this book gave me a better idea on black history than a class I took. I would recommend this book for any class on African-american studies, yet the whole book is all about black hair. From how it was worn in Africa, when and why some slaves wore scarfs, to when and why black women started relaxing their hair. It's not a book bashing other races or trying to make radical racial statements it just a book on our hair. I could not put it down once I started reading it. I felt like a part of my own history I never knew about was open up to me. One of the main things I learned from this book is that, the black race started straightening/relaxing their hair after slavery ended so they would be more excepted into white society. They saw how even during slavery the mixed blacks with the loose curly hair were treated better. And from there it has just basically become our way of life. So for those of you who wear your hair natural get this book it's very encouraging just for the 'whys' on how natural hair is looked upon as bad by some. If your hair is relaxed then it's just good to know the history of our hair.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 17, 2001

    a total must-read for EVERYONE

    I never knew there was so much social and cultural history behind Black Hair. I found this book both fascinating and entertaining. If you have any interest in understanding this complex country a little better, you need to read this book!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 12, 2011

    One of the best nonfiction books I've ever read!

    Informative as it is inspirational, "Hair Story" thought me many things that I didn't know about my own hair.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 7, 2008

    VERY GOOD

    I read this book in a few hours! As a 33 year old black woman, I didn't think there was anything more I could learn about my own hair. Boy, was I wrong! This book provided the perfect blend of history and current relevance. I am recommending to all of my friends 'black & white' so that they can get their questions answered too.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 19, 2006

    Scholarly, Entertaining, Analytical, Thorough

    This book truly unvails the amazing power, politics, symbolism, and culturalism in black hair. From the economics how earlier ads went from insulting (when owned by white manufacturers) to having to contain African Names in order to sell (after Black Power movement), to how Afro's put many black barbers out of business initially-to breaking down whether or not hair is ever really worn 'natural.' Whether your a reader, an academian, researcher, or just plain curious...your money will be well spent here.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 4, 2010

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 30, 2010

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