Natural Hair Discrimination and How Society’s Impact Dictates Negative and Positive Perceptions of Black Hair and Hairstyles
Abstract
Society has the power to influence the way we perceive ourselves and others in negative or positive ways. The purpose of this research paper is to examine society's negative impact on the way naturally “Kinky” textured hair is perceived, and the prevalence of hair discrimination and social stigma towards black women who choose to wear “Kinky” textured hairstyles in their everyday life.
Thirty-three participants answered twelve survey questions online. This survey was shared both by email and by the blog post of an English 2150 class at Baruch College. Responses show that 87.5% of participants identified as “Black” or “Afro Caribbean”, 81.3% identified as female, and 48.3% identified their hair texture as “Kinky”. The survey asked questions concerning participants’ hair texture, their perceptions of what “good” and “bad” hair is, their personal experiences with natural hair discrimination, social stigma, and isolation based on the texture of their hair. In addition, the survey asked participants if, “hair discrimination still exists in 2020 and if society has progressed in reducing the incidences of hair discrimination”. A total 100% of participants agreed that hair discrimination exists, 48.3% of participants experienced hair discrimination and social stigma, and the same 48.3% of participants also identified their hair type as “Kinky”. The overall finding shows that women who identified their hair as “Kinky” experienced a greater percentage of hair discrimination and social stigma. These results indicate that society has a negative perception of naturally “Kinky” textured hair.
Literature Review
In order to understand the current discriminatory attitudes in society towards natural African hair, we must first understand the historical significance of natural hair to African culture. In Emma Dabiri’s book, Don’t Touch My Hair, natural African hair, and its many complex hairstyles, are described as an important symbol to African people. Natural African hair indicates such things as marital status, age, religion, origin, wealth, ethnic identity, and rank within African communities. In the book, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayanna Byrd and Lori Tharps, African men and women’s hair and hairstyles were viewed as sacred and spiritual. In Yoruba culture, they believe that the gods would send messages through a devotee's hair. Hair was seen as such a powerful entity that spells were conjured with only a single strand. Africans valued and spent so much time and effort in grooming and creating elaborate hairstyles that a person with unkempt or undone hair would be considered in mourning, depressed, or insane (Byrd and Tharps).
During the Slave Trade, Africans were captured in large numbers and shipped throughout Europe and America. One of the first acts of atrocity committed was to shave the heads of each enslaved African. The slave traders justified this act by saying it was done to prevent lice; but in retrospect, shaving took away their identity and the symbolism of their hair culture. Hairstyles helped in identifying tribes and individual caste, shaving the heads of slaves was a new, and unfortunate, beginning to natural hair discrimination (Byrd and Tharps).
Upon arriving in the New World, Africans no longer had the time or tools for grooming. Their hair became neglected and matted. They often had to use carding tools to comb through their hair. Cards are sharp instruments used to prepare sheep fleece for spinning (Dabiri). As slavery continued, enslaved women were often raped which produced lighter-skinned black children, with different textured hair. These mulatto children often worked inside the plantation houses as housekeepers, cooks, nursemaids, and chauffeurs, avoiding the grueling field labor (Byrd and Tharps). This caused a skin color and hair textured hierarchy amongst the slave community. During slave auctions, the lighter-skinned, straight-haired slaves were purchased for higher prices. Byrd and Tharps state, “Black people themselves internalized the concept and within their own ranks propagated the notion that darker-skinned blacks with kinkier hair were less attractive, less intelligent, and worth less than their lighter-hued brothers and sisters.” The stories below will demonstrate some of the issues in modern society as it reflects hair discrimination.
During South Africa’s apartheid, the Population Registration Act was passed and implemented in the 1950s. The word “Race” was defined by physical appearance, and the Population Registration Act required people to be identified and registered from birth as belonging to one of four distinct racial groups. The Pencil Test was one of the measures used to determine a person's category of race. During the Pencil Test, a pencil was pushed into the individual's hair. If the pencil remained in place without dropping, the hair was designated as kinky hair which is a characteristic of Black African hair. The person would then be classified as black or colored. If the pencil dropped out of the hair without snagging, the person would be deemed white (Boddy-Evans).
Young black women have often found themselves to be the center of ridicule and criticism for choosing to wear their natural hair. In August 2016, a 13-year-old high schooler by the name of Zulaikha Patel, who attended the prestigious all-girls school Pretoria High, was told to chemically straighten her natural hair which she wore in an Afro style. Students were often reminded about the school’s rule limiting cornrows, dreadlocks, and braids (Dabiri; Mahr). The students proceeded to protest these rules, go viral with the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh, and create a petition that received thousands of signatures. The school's education department ordered the code of conduct dealing with hairstyles to be suspended, and for further investigation into the racism and discrimination claims of the students. (Mahr).
Another story that went viral internationally, and spawned the hashtag #SupportThePuff, was of a young high school student in the Bahamas by the name of Tayjha Deleveaux. Tayjha was threatened with suspension by the school’s principal for wearing her natural hair in an Afro puff. The principal, T. Nicola McKay, went on the Bahamas’ local news station Our News to explain how the school is preparing its students to excel in today's job market. The principal goes on to state that there is a trend of students wearing their natural hair, “Untidy, ungroomed, and unkept and it looks like it would not have been combed for days, and that is what we’re trying to curve.” (“Minnis on Illegal Migrants and Free Healthcare”). The mother of the suspended student Turkessa Deleveaux states, “You're telling my black child with kinky hair, that her hair isn’t good enough to get a top paying job, or any job for that fact.” Mrs. Deleveaux goes on to explain, “If she’s going to work in an accounting firm or offshore bank, she can’t get the job if her hair is natural.” (“Minnis on Illegal Migrants and Free Healthcare”).
In researching natural hair discrimination there is a multitude of stories of discrimination and hair texture bias, but there is only a small pool of studies found. One related study is The “Good Hair” Survey, which is a research study performed by Perception Institute in 2016. The study examines the implicit and explicit attitudes toward black women's hair. A Hair Implicit Association Test, or Hair IAT, is a computerized task in which participants see images of faces from different identity groups with different textured hairstyles, and they are asked to associate the images with positive and negative words (Greenwald et al.). According to results from The “Good Hair” Survey, “4,163 men and women completed [the study], 3,475 men and women in the national sample (20% black men, 25% black women, 25% white men, 30% white women) and 688 naturalista women (68% black, 32% white).” (MacFarlane et al).
The study’s findings report that on average, white women show explicit bias toward black women’s textured hair; they rate it as less beautiful, less sexy/attractive, and less professional than smooth hair. 33% of Black naturalistas had positive attitudes and were in favor of natural kinky hair textures but 36% of white men, 28% of black men, and 39% of white women in the national sample favored straighter textured hair. The survey did show that 39% of white women who support black naturalistas found kinky textured hair more favorable (MacFarlane et al.).
Introduction
Growing up, I was taught to embrace and be proud of my culture, heritage, and skin color. One thing that always confused me was that my natural hair, growing out of my scalp, free of manipulation or chemical alteration, was an issue. “Unprofessional”, “Ghetto”, “Unkept”, and “Ugly” are just a few phrases that I have heard regarding my natural hair at work, school, and at social events. Throughout my years I have used hair relaxers and texturizer; these chemicals temporarily straighten natural hair turning it from coarse and kinky to straight and manageable, but because of the harsh corrosive nature of these chemicals, frequent use can lead to hair loss and thinning. 10 years ago, I decided to no longer use chemical straighteners on my hair, but this issue left me in a peculiar position—my natural hair was labeled as unprofessional by my community. I have often resorted to wearing wigs and weaves that are more suitable to my work and social environment.
In the documentary, Good Hair by Chris Rock, Maya Angelou was asked a question about the concept of “good hair”. Angelou answers, “I would say that hair is a woman’s glory and that you share that glory with your family, and they get to see you braiding it and they get to see you washing it. But it is not a bad thing or a good thing, it’s hair.” Hair is a person's DNA, your genetic identity can be found in a single strand. So why is something that is a part of your genetic makeup discriminated against? This research paper will look at the following: natural hair discrimination incidents throughout the world that show bias against kinkier textured African hair, how society’s impact can dictate negative and positive perceptions of natural Black hair and hairstyles, and how persons of African descent view their hair today.
Methods
A total of 33 people participated in the study. All participants were between the ages of 17 and 55. Out of the 33 participants, 28 were “African American” or “Afro Caribbean” from the Bahamas, one identified as “Asian”, and four identified as “Other”. The survey was created using Google Forms, and the link was distributed by email to individuals and was posted online to Baruch College’s ENG 2150 section 27282 class blog.
Measures
The survey consisted of 12 questions: 10 multiple choices, and two short answer responses. Each participant was emailed a link to the online survey which could be completed on their phones, tablets, or computers. The survey link was also posted online in the ENG 2150 section 27282 class blog. The results that can be found in Google Forms are displayed as bar charts, short answers, and percentages. The survey questions were all original, with questions inspired by books and online information about natural hair discrimination, the same information referenced in this research paper.
Questions one through four asked about age, ethnicity, gender, and hair type. These questions were asked to establish the backgrounds of the participants, as well as their hair type and texture in order to establish which category of participants experienced the most hair discrimination. Both questions five and seven were short answer questions that focused on how the participants defined “good” and “bad” hair. These questions were asked in order to understand the participants’ feelings on hair discrimination, and to illustrate emotions toward personal hair discrimination to show if there is a correlation between having natural hair and experiencing hair discrimination.
The remainder of the questions ask participants if they have experienced social stigma or natural hair discrimination, what their thoughts on the prevalence of natural hair discrimination in 2020 are, and if there has been a progression or regression in natural hair social bias and discrimination. These questions were asked in order to gauge participant’s thoughts on whether hair discrimination is something of the past, or a current situation.
Results
87.5% of participants in this survey identified as “Black” or “Afro Caribbean”, 75% were between the ages of 25 and 44, and 81.3% were female. This is important because studies have shown that black females receive the mass majority of natural hair discrimination. There is a connection linking natural “Kinky” hair textures to social stigma and hair discrimination. 48.3% reported receiving social stigma from wearing their natural hair, 48.3% also said that they had been discriminated against or judged based on their natural hair or a natural hairstyle they wore, and finally, 48.3% of participants described their hair as kinky when asked about their natural hair texture; the same participants who choose “Kinky” as their natural hair textured also experienced stigma and hair discrimination. In the 48.3% of participants who reported experiencing stigma and discrimination as a result of their natural hair, 15.6% reported that they had also been reprimanded on the job, at high school/college, or at a social event because of their hairstyle.
Participants were asked, “Do you feel that society has progressed and there is less hair discrimination in 2020?”, 68.8% answered “Yes.” The percentages varied with participant’s thoughts and feelings on natural hair discrimination, 100% of participants believed that natural discrimination still exists in 2020.
Discussion
There is a connection with recent research, in particular, The “Good Hair” Study which examines the implicit and explicit attitudes towards black women's hair. My survey showed that most black women who participated that identified as having naturally kinky hair texture experienced hair discrimination, social stigma, and isolation from society. In my survey, the question was asked: “What is bad hair?” The following answers were given:
● “Bad hair has scalp problems.”
● “Dry and damaged hair.”
● “Kinky hair.”
● “Bad hair is an unwanted texture”
● “Faded and dry”
● “Hair that is thin, short and brittle, hair that is filled with chemicals”
● “Nappy and Kinky”.
In more than one response the participants described “bad hair” as “Kinky.” There is a connection between the two in these descriptions. In retrospect, to Tayjha Deleveaux and Zulaikha Patel’s stories, both young ladies were “black” of African or Caribbean descent and both had natural kinky hair textures that caused them to be threatened with suspensions. Comparing Patel’s and Deleveaux’s The “Good Hair” Survey and this survey, there is a connection with society's perception that bad hair is “Kinky” hair and Black women of African descent with kinkier textured hair are more likely to experience hair discrimination and social bias than other races.
Limitations
The primary limitations of this study were in the numbers of participants and their ethnic backgrounds, the majority of the participants were of African descent and identified as “black”, there was only one participant that identified as “Asian” and three that identified as “other”. The survey was designed to get perspectives from all ethnicities in order to have a representation of a multicultural society. But the fact that the majority of the survey participants were of “black African/ Caribbean” descent gives only the perceptions of one ethnicity. Limitations were also present in the distribution of the survey itself. Due to the current state of the world being under stay-at-home orders, because of COVID-19, there is a limitation in the number and diversity of persons who could be reached.
Research/Policy/Social Implications
In examining the social implications of hair discrimination, bias, and stigma towards Black women with kinkier textured hair, it is critical to question how natural hair discrimination impacts and affects not just them but also other ethnicities. It is also important to look at the emotional and mental toll it takes on the recipients of discrimination. There has to be a change in the way society views Black, “Kinky” hair textures. The recommendation of this research paper is for continued educational media campaigns illustrating the beauty of natural hair texture, and the importance of ridding society of-hair discrimination and social stigma against “Kinky” hair.
In the survey provided to participants, they were asked the following question, “Have you ever experienced hair discrimination and judgment because of your natural hair or hairstyle wore?” Some of the answers from participants show a trend of damage to their self-esteem and confidence. These are just a few of the responses:
● “I feel defensive. It makes me feel I have to protect my hair's image and as if it still has to fit into social norms.”
● “I felt ugly, I felt like I would be more accepted or deemed to be acceptable/front office worthy, if I processed my hair.”
● “It made me feel like I need to change my hair to fit into a more socially acceptable standard for my appearance.”
● “Embarrassed, unsure of myself, and indignant.”
This research shows that hair discrimination is not only prevalent in modern society, but it also causes negative perceptions in the person experiencing the bias and the person giving the bias.
Further research is needed to understand why “Kinky” textured hair is looked at in such a negative light. This research paper and past studies do show that narratives must be changed in order to eliminate the negative perceptions associated with kinkier hair. Many states in the U.S and countries around the world have made necessary changes to laws, school codes, and company policies in order to accommodate the changing times and views on natural hair and hair discrimination. Society has shown progression with these policy changes, but a lot more work in the context of education and awareness must happen.
By Roshelle Ferguson
Illustrations done in collaboration with the New Media Artspace at Baruch College. The New Media Artspace is a teaching exhibition space in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Baruch College, CUNY. Housed in the Newman Library, the New Media Artspace showcases curated experimental media and interdisciplinary artworks by international artists, students, alumni, and faculty. Special thanks to docent Milli Encarnacion for creating artwork for this piece.
Check the New Media Artspace out at http://www.newmediartspace.info/