Meaning ❉ Biocolonialism Hair gently addresses the practice where external entities commercialize biological components, genetic information, or traditional knowledge pertaining to textured hair without fair recognition or recompense for originating Black and mixed-race communities. This phenomenon often surfaces in the appropriation of indigenous botanical wisdom or the patenting of genetic markers associated with unique hair structures, hindering the genuine expansion of communal knowledge and ownership. It manifests in the commodification of culturally specific hair care practices, leading to the creation of standardized systems and products that may not genuinely serve the specific needs of textured hair, potentially eroding established community-based routines. Ultimately, its impact is felt in the daily choices of individuals, potentially undermining self-determination over one’s hair heritage and diverting economic benefits away from those whose ancestral practices form the very basis of these innovations.
