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Articles on Black hair

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Flavour, a popular Nigerian musician, can wear his dreadlocks in peace because they are seen as a temporary fashion statement. Elizabeth Farida/Wikimedia Commons

In Nigeria, dreadlocks are entangled with beliefs about danger

Nigerian men who wear their hair in knots are not a new phenomenon, but the hairstyle’s spiritual heritage sparks fear in the hearts of many.
'Crayons' via www.shutterstock.com

Who counts as black?

With the number of multiracial Americans growing, there’s a fierce debate in the black community over who’s black – and who isn’t.
For women studying and working in Eurocentric institutions, wearing natural hair can be a symbol of resistance. Shutterstock

Kinky, curly hair: a tool of resistance across the African diaspora

Natural hair has become a political rallying point for women across the African diaspora. For these women, wearing natural hair is way to resist Eurocentric norms and “post-racial” political thought.
Students make their feelings known during a fees protest at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Nic Bothma/EPA

How violence and racism are related, and why it all matters

States do not record the structural violence of racism as part of crime statistics. But this invisible violence has driven some people to self-harm. It has also masked forms of suicide.
Hair speaks of the past, and of cultural heritage. Steve Evans/Flickr

The heritage of hair: stories of resilience and creativity

Hair has long been modified for aesthetic and other ends. But skewed power structures have meant that women, particularly women of colour, have borne the brunt of stereotyping and prejudice.
“Black hair” has sparked a new racism row at a top South African school. Yves Herman/Reuters

Pupils deserve applause for demanding a just school system

Schools need to adapt and evolve in changing circumstances and conditions as their students’ demographic composition shifts.
One of the first dilemmas that black people face is whether to let strangers touch their hair – and under what circumstances. Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

From slavery to colonialism and school rules: a history of myths about black hair

When it comes to black hair, “common sense” is the least reliable tool for decision making since even black people are constantly changing their minds about what they want to do with their hair.

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