The Journey through Black Hair Culture and Discrimination

Unraveling the rich and intricate tapestry of black hair history, I review an article written by  Quani Burnett, the visionary behind Beauty4BrownSkin. The article shares information that is as enlightening as it is significant. We journey through time, tracing the origins and evolution of black women's hairstyles, from the ancient cornrows and ban-to knots to the revolutionary impact by pioneers such as Madam CJ Walker and Annie Malone. 

In the second half of the podcast, I take you through my personal hair voyage - the highs, lows, and those vibrant colors! Amid stories of self-expression and identity, we also confront the less talked about side: discrimination in professional settings. Alongside testimonials from women of color, we explore the challenges and triumphs of wearing natural hair. Conversations about black hair are seldom light - they are interwoven with matters of identity, race, and culture. So join us as we celebrate black hair in all its glory and advocate for respect and understanding. Remember, curiosity is welcome, but hands off the hair!

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

Welcome to season two of the Infusion podcast. My name is Teresa and I am your host. I'm excited to be back for another season. The goal of this podcast is to help women and young girls fill up their cups. Oftentimes, we are so focused on helping and supporting others that we forget to take care of ourselves too. My mission is to spread love and joy through movement, education and motivation. Today, we are talking about the history of a black woman's hair.

Speaker 1: 0:36

Quani Burnett is a community and inclusion strategist, writer and creator of Beauty for Brown Skin. Beauty for Brown Skin specializes in inclusivity within the beauty space. To kick off today's episode, I'm going to be sharing an excerpt from her article, which is titled the Crown we Never Take Off. A History of Black Hair Through the Ages, so Quani shares.

Speaker 1: 1:01

One of the earliest expressions of black hair would undoubtedly be cornrows, commonly cited as far back as 3000 BC. Cornrows symbolize status, ethnicity, wealth and rank amongst other social economic spears in Africa. Conversely, hairstyles such as locks and ban-to-knots also have deeply rooted origins. As early as 2500 BC, hindu scripture depicted the god Shaiva wearing twisted locks of hair, known as jata, while ban-to-knots, notably worn by individuals of the Zulu tribe, stemmed from the term of identifying subgroups within South Africa. In addition, madam CJ Walker, who revolutionized modern-day entrepreneurship for black women, created black hair products back in the early 1900s and she is acknowledged as one of the first black woman millionaires. Annie Malone, though lesser known, was also another black self-made entrepreneur in the early 1900s who created the hair products centered around black hair. Hairstyles back then were influenced inherently by the Eurocentric standards of beauty. Those standards were sleek tresses, pompadours and smooth waves achieved through pressing combs and relaxers. The civil rights movement in the 1960s sparked the return of wearing black hair in its natural, textured state. Black women such as actress Pam Greer and activist Angela Davis were those iconic afros that helped to shape positive representation of black hair in both popular culture and as a symbol of liberation and pride. However, today, black women are still judged based on how they wear their hair, especially in the workplace.

Speaker 1: 2:51

I personally know of a few people who have been discriminated against in the workplace due to their hairstyle choices. Now I'm going to share a little journey about my hair and how I've worn it throughout the years. My hair journey has been a very fulfilling one, because I've tried everything, from my natural hair to getting a perm to make it straight to shaving half of my hair bald. I've worn loud colors such as hot pink, purple, lime green and more, and for those of you that know me well, you know I've rocked almost every braid style you can imagine, from cornrows to box braids, dookie braids, as we used to call them back in the day, those big fat braids that are knotted, micro braids, crochet styles. I've even rocked, sewn in and glue in weave styles. So for many years I was very confident in wearing my hair however I wanted. But when I decided to pursue a career in HR and was invited to interview for my very first HR position, I started listening to other people and second guessing myself. So instead of wearing my natural hair in a flat iron style, I had my knees to put in a glue in straight black weave with the cut veins in the front.

Speaker 1: 3:59

Have you ever thought about starting your own podcast? Do you like to talk to people? Do you have something to share with the world? Well, if that is, you just like I was. I was so confused, didn't know where to start, what tools to use, what tools I needed, but I'm so excited to be partnering with Buzz Sprouts. They helped me kickstart my podcast. They have all of the resources that you need, both in written form and also YouTube tutorials, and if you sign up for their paid plan, you will receive a $20 credit if you use the link in my profile bio and you will also be helping to support the Infugee Podcast.

Speaker 1: 4:32

This style made me look more presentable for the HR role. I interviewed for the role and was not extended in offer, so by me changing my hair, it didn't really make a difference. It was from that point on that I decided, no matter what, I would be proud of the way I chose to wear my hair, and if an organization didn't want to hire me for the skills and knowledge that I had and look past my hair, then that organization just wasn't for me. After that, I went on to have a successful 10 year career in HR and throughout those 10 years, guess what my hair had been? In many different styles, shown many different expressions, and it did not impact the way that I did my work. Now, I'm sure some people that I worked with looked at me a little different and just didn't say anything out loud.

Speaker 1: 5:19

The thing that bugs me the most still to this day is when people ask can they touch my hair, like really, my hair is not a pet that you can touch and feel. I'm very open to answering questions about my style, how long it takes to get done, etc. But no, hell, no, you cannot touch my hair. Maya Allen, beauty director for InStyle magazine, says it best Beyond every braid, curl, lock and strand is a sacred story for women of color, and even though it's just hair, there's so much more than meets the eye.

Speaker 1: 5:55

The story is often disregarded by strangers who don't share the same narrative as we do. Oftentimes, people are so fascinated by the vast diversity of black hair, which in turn garners unwarranted attention. In many cases, their miseducation solicits alienating questions and discriminatory treatment that has the potential to derail our self confidence and personal growth. Unspeenones to them they don't know, but to those less educated about the subject, black women's hair is not an object. Whichever child style we choose to wear is deeply rooted in our ancestral identities, but it does not define our humanity. So if you got a question, ask your question, but no, you cannot touch our hair. Maya Allen interviewed 30 women of color to share their most personal natural hair stories.

Speaker 1: 6:51

I've selected a few to share on today's episode. So the first one comes from Blake Newby. Blake says I never understood the notion that black women's hair doesn't grow. Are these extensions? It's just so full. I've witnessed people analyze my tresses in shock that a woman of color can have hair that not only has length but also has high density. Hair like mine is not a rarity and many more women of color continue to place emphasis on healthy hair. It's becoming the norm. Asha Benton shares.

Speaker 1: 7:25

At a nail shop in Richmond, I got asked if my hair was real and I decided I was just going to lie about all the questions. I had long box braids. She asked me if my hair was real and I said yes. She asked how long it took and I said eight hours. And then she asked how much it cost and I said $30. They started freaking out and continued to make comments about my hair. At first it was just funny to make up a story, but when they kept talking about it with each other during my pedicure it was awkward. It made me feel like I was on display. Lastly, bianca Alexa shares I feel like I've had so many encounters with discrimination or pure ignorance from strangers towards my natural hair that it's hard to keep track.

Speaker 1: 8:08

A lot of feedback I get is mostly positive, so it always outweighs the negative. But I will get random strangers reaching out to touch my hair without permission, assuming that it's fake or it's a wig, or asking if it's all my hair. I remember a few years ago I was at a Christmas party and I was talking to a group of people who were mostly Caucasian. When the conversation shifted towards my hair's texture and volume, it started off as just plain curiosity and a few compliments here and there, but then, all of a sudden, five different hands were reaching towards my hair and petting it. They were saying remarks like oh, it's actually soft and wow, it doesn't feel like I thought it would. I felt so uncomfortable. There was zero regard for my personal space or the fact that you can't go around petting strangers on the head like a puppy. It was so disrespectful. Now when someone says something about my hair, I automatically back away because I can already feel them wanting to grab it without permission. I also had an older woman in the airport come up to me and say I had to come.

Speaker 1: 9:07

Look at your hair from the front, because from the back it doesn't look good, but from the front it looks interesting. At the time I was with another friend of mine who also happened to have curly hair. Then the woman turned and said oh, you have interesting hair as well. Are you friends because of your hair? All right, now, people are not friends just because they have the same hairstyle. People, we are all uniquely made, whether you're black, caucasian, hispanic, asian, whatever your ethnicity may be. But for a black woman, we're going to rock our crown exactly how we want to rock our crown in its natural state, with braids or what have you? Please, with the questions, educate yourself so that you don't look stupid asking black women about their hair.

Speaker 1: 9:57

In 2019, the Crown Act, which stands for create a respectful and open word for natural hair, was passed in California, which then became the first state to ban natural hair discrimination. On January 31st of this year, minnesota joined a growing list of states that have enacted the Crown Act. The Crown Act prohibits discrimination based on person's hair texture or hairstyle if that texture or hairstyle is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. Hairstyles commonly associated with race or national origin include those in which your hair is tightly coiled, tightly curled or worn in locks, cornrows, twists, braids, bantu knots and afros. Versions of the Crown Act have already been enacted in 19 other states, including Alaska, california, colorado, connecticut, delaware, illinois, louisiana, maine, massachusetts, maryland, nebraska, nevada, new Jersey, new Mexico, new York, oregon, tennessee, virginia and Washington. Legislators in at least seven states Michigan, new Hampshire, north Carolina, pennsylvania, rhode Island, south Carolina and Wisconsin are moving to enact their own Crown Acts. In addition, over 40 local governments have passed laws prohibiting discrimination based on hairstyle and texture, including localities in Arizona, florida, connecticut, michigan, missouri, north Carolina, ohio, pennsylvania, west Virginia and Wisconsin. So if you live in any of those states or localities that I listed, you are protected by the Crown Act from discrimination because of the way you wear your hair.

Speaker 1: 11:39

Now, federal Crown Act legislation has still been unsuccessful to date. Back in March of 2022, the Crown Act of 2022 passed the House with bipartisan support. However, in December 2022, the companion bill did not succeed in the Senate. The legislation has not yet introduced has not yet been introduced, excuse me into the current Congress. So again, rock your hair how you want to rock your hair.

Speaker 1: 12:06

Today we talked about the history of a black woman's hair. To all my black queens and rising young black queens, rock your crown and rock it with pride. Don't let anyone tell you that you are different because of your hair. Our hair is part of our history and we will continue to make it be known. The day before the 4th of July, black Americans are commemorating a different kind of freedom. July 3rd is National Crown Day our black hair independence and we stand in solidarity with black women in their fight to wear their natural hair proudly, without fear of discrimination in workplaces and schools. In fact, 54% of black women believe that it is necessary to straighten their hair for a job interview to be successful. And while there's nothing wrong with black women straightening their hair out of their own desire to do so, some straightening processes can damage their hair. Are worse.

Speaker 1: 12:56

Relaxers are associated with long-term health consequences like uterine cancer, breast cancer and asthma. We will dive into that. That's a whole mother's subject about relaxing your hair and the effects. That is a future podcast episode, so stay tuned for more. Tune in next week for a special live Monday night broadcast. July 24th is International Self Care Day and I will be speaking with my special guest, ms Hilda Young. Hilda is a mother, a wife, an entrepreneur and community partner. Self Love Club Arizona is the newest umbrella under her business brand. We will be live at 7pm Mountain Standard Time. You can join us on riversidefm or Facebook Live. You have been listening to the Infugee Podcast. I hope that something was said today that will help you along your life journey. Until next time, continue to do you, be you, infuse you and be blessed.