Black Hair

This symposium examines hair practices and perspectives within the current wave of the Natural Hair Movement. It will examine the ways family, peers, and media have influenced Black women’s hair practices and perspectives, and grounds these in the history of racialized, gendered, and class-related perceptions of Black women’s hair. It will also examine whether the definition of “natural” dilutes an important cultural distinction between Afrocentric and Eurocentric hair practices. Do natural hair seekers try to be divided over hairstyle preferences or seek a collective identity who are free to make informed choices on the basis of what is important to them?

Moderator: Professor Ron Wilson

Location: Humanities 302