I Love My Hair, Do You Dare to Care?

• In Event: Umoja: On One Accord, the Right to Know, Think, and Aspire Among African American Girls

Abstract

The issue of “hair” in the female African American community is pervasively political. This issue continues to evolve in a society of perceptions that evoke thoughts that flow from perplexing and painful to pretty and profound. Discussions of “Black” hair can be paralyzing and empowering, especially in the context of schools when one considers the imperative to facilitate the effective education of African American girls. While there is a push in society and schools to objectify the importance of hair, it is a very important matter among African American girls, their mothers, their families, and the African American community. This study explored the history of African American hair and its impact on the identity development and academic development among African American girls in the context of school

Authors

• Victoria Carter Jones

• Gwendolyn Carol Webb, Texas A&M University