heidi w.
October 13th, 2009, 11:17 AM
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113429227
Just read this on NPR. It's a film documentary about African-American hair and the interest in acquiring "good hair." No, I have yet to see the movie, but I hope to as a person who is interested in all things hair.
There's a very, very indirect dovetail with discussions we've had about Locks of Love here.
I find this statistic interesting:
African-Americans represent 12 percent of the population, a Bronner brother tells him, but buy 80 percent of the hair products, a striking statistic made more striking by the fact that many of those products are downright painful to use.
I love the comments to this article on NPR. There's a clear display of an interest in going 'natural'....and how beautiful that really is, plus how some in families take this bent somewhat personally, and how family dynamics around hair can affect family relationships.
....and [Chris] Rock convinces a slew of glamorous celebrities — including Nia Long, Eve, and Raven-Symone — to talk about their weaves, clips and extensions. Looking at these women, you'd never guess their hair wasn't all theirs, which is, of course, the point. But achieving their unnaturally "natural" look is time-consuming and can be enormously expensive.
Rock heads to India to watch hair being sacrificed in temple rituals, then follows it through the sorting and combing processes — most women on the purchasing end prefer bug-free hair, Rock is told — and through U.S. wholesalers back to Los Angeles salons. There, for thousands of dollars (one stylist talks about her layaway plan), it gets woven into the 'dos of African-American women.
The subject of hair from a cultural perspective, from gender role perspective, its malleability continues to be a source of interest to me.
For those not in the know, there was a woman, Madame C. J. Walker, who began a business selling hair products in the early 1900s specifically for Black women.
America’s first black woman millionaire made her fortune with the invention of hair care products specifically tailored to black women.
http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/madamcjwalker/a/bio_madamwalker.htm
She was right up there with The Sutherland Sisters in making a volume of money off of hair care products.
heidi w.
Just read this on NPR. It's a film documentary about African-American hair and the interest in acquiring "good hair." No, I have yet to see the movie, but I hope to as a person who is interested in all things hair.
There's a very, very indirect dovetail with discussions we've had about Locks of Love here.
I find this statistic interesting:
African-Americans represent 12 percent of the population, a Bronner brother tells him, but buy 80 percent of the hair products, a striking statistic made more striking by the fact that many of those products are downright painful to use.
I love the comments to this article on NPR. There's a clear display of an interest in going 'natural'....and how beautiful that really is, plus how some in families take this bent somewhat personally, and how family dynamics around hair can affect family relationships.
....and [Chris] Rock convinces a slew of glamorous celebrities — including Nia Long, Eve, and Raven-Symone — to talk about their weaves, clips and extensions. Looking at these women, you'd never guess their hair wasn't all theirs, which is, of course, the point. But achieving their unnaturally "natural" look is time-consuming and can be enormously expensive.
Rock heads to India to watch hair being sacrificed in temple rituals, then follows it through the sorting and combing processes — most women on the purchasing end prefer bug-free hair, Rock is told — and through U.S. wholesalers back to Los Angeles salons. There, for thousands of dollars (one stylist talks about her layaway plan), it gets woven into the 'dos of African-American women.
The subject of hair from a cultural perspective, from gender role perspective, its malleability continues to be a source of interest to me.
For those not in the know, there was a woman, Madame C. J. Walker, who began a business selling hair products in the early 1900s specifically for Black women.
America’s first black woman millionaire made her fortune with the invention of hair care products specifically tailored to black women.
http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/madamcjwalker/a/bio_madamwalker.htm
She was right up there with The Sutherland Sisters in making a volume of money off of hair care products.
heidi w.