Overview
How Black women celebrate their natural hair and uproot racialized beauty standards Hair is not simply a biological feature; it's a canvas for expression. Hair can be cut, colored, dyed, covered, gelled, waxed, plucked, lasered, dreadlocked, braided, and relaxed. Yet, its significance extends beyond mere aesthetics. Hair can carry profound moral, spiritual, and cultural connotations, serving as a reflection of one's beliefs, heritage, and even political stance. In Natural, Chelsea Mary Elise Johnson delves into the complex world surrounding Black women's hair, and offers a firsthand look into the kitchens, beauty shops, conventions, and blogs that make up the twenty-first century natural hair movement, the latest evolution in Black beauty politics. Johnson shares her own hair story and amplifies the voices of women across the globe who, after years of chemically relaxing their hair, return to a ""natural"" style. Johnson describes how many women initially transition to natural hair out of curiosity or as a wellness practice but come to view their choice as political upon confronting personal insecurities and social stigma, both within and outside of the Black community. She also investigates ""natural hair entrepreneurs,"" who use their knowledge to create lucrative and socially transformative haircare ventures.
Full Product Details
Author: Chelsea Mary Elise Johnson ,
L Malaika Cooper
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Imprint: HighBridge Audio
Edition: Unabridged edition
ISBN: 9798228335158
Publication Date: 17 December 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Audio
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Author Information
Chelsea Mary Elise Johnson is a sociologist and user-experience researcher specializing in trust and inclusive design in technology. She is coauthor of two critically acclaimed sociology books for children: IntersectionAllies: We Make Room For All and Love without Bounds: An IntersectionAllies Book about Families. Her work has appeared in Women's Review of Books, Sociology of Sport, Ms. Magazine Blog, and Teen Vogue. L. Malaika Cooper is a writer, travel professional, and occasional comic. She is also an avid hiker and yogi and has traveled to more than thirty countries. A journalist by vocation, she has written for major publications. Her short stories have been published in various anthologies, and she is currently working on an urban fantasy trilogy. Cooper has performed improv and is studying dialect and voice acting. A Washington DC native, she presently lives in Houston, Texas.
