Fundamentals
Decolonial Aesthetics, as a concept, calls upon us to re-examine the very foundations of what we deem beautiful, valuable, and true, particularly through the lens of those voices and traditions historically marginalized by colonial forces. It is an invitation to acknowledge and then dismantle the imposed frameworks that have long dictated aesthetic norms, often rooted in European ideals. This involves a profound re-centering of knowledge and ways of sensing that arise from Indigenous, African, and other non-Western cultural legacies. For Roothea, this exploration naturally gravitates toward the rich, complex heritage of textured hair, especially within Black and mixed-race communities.
The core meaning of Decolonial Aesthetics resides in its commitment to recognizing that beauty is not a singular, universal concept, but rather a vibrant constellation of diverse expressions, each holding its own intrinsic worth and historical significance. It is an understanding that the imposition of a dominant aesthetic has served as a tool of control, shaping perceptions of self and community in ways that diminish ancestral practices and natural forms. By questioning these hegemonic ideas, Decolonial Aesthetics opens a path to reclaiming and celebrating the inherent beauty of forms and practices that were once dismissed or denigrated.
In the context of textured hair, this translates into a powerful re-evaluation. Historically, the tightly coiled, voluminous nature of Black and mixed-race hair was often deemed “unprofessional” or “undesirable” by colonial beauty standards, leading to widespread pressure to alter natural textures through harsh chemical straighteners or heat styling. Decolonial Aesthetics asks us to look beyond these imposed judgments and instead see the intricate patterns, the resilient strength, and the deep cultural resonance of textured hair as expressions of profound beauty and heritage. It means recognizing that ancestral practices of hair care, styling, and adornment are not merely quaint traditions, but sophisticated systems of knowledge that speak to a deep connection with self, community, and the natural world.
Decolonial Aesthetics is a call to liberate our understanding of beauty from colonial impositions, allowing us to see and celebrate the inherent magnificence of diverse cultural expressions, particularly within textured hair heritage.
The process of understanding Decolonial Aesthetics involves a thoughtful unraveling of historical narratives. It compels us to consider how colonial powers actively sought to erase indigenous identities, and hair was often a primary target in this process. For instance, during the transatlantic slave trade, captors forcibly shaved the heads of enslaved Africans, a dehumanizing act designed to strip them of their culture and sever their connection to home and lineage. This act was not merely about hygiene; it was a deliberate assault on identity, as hair in many African societies was a profound marker of status, age, religion, and ethnic identity.
Thus, the return to natural hair, the embrace of traditional styles like braids, twists, and locs, and the reverence for ancestral hair care rituals become tangible manifestations of Decolonial Aesthetics in action. These practices are not simply trends; they are acts of cultural affirmation, a reclamation of self, and a vibrant dialogue with generations past.
Intermediate
Moving beyond an initial grasp, the intermediate understanding of Decolonial Aesthetics compels us to delve deeper into its philosophical underpinnings and its active role in challenging systemic coloniality. This perspective acknowledges that aesthetic norms are not neutral; they are often constructed to uphold power structures, defining what is considered “civilized” or “modern” and thereby marginalizing alternative forms of expression. Decolonial Aesthetics, therefore, is a critical engagement with art, aesthetic theory, and cultural practices that aims to dismantle these colonial frameworks of perception and value. It seeks to recover the original meaning of ‘aesthesis’ as sense perception, exposing the false universality of modern aesthetics and making visible those practices and ways of being that have been overshadowed by the discourse of modernity.
The meaning of Decolonial Aesthetics expands to encompass a recognition that the aesthetic realm is a site of ongoing struggle and liberation. It challenges the notion that European Enlightenment thinkers, such as Immanuel Kant, provided a universal definition of beauty, instead asserting that their concepts were regionally specific and deeply intertwined with racial theories that deemed non-white people incapable of embodying aesthetic ideals. This critical stance invites us to consider how such historical assertions continue to shape contemporary perceptions, particularly concerning textured hair.
Consider the profound impact of the “good hair” versus “bad hair” dichotomy that permeated Black and mixed-race communities for generations. This categorization, a direct inheritance of colonial beauty standards, valued straighter, looser curl patterns while devaluing the tightly coiled, kinky textures inherent to many Black individuals. Decolonial Aesthetics provides a framework for understanding this as a manifestation of aesthetic colonization, where a foreign standard was imposed, creating internal divisions and self-perception challenges within communities.
Decolonial Aesthetics challenges the assumed universality of Western beauty standards, asserting that such norms often served as instruments of colonial power, diminishing the inherent value of diverse cultural expressions.
The ongoing resistance to hair discrimination provides a poignant case study of Decolonial Aesthetics in action. Laws like the CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair,” have emerged to prohibit discrimination based on natural hair textures and styles commonly associated with race, including braids, twists, locs, and Afros. These legislative efforts are a direct response to the systemic biases that have historically penalized Black individuals for wearing their hair in its natural state.
A 2023 research study found that Black women’s hair is 2.5 times as likely as white women’s hair to be perceived as “unprofessional” in the workplace. This statistic powerfully underscores the continued presence of colonial aesthetic biases in professional settings, highlighting the urgent need for decolonial interventions in everyday life.
Furthermore, Decolonial Aesthetics recognizes the profound cultural significance of hair beyond mere appearance. In many African and diasporic cultures, hair is revered as a sacred link to ancestry, spirituality, and identity. Traditional practices like braiding were not just stylistic choices; they were communal activities that strengthened familial bonds and conveyed intricate messages, sometimes even serving as maps to freedom during enslavement.
The resurgence of these ancestral hair rituals is a living testament to the decolonial impulse—a conscious effort to reconnect with and honor a heritage that was systematically suppressed. This involves not just replicating styles, but understanding the philosophy of care, community, and connection that underpins them.
The engagement with Decolonial Aesthetics is thus an invitation to critically examine how aesthetic choices, even seemingly personal ones, are deeply intertwined with historical power dynamics. It encourages a shift from passively accepting imposed ideals to actively creating and celebrating beauty that arises from authentic cultural roots and embodied experiences.
Academic
Decolonial Aesthetics, at an academic level, constitutes a sophisticated and rigorous theoretical framework that critically interrogates the foundational assumptions of Western aesthetic philosophy, particularly its entanglement with the colonial matrix of power. Its central meaning resides in the systematic de-naturalization of what has been presented as universal aesthetic truth, revealing instead its regional, Eurocentric origins and its historical function in legitimizing global hierarchies. This intellectual endeavor, championed by scholars such as Walter Mignolo and Rolando Vázquez, posits that modern aesthetics, as articulated by figures like Immanuel Kant, served not as a neutral theory of beauty, but as a normative standard designed to superimpose a particular sense of beauty over the world, thereby reducing the plurality of organic senses and experiences. The implication is that aesthetics is not merely a domain of artistic appreciation, but a constitutive element of the colonial matrix of power, alongside knowledge, politics, and economy, dating back to the emergence of the Atlantic slave trade in the sixteenth century.
The theoretical underpinnings of Decolonial Aesthetics extend to an “aesthesis,” which recovers the original Greek meaning of sensation and perception, emphasizing embodied knowledge and sensuous engagement with the world, in direct opposition to the Cartesian mind-body dualism that has long dominated Western thought. This critical reorientation allows for an examination of how coloniality has controlled not just what is seen as beautiful, but also how bodies themselves are perceived and how sensory experiences are validated within the public sphere. The task of Decolonial Aesthetics, therefore, becomes one of liberating and delinking aesthetic thought from these hegemonic Western concepts that have been propagated through imperial designs.
Within the discourse of textured hair, this academic lens reveals the profound mechanisms through which coloniality operated on the very physicality of Black and mixed-race bodies. The historical denigration of afro-textured hair as “wool,” “kinky,” or “nappy” by white colonizers was not simply an act of insult; it was a deliberate strategy to deem it inferior to European hair textures, thereby dehumanizing enslaved Africans and justifying their subjugation. This racialized aesthetic judgment was meticulously ingrained, leading to a systemic devaluation of natural Black hair that persists in various forms today.
Decolonial Aesthetics academically defines itself as a critical philosophical stance that unmasks the colonial origins and power dynamics embedded within seemingly universal beauty standards, particularly as they have shaped perceptions of textured hair.
A powerful case study illuminating this complex interplay of aesthetics, coloniality, and lived experience is the enduring phenomenon of hair straightening within Black communities. Historically, enslaved men would even use axle grease to straighten and dye their hair, and later, chemical relaxers became a popular yet often damaging alternative to hot combs. This practice was not merely a stylistic choice; it was often a means of survival and a desperate attempt to lessen the unjust treatment faced in a society that privileged Eurocentric beauty standards. The academic perspective of Decolonial Aesthetics compels us to see these historical choices not as a simple desire for assimilation, but as a coerced adaptation within a coercive system.
Furthermore, the meaning of Decolonial Aesthetics in this context encompasses the agency of Black women in navigating and challenging these imposed norms. As Kristin Denise Rowe argues, understanding Black women’s hair practices solely through a binary of “subversive” natural hair versus “assimilated” straightened hair obscures the complex factors—including nationality, gender identity, sexuality, and class—that inform their aesthetic choices. A decolonial approach seeks to recover the agency and narratives of Black women, recognizing their decisions as a complex articulation of self within a fraught terrain of hegemonic beauty standards. This intellectual posture moves beyond simplistic interpretations, acknowledging the intricate ways in which individuals and communities negotiate identity under the enduring shadow of colonial legacies.
The impact of this aesthetic coloniality is not merely historical; it has tangible, measurable consequences in contemporary society. Consider the pervasive issue of hair discrimination in professional and educational settings. The CROWN Act, while a significant step towards legal protection, highlights the systemic nature of this bias.
A 2023 study found that candidates with curlier hair were less likely to be recommended for hire and scored lower in assessments of professionalism and competence. This evidence underscores how deeply embedded colonial aesthetic preferences remain, impacting economic mobility and social acceptance for individuals with textured hair.
Decolonial Aesthetics also encourages a deeper engagement with traditional knowledge systems and ethnobotanical practices related to hair care. Many African plants, for instance, have been used for centuries for hair treatment and care, addressing concerns like baldness, dandruff, and general hair health. While modern science may focus on identifying active compounds for pharmaceutical applications, a decolonial perspective honors the holistic wisdom embedded in these ancestral practices, often viewing them as a form of “topical nutrition” that supports scalp health and overall well-being. This involves acknowledging that traditional hair groomers in pre-colonial Africa were considered experts, and their skills upheld local standards of beauty and communal bonds.
The exploration of Decolonial Aesthetics, therefore, is not a nostalgic return to a romanticized past, but a rigorous, critical engagement with history to inform a more equitable and inclusive future. It calls for a dismantling of the “White Cube” as the sole standard for art and beauty, opening spaces for diverse aesthetic expressions to be recognized and celebrated on their own terms. This intellectual journey demands a commitment to understanding how the senses themselves have been colonized and how to liberate them to perceive beauty in its manifold, authentic forms.
Reflection on the Heritage of Decolonial Aesthetics
As we conclude our exploration of Decolonial Aesthetics, particularly through the living archive of textured hair, a profound sense of continuity emerges. The journey from the elemental biology of the strand to its intricate role in voicing identity and shaping futures reveals an unbroken lineage of wisdom and resilience. This is not merely an academic exercise; it is a heartfelt recognition of the ancestral echoes that resonate within each coil, each curl, each braid. The “Soul of a Strand” ethos, at its very core, is a testament to this enduring heritage—a celebration of hair as a sacred conduit to the past, a vibrant expression in the present, and a guiding light for what is yet to come.
The historical subjugation of textured hair, the imposition of foreign beauty ideals, and the systemic discrimination faced by Black and mixed-race individuals were never simply about aesthetics; they were about control, about severing a connection to self and lineage. Yet, through generations of perseverance, ingenuity, and defiant self-love, the heritage of textured hair has not only survived but has flourished. It has become a powerful symbol of resistance, a canvas for storytelling, and a communal gathering point for shared experiences and inherited knowledge.
The Decolonial Aesthetics, when viewed through this lens, is a continuous act of remembering and re-membering. It is the conscious choice to honor the hands that braided intricate patterns in ancestral lands, the voices that whispered hair care secrets across generations, and the spirits that found freedom in the embrace of their authentic selves. This ongoing work reminds us that beauty is not a static ideal, but a dynamic, evolving expression of cultural vitality and self-determination.
It is in the tender care of a child’s coils, the deliberate crafting of a protective style, and the bold assertion of natural texture in spaces that once denied it, that the true essence of Decolonial Aesthetics finds its most poignant manifestation. The path forward lies in nurturing these living traditions, ensuring that the wisdom of the past continues to illuminate the beauty of our present and inspire the boundless possibilities of our future.
References
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- Dabiri, E. (2019). Twisted ❉ The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture. Harper Perennial.
- Deere, D. T. (2020). The Spacing of Decolonial Aesthetics. Journal of World Philosophies, 5(1), 89–98.
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- Rowe, K. D. (2018). On Decolonization, Beauty, and Black Hair Aesthetics. Blackfeminisms.com .
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