Representations of Blacks' Hair in Children's Literature: A Critical Race Content Analysis

• In Event: A Critical Critique of Cultural Representations in Children’s Picture Books

Abstract

The regulation of Black hair in the United States has a long and complex history. Using the tools from critical content analyses and drawing on Critical Race Theory and BlackCrit Theory, I analyze the picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, with a specific focus on the representation of Black hair from the perspective of a male protagonist, particularly I focus on how black authors resist negative perceptions about black culture and hair in picture books, which is often othered in society. In this article, I demonstrate how Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut implicitly counters stereotypes that portray young black boys negatively and promotes anti-racist transformation by celebrating Black culture and self-worth.

Author

• Darlshawn Patterson, University of South Florida