Black Hair Culture and Mathematical Acumen: A Mini-Ethnographic Case Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Language, Culture, and Gender in Mathematics Education (Table 12)

Abstract

This study explores the ethnomathematics embedded in Black hair culture, revealing its relation to school mathematics. Through a Mini Ethnographic Case Study (MECS) (Dobbins et al., 2021); (Fusch et al., 2017), I examine the mathematical concepts inherent in creating certain Black hairstyles, highlighting its potential to enhance mathematics education. Participants include one Black woman instructor and a group of Black teenage girls at a two-day braiding camp focused on teaching and learning certain historically Black hairstyles. Findings include tacit mathematical skills that deconstruct narratives of mathematical ability hierarchies, advocating for culturally relevant approaches to teaching and learning mathematics. This research demonstrates the significant mathematical knowledge embedded within Black hair culture, aiming to influence mathematics education research, policy, and practice.

Author

• Jessica Showell, Georgia State University