Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayana D. Byrd and Lori L. Tharps
Hair Story: Untangling
the Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayana D. Byrd and Lori L. Tharps
There
are so many aspects about Black hair and the culture surrounding it that people
simply aren’t aware of. With Hair Story:
Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, Byrd and Tharps attempt to
make that information as accessible as possible. This book begins where African
American history begins, the tribes of Africa and the pride that was once held
in black hair. It continues with how the pride and care put into Black hair was
demolished during the middle passage and the beginnings of slavery. It expands
on the idea of Black hair with examining the beauty standards of the day in
America and how enslaved Black people had no luxuries and none of the oils and
tools they used in Africa were available to them to properly care for their
hair. Issues of race and colorism also weighed heavily throughout the history
of Black culture and still has an effect on how Black hair is perceived in
society. From the earliest parts of history to 2014 when this version was
released many wide ranging topics are discussed including the industry and
money behind it.
As a Black
woman there are many parts of this story and the history of black hair that I
was well aware of. The stigma of natural hair, the concept of “good” hair
versus “bad” hair, and the manageability of Black hair were things openly
commented on throughout my life. Hair
Story though brought all of these concepts together and did a really good
job of simply presenting the facts. I appreciated how well researched and
comprehensive the information was. The area in which I was completely unaware
was the industry behind Black hair and how it has changed so extensively over
the centuries.
What
Byrd and Tharps really did with Hair
Story was remove the veil regarding Black hair. If you are a complete
novice to the subject then this would be a great book to introduce you to the beauty that is Black hair. The problems I have surrounding this book has to do with the way it was
structured. At times it became repetitive and redundant. There were interviews
included throughout the book, in the middle of chapters, and more often than
not it completely disrupted the flow of information. I would still recommend
this book because it does have a plethora of information and really handles the
topic well. Overall, I give this story 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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