Roots
To truly understand the impact of the Black Is Beautiful movement on textured hair, one must first listen to the whispers of history, to the very strands that have carried stories across continents and generations. For too long, the narrative of Black and mixed-race hair was dictated by external gazes, by standards that sought to erase the inherent beauty and resilience of coils, kinks, and waves. The movement, arising from the vibrant crucible of the 1960s, was not merely a shift in aesthetic preference; it was a profound reclamation of self, a conscious unearthing of a heritage that had been systematically buried under layers of imposed ideals. It asked us to look inward, to our own ancestral memory, and find the beauty that was always there, residing in the very structure of our hair.
Before the transatlantic passage, hair in African societies was a profound visual language. It communicated social standing, marital status, age, ethnic identity, and even religious beliefs. Hairstyles were intricate, often taking hours or even days to create, involving washing, oiling, braiding, twisting, and adornment with beads, shells, or cloth. These were not simply acts of vanity; they were communal rituals, strengthening familial bonds and connecting individuals to their lineage and the spiritual realm.
For instance, among the Yoruba, hair was considered the most elevated part of the body, and braided styles were believed to send messages to the gods (Adeyemo, 2023). This ancient wisdom speaks to a deep, reverent understanding of hair as a conduit of identity and spiritual power, a far cry from the later narratives of inferiority.
Hair Anatomy and Textured Hair’s Ancestral Understanding
The scientific understanding of textured hair, as we comprehend it today, often echoes the practical wisdom of ancestral care. Textured hair, particularly Type 3 and Type 4 curls and coils, possesses unique characteristics. Its elliptical cross-section, rather than a round one, causes the hair shaft to twist and turn as it grows, creating its characteristic curl pattern. The density of these curls means that each strand can intertwine, forming natural knots and requiring specific moisture retention strategies.
This inherent dryness, a biological reality, was met with ancestral solutions: rich butters like shea, nourishing oils, and herbal rinses, all aimed at sealing in moisture and maintaining the hair’s suppleness. These practices, honed over centuries, demonstrate an intuitive understanding of hair’s needs long before modern scientific terms were coined.
The Black Is Beautiful movement re-centered the understanding of textured hair within its rich ancestral heritage, affirming its inherent beauty and cultural significance.
The lexicon of textured hair, too, holds historical resonance. Terms like “nappy,” once weaponized to demean, are being re-evaluated within a context of self-acceptance, reflecting the journey from external denigration to internal affirmation. The movement challenged the very notion of “good hair” versus “bad hair,” a damaging binary that emerged from colonial influences and slavery, where hair closer to European textures was deemed superior.
This concept of “good hair” permeated society, leading to widespread practices of straightening and chemical alteration, as if altering one’s hair could remove a barrier to societal acceptance (Bencosme, 2017). The Black Is Beautiful movement sought to dismantle this psychological burden, advocating for the beauty of all shades of Blackness and all textures of hair.
Challenging Hair Classification Systems and Cultural Biases
Modern hair classification systems, while attempting to categorize hair types, can sometimes inadvertently carry echoes of historical biases. The Black Is Beautiful movement, however, transcended mere classification; it demanded a fundamental shift in perception. It highlighted that the very act of categorizing hair based on its curl pattern, without acknowledging the cultural and historical context, could perpetuate a hierarchy.
The movement celebrated the diversity within textured hair, from loose waves to tightly coiled strands, asserting that each expression was a valid and beautiful part of the Black identity. It encouraged individuals to see their hair not as a problem to be “tamed” or altered, but as a crown, a direct link to a resilient and proud lineage.
The movement’s impact on hair growth cycles and influencing factors was less about altering biology and more about recognizing the historical and environmental pressures that affected hair health. Enslavement, for instance, stripped away traditional hair care practices, leading to makeshift methods with whatever was available, like butter or bacon grease, and tools meant for livestock (Maharaj, 2025). The movement brought awareness to these historical traumas and advocated for practices that would heal and nourish, fostering an environment where hair could thrive in its natural state, free from the damaging effects of chemical straighteners and excessive heat. It was a call to return to practices that honored the hair’s natural inclinations, drawing from a deep well of ancestral wisdom.
Ritual
For those who have walked the path of textured hair, the journey is often one of discovery, of learning to listen to the strands, to understand their unique needs, and to honor the wisdom passed down through generations. The Black Is Beautiful movement ushered in a new era of understanding, shifting the conversation from concealment to celebration, from assimilation to affirmation. It was a call to re-engage with hair not as a burden, but as a canvas for cultural expression and a testament to enduring heritage. This section explores how the movement reshaped the practical aspects of hair care and styling, grounding them in a renewed appreciation for ancestral methods and the deep meaning they hold.
Protective Styling’s Ancestral Roots
The protective styling techniques so prevalent today find their true genesis in ancestral practices across Africa. Before the brutal disruptions of the slave trade, styles like braids, twists, and locs were not merely aesthetic choices; they served as vital cultural markers and practical solutions for maintaining hair health in diverse climates. These styles, often intricate and time-consuming, were communal activities, fostering social bonds as women and sometimes men gathered to care for one another’s hair. The Black Is Beautiful movement brought these styles back into prominence, reclaiming them as symbols of pride and resistance against Eurocentric beauty standards that had long dismissed them as “unprofessional” or “unkept” (Maharaj, 2025).
- Cornrows ❉ Dating back as far as 3000 B.C. in regions of Africa, these braided patterns close to the scalp were used as a means of communication among various African societies, and later, as a means of survival for enslaved people who braided rice seeds into their hair for sustenance (BLAM UK CIC, 2022).
- Bantu Knots ❉ A versatile style with origins in Southern Africa, where the Bantu people reside, these coiled buns offer a protective way to style and stretch hair without heat.
- Locs ❉ With a long history in Africa, dreadlocks were sported by priests of the Ethiopian Coptic Orthodox Church as early as 500 BCE, signifying spiritual devotion and cultural identity (BLAM UK CIC, 2022).
The movement’s impact on protective styling was profound. It encouraged a conscious return to these heritage styles, recognizing their dual purpose: safeguarding the hair from environmental stressors and manipulation, and acting as a visible declaration of Black identity and cultural allegiance. The afro, a powerful symbol of the movement, was itself a protective style in its natural, unadorned form, allowing the hair to exist freely and assertively.
Natural Styling and Traditional Methods
The resurgence of natural styling during the Black Is Beautiful era meant a renewed interest in techniques that celebrated the hair’s inherent texture. This involved moving away from chemical straighteners and pressing combs, which had become ubiquitous in the pursuit of Eurocentric hair ideals. Instead, focus shifted to methods that defined curls, minimized frizz, and maintained moisture without altering the natural curl pattern. While modern products now aid in this, the underlying principles of these techniques often echo traditional methods of manipulating hair with natural ingredients and gentle care.
The shift was not without its challenges. For generations, many Black beauticians had specialized in straightening hair, and initially, some were hesitant or unwilling to style natural afro hair (Adesina, 2020). This highlights the deep societal conditioning that the movement sought to undo. However, as the market for natural hair products grew, so did the expertise of stylists, leading to a new wave of professionals dedicated to the health and styling of textured hair in its natural state.
The movement championed a return to traditional African hair care practices, fostering a deep respect for natural hair textures and challenging prevailing beauty norms.
Historical Context of Hair Tools
The tools of textured hair care also bear the weight of history. The hot comb, popularized by Madam C.J. Walker in the early 20th century, provided a means to straighten hair, and while it offered economic advancement for some, it also perpetuated the idea that straight hair was the path to social mobility (JSTOR Daily, 2019).
The Black Is Beautiful movement, in its rejection of this narrative, brought back simpler, more traditional tools like the afro pick, sometimes adorned with a raised black fist, symbolizing political and cultural allegiance to the Black Power movement (Albert.io, 2025). This was a conscious choice to divest from tools associated with alteration and to invest in those that honored natural form.
The movement’s influence extended to the broader cosmetology industry. Companies began to develop and market products specifically for Black women’s natural hair, a significant shift from the previous focus on straightening creams and bleaching agents. This marked a recognition of the economic power of Black consumers and a growing acceptance of diverse beauty standards (Duke University Library Exhibits, 2017).
Relay
What deeper currents did the Black Is Beautiful movement stir, reaching beyond the surface of a hairstyle to reshape the very bedrock of identity and community? The query beckons us to consider not just a shift in outward appearance, but a profound re-calibration of self-worth, a re-connection to a lineage of resilience that had long been obscured. This is where science, culture, and ancestral wisdom converge, offering a multi-dimensional understanding of how a cultural awakening can alter perceptions, industries, and even legal landscapes, all through the lens of hair.
Redefining Beauty Standards and Self-Perception
The core of the Black Is Beautiful movement was its unapologetic affirmation of Black physical features, specifically challenging the pervasive notion that Black people’s natural characteristics, including skin color, facial features, and hair, were inherently undesirable (Wikipedia, “Black is beautiful”). This was a direct counter to centuries of internalized racism, a psychological burden where Black individuals often absorbed negative societal messages about their own appearance (Bencosme, 2017). The movement encouraged self-love and self-acceptance, promoting the idea that Black beauty was not merely comparable to, but uniquely and powerfully beautiful on its own terms.
Consider the profound psychological impact of this shift. For generations, Black women faced immense pressure to chemically straighten their hair to conform to mainstream beauty standards, often feeling that their natural hair was “unprofessional” or “messy” (Maharaj, 2025). A study conducted by Dove in the UK, for instance, found that half of Black and mixed women with afro-textured hair have experienced discrimination because of their hair (Maharaj, 2025).
The Black Is Beautiful movement offered a powerful antidote, fostering a sense of pride that transcended these external pressures. It was a liberation, a declaration that one’s authentic self, hair and all, was worthy of admiration.
The movement’s most enduring legacy lies in its radical redefinition of beauty, validating textured hair as a source of cultural pride and personal liberation.
Legal and Social Ramifications of Hair Acceptance
The impact of the Black Is Beautiful movement extended far beyond personal aesthetics, sparking legal and social battles that continue to shape the landscape of hair acceptance. While the movement popularized afros as symbols of Black power and rebellion in the 1960s, legal challenges against hair discrimination did not appear until the following decade (JSTOR Daily, 2019).
A significant historical example is the 1976 case of Jenkins v. Blue Cross Mutual Hospital Insurance, where the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld a race discrimination lawsuit against an employer for bias against afros.
The court agreed that workers were entitled to wear afros under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This ruling marked an early, albeit limited, legal recognition of the right to wear natural hairstyles in the workplace (JSTOR Daily, 2019).
Despite this legal precedent, the fight for hair acceptance was far from over. The 1980s and 1990s saw a resurgence of straightened hair, partly due to prevalent hair-care advertisements, but also the continued social pressure to emulate Eurocentric hair. Discrimination persisted, with cases like the 1981 lawsuit against American Airlines, where a Black woman was told not to wear braids, and the court sided with the airline, stating braids were not an “immutable racial characteristic” (JSTOR Daily, 2019). This highlights the enduring struggle to define and protect Black hair as an intrinsic part of racial identity.
The legacy of the Black Is Beautiful movement continues to inform contemporary efforts like the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), which seeks to prohibit race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools. California was the first state to pass such legislation in 2019, and as of June 2023, twenty-three states have followed suit, though a federal law remains pending (Wikipedia, “Discrimination based on hair texture in the United States”). This legislative progress is a direct descendant of the movement’s original call for the recognition and respect of textured hair as a fundamental aspect of Black heritage and identity.
Influence on the Hair Care Industry and Entrepreneurship
The movement catalyzed a profound shift within the hair care industry. Historically, the industry had largely focused on products designed to alter Black hair texture, with figures like Madam C.J. Walker creating fortunes from hair-straightening formulas (Refinery29, 2021).
The Black Is Beautiful movement, however, created a demand for products that catered to and celebrated natural hair. This spurred a new wave of Black entrepreneurship and innovation within the beauty sector.
The late 2000s saw a “second wave” of the natural hair movement, fueled by social media, which further amplified this shift (JSTOR Daily, 2019). This digital age allowed for the widespread sharing of information, DIY remedies, and product reviews, empowering Black women to question ingredients and demand results from hair care brands (Refinery29, 2021). The mobilization of the movement on social media became paramount, forcing brands to acknowledge natural hair in their product offerings and advertisements.
This transformation has created a billion-dollar segment in the beauty industry, with more opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to enter the market with products and innovations tailored to textured hair (Refinery29, 2021). The shift from advertising products with impossibly sleek hair to showcasing a variety of curls, coils, kinks, and waves reflects the enduring impact of the movement’s push for authentic representation (yes gurl, 2022).
The movement’s influence on the industry is a testament to its power in shaping consumer demand and challenging long-held marketing norms. It underscored that true beauty inclusion requires not just diverse faces, but a genuine understanding and celebration of diverse hair textures, rooted in their historical and cultural contexts.
Reflection
The Black Is Beautiful movement, in its radiant essence, reminds us that hair is never merely fiber; it is a living archive, a chronicle of ancestral journeys, a testament to enduring spirit. It called upon us to look at the coils and kinks that crown so many, not through a lens of imposed standards, but with eyes that recognized the profound beauty and heritage within each strand. The echoes of this movement continue to resonate, urging us to honor the wisdom of those who came before, to celebrate the diverse expressions of textured hair, and to walk forward with the understanding that true beauty is born from authenticity and a deep connection to one’s roots. It is a legacy of self-acceptance, a constant invitation to wear our crowns with pride, knowing that in every curl, a story of resilience and splendor lives on.
References
- Adesina, P. (2020). The birth of the Black is Beautiful movement. BBC.
- Adeyemo, S. (2023). What Every Dermatologist Must Know About the History of Black Hair. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 22(11).
- Bencosme, Y. (2017). Beauty is Pain: Black Women’s Identity and Their Struggle with Embracing Their Natural Hair. University of New Hampshire Scholars’ Repository.
- BLAM UK CIC. (2022). The history of Black Hair.
- Duke University Library Exhibits. (2017). “Black is Beautiful”.
- JSTOR Daily. (2019). How Natural Black Hair at Work Became a Civil Rights Issue.
- Maharaj, C. (2025). Beyond the roots: exploring the link between black hair and mental health.
- Refinery29. (2021). The Evolution Of The Natural Hair Movement.
- Wikipedia. “Black is beautiful.”
- Wikipedia. “Discrimination based on hair texture in the United States.”
- yes gurl. (2022). Is the natural hair movement over? Why women are going back to relaxers.