Decolonial Hair Studies

Fundamentals

The term “Decolonial Hair Studies” represents a vibrant, essential lens through which we comprehend the profound connection between hair, identity, and the enduring legacies of colonialism. At its core, this field offers an interpretation of hair not merely as a biological outgrowth, but as a potent site of historical struggle, cultural preservation, and continuous liberation. It is a critical examination of how colonial impositions have shaped perceptions, practices, and policies surrounding textured hair, particularly within Black and mixed-race communities, and how these communities have, in turn, resisted, redefined, and reclaimed their hair narratives. This delineation seeks to clarify the multifaceted significance of hair beyond superficial aesthetics, rooting it firmly in ancestral wisdom and collective memory.

Understanding Decolonial Hair Studies means acknowledging that hair, especially textured hair, carries generations of stories, wisdom, and resilience. The explication of this concept begins with recognizing that hair was, and remains, a powerful marker of social status, tribal affiliation, spiritual connection, and personal identity in pre-colonial African societies. Hairstyles could indicate a person’s family background, their marital status, or their age, serving as a complex visual language (Cripps-Jackson, 2020). The arrival of European colonizers and the subsequent transatlantic slave trade violently disrupted these deeply rooted traditions, imposing new, often dehumanizing, standards of beauty and grooming.

Decolonial Hair Studies unveils the historical weight and liberating potential held within each strand of textured hair, honoring ancestral resilience.

The initial statement of Decolonial Hair Studies for a newcomer highlights its foundational principle ❉ that hair is a cultural artifact, imbued with meaning that extends far beyond its physical presence. It invites an inquiry into the historical forces that have sought to diminish or control the natural expression of Black and mixed-race hair, alongside the vibrant, persistent efforts to reassert its inherent beauty and cultural value. This approach is not simply about recognizing past wrongs; it is about actively working towards a future where the rich heritage of textured hair is celebrated without reservation or external imposition.

The Historical Imposition on Textured Hair

The historical context is central to grasping the initial meaning of Decolonial Hair Studies. During the transatlantic slave trade, enslavers often shaved the heads of captured Africans upon their arrival in the Americas (Byrd & Tharps, 2014). This act served not only alleged sanitary purposes but, more significantly, functioned as a deliberate tactic to strip away identity and demolish cultural ties, thereby facilitating dehumanization. This forced removal of hair severed a profound connection to homeland and lineage, marking a traumatic shift in the relationship between Black people and their hair.

The derogatory terms applied to Afro-textured hair, such as “wool,” were intentional efforts to deem it inferior to European hair textures, a practice that persisted long after the formal end of slavery. This denigration created a social hierarchy where hair closer to European standards was deemed “good hair,” a prerequisite for social acceptance and opportunity. This enduring legacy meant that for generations, Black individuals often felt compelled to chemically alter their hair to conform to Eurocentric beauty ideals, often at the expense of hair health and cultural authenticity.

Ancestral Practices and Their Suppression

Prior to colonial interference, African societies cultivated sophisticated hair care rituals and styling practices, utilizing indigenous oils, herbs, and intricate braiding techniques (Oforiwa, 2023). These practices were not merely cosmetic; they were deeply interwoven with spiritual beliefs, social structures, and communal bonding. For instance, some communities believed hair, positioned close to the skies, served as a conduit for spiritual interaction with the divine. The forced displacement and enslavement meant a loss of access to these traditional materials and knowledge, leading to improvisation with available substances like cooking oil or animal fats.

Despite these suppressions, ancestral practices found ways to persist, often in covert forms. Enslaved people braided secret messages and maps to freedom into their hair, and carried seeds for survival within their protective styles, transforming hair into a tool of resistance and survival. This resilience of hair practices, even under extreme duress, underscores the inherent value and deep cultural roots that Decolonial Hair Studies seeks to illuminate and restore.

The following table illustrates the stark contrast between pre-colonial reverence for textured hair and the colonial imposition ❉

Intermediate

Moving beyond the foundational understanding, Decolonial Hair Studies at an intermediate level begins to unravel the intricate mechanisms through which coloniality has permeated hair aesthetics and practices, and how resistance movements have sought to dismantle these structures. The significance of this field deepens as we recognize that the historical denigration of textured hair was not merely an aesthetic preference but a calculated component of systemic oppression, designed to undermine self-worth and communal bonds. It extends its clarification to the ongoing, subtle ways these colonial attitudes persist in contemporary society, often manifesting as discrimination or unconscious bias against natural hair in professional or educational settings.

The interpretation of Decolonial Hair Studies at this stage involves a more nuanced grasp of the interplay between power, beauty standards, and identity. It calls for an examination of how dominant narratives have historically framed textured hair as “unruly,” “unprofessional,” or “unclean,” thereby compelling individuals to conform to Eurocentric norms for social acceptance and economic advancement. This compulsion, often internalized, speaks to the profound psychological impact of coloniality on self-perception and collective identity.

The Perpetuation of Colonial Beauty Standards

The legacy of colonialism imprinted a powerful, often unspoken, hierarchy of hair textures. “Good hair” became synonymous with straight or loosely wavy hair, while tightly coiled or kinky textures were relegated to the “bad” category. This division was not arbitrary; it directly mirrored racial hierarchies established during the colonial era, where proximity to whiteness was rewarded with better treatment and social standing. This system fostered a pervasive cultural violence against Afro-textured hair, impacting generations across the African diaspora (Banks, 2000, as cited in Leidenanthropologyblog, 2017).

Even after formal colonial rule ended, the conditioning persisted. Chemical relaxers became widely available in the 20th century, offering a means to achieve straightened hair, which was deemed “socially acceptable”. This created a dilemma where individuals often felt compelled to choose between their authentic hair identity and perceived opportunities in education or employment. The ongoing struggle against hair discrimination, as evidenced by movements like the CROWN Act, underscores the enduring need for decolonial interventions in hair discourse.

Intermediate Decolonial Hair Studies unveils how systemic power structures shape hair perceptions, compelling conformity while igniting powerful acts of resistance.

Resistance and Reclamation ❉ The Natural Hair Movement

The emergence of the Natural Hair Movement in the mid-20th century, particularly during the Civil Rights era, marked a significant turning point in the decolonial journey of textured hair. This movement served as a counter-hegemonic force, challenging the imposed beauty standards and asserting the inherent beauty and cultural pride of natural Afro-textured hair. The Afro, in particular, became a powerful symbol of Black power, racial pride, and a rejection of assimilationist pressures. This was not merely a stylistic choice; it was a political statement, a reclamation of self and heritage.

The Natural Hair Movement, which has seen a resurgence in recent decades, is a living testament to the decolonial impulse. Sales of chemical relaxers have decreased significantly, with a 34% drop in market value since 2016, while sales of “natural” hair care products have risen exponentially (McGill Johnson et al. 2017, as cited in ResearchGate, 2019). This shift reflects a collective decision to reject chemically altering hair in favor of nurturing its natural form, a direct act of decolonization at the individual and communal level.

Consider the evolution of care rituals through a decolonial lens ❉

1. Pre-Colonial Care ❉ Rooted in ethnobotanical knowledge, utilizing local plants, oils, and communal practices passed down through generations. These rituals were holistic, connecting physical care with spiritual well-being and social bonding.
2. Colonial Adaptation ❉ Forced improvisation with limited resources during enslavement, leading to the use of substances like butter or animal fats, yet still maintaining a semblance of care and communication through styles.
3. Post-Colonial Chemical Era ❉ The widespread adoption of chemical straighteners and relaxers, driven by societal pressure to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards, often resulting in damage to hair and scalp.
4. Natural Hair Resurgence ❉ A contemporary return to honoring and nurturing natural texture, often drawing inspiration from ancestral practices and ingredients, reflecting a conscious act of decolonization and self-acceptance.

Academic

At an academic echelon, the elucidation of Decolonial Hair Studies transcends a mere description of historical events or social movements; it constitutes a rigorous theoretical framework for analyzing the enduring ramifications of colonial power structures on human corporeality, particularly as expressed through textured hair. This scholarly interpretation recognizes Decolonial Hair Studies as a critical intervention within broader decolonial thought, seeking to dismantle the “colonial matrix of power” (Quijano, 2000, as cited in Walsh & Mignolo, 2018) as it pertains to aesthetic norms, embodied knowledge, and racialized experiences. The meaning here is deeply rooted in an understanding of coloniality not as a historical epoch, but as a persistent system of power that continues to shape global relations, identities, and epistemologies, even after the formal end of colonialism (Maldonado-Torres, 2007, as cited in Foluke’s African Skies, 2019).

This delineation of Decolonial Hair Studies critically examines how Eurocentric beauty standards, enforced through colonial processes, became instruments of racial subordination and the suppression of diverse forms of self-expression. It scrutinizes the mechanisms by which the aesthetics of textured hair were pathologized, rendering them “unprofessional,” “unclean,” or “unmanageable” within dominant societal narratives. Such discursive constructions served to justify systemic discrimination and to coerce individuals into conforming to an imposed aesthetic ideal, thereby maintaining a racial hierarchy. This academic perspective delves into the profound psychological, social, and economic consequences of this aesthetic coloniality, extending its analysis to contemporary instances of hair discrimination that continue to plague Black and mixed-race communities globally.

Theoretical Underpinnings ❉ Coloniality of Being, Power, and Knowledge

Decolonial Hair Studies, from an academic standpoint, is inextricably linked to the decolonial theoretical lens, which posits that coloniality operates across three interconnected domains ❉ being, power, and knowledge (Mignolo, 2005; Quijano, 2005, as cited in SciELO, 2024).

• Coloniality of Being ❉ This dimension pertains to the dehumanization and subjugation of colonized peoples, defining them as “less or deficient human beings” (Mignolo, 2013). In the context of hair, this manifested as the systematic denigration of textured hair as “bad” or “unacceptable,” thereby diminishing the personhood of those who wore it naturally. The very identity of Black and mixed-race individuals was entangled with this aesthetic judgment, forcing a constant negotiation of self-worth against a backdrop of imposed inferiority.
• Coloniality of Power ❉ This refers to the enduring patterns of power that emerged from colonialism, influencing social, economic, and political relations (Maldonado-Torres, 2007). Hair discrimination in schools and workplaces exemplifies this coloniality of power, where grooming policies are often implicitly or explicitly designed to privilege Eurocentric hair textures, thereby limiting opportunities for individuals with natural hair. 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”. This statistic underscores how power structures continue to police Black bodies and expressions of identity.
• Coloniality of Knowledge ❉ This dimension addresses the epistemic dominance of Western thought, which marginalizes or erases non-Western knowledges and ways of understanding the world (Datta, 2020, as cited in DigitalCommons@USU, 2024). Within Decolonial Hair Studies, this means challenging the scientific and cultural narratives that have historically dismissed traditional African hair care practices as primitive or unscientific, while elevating Western cosmetic chemistry as the sole arbiter of hair health and beauty. It calls for the re-centering of ancestral wisdom and ethnobotanical knowledge as valid and valuable forms of understanding.

Academic Decolonial Hair Studies meticulously unpacks how coloniality’s enduring grip on aesthetics, power, and knowledge shapes textured hair experiences, compelling a critical re-evaluation of beauty and belonging.

Case Study ❉ The CROWN Act and Legislative Decolonization

A powerful illustration of Decolonial Hair Studies in action is the legislative movement surrounding the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) in the United States. This act, which prohibits discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles historically associated with race, directly confronts the coloniality of power and its manifestations in contemporary society. The movement for the CROWN Act is a direct response to a long history of systemic racism where policies prohibiting natural hairstyles like afros, braids, Bantu knots, and locs have been used to justify the removal of Black children from classrooms and Black adults from their employment.

The legislative efforts surrounding the CROWN Act reveal the tangible impact of decolonial thought. For instance, in 2017, 15-year-old Ruby Williams was repeatedly sent home from school due to her natural hair being deemed “against uniform policy” and “blocking other pupils from seeing the whiteboard”. Her family, with the support of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), fought this for three years and eventually won an £8,500 settlement, leading to new guidance from the EHRC stating that pupils should not face disciplinary action for wearing natural hairstyles. This case is not isolated; a 2022 New York Times piece described five children’s experiences of hair discrimination in their schools, demonstrating a widespread issue.

Furthermore, research by Dove in 2023 revealed that nearly half of Black or mixed-race women have experienced race-based hair discrimination, and one in four Black adults had been sent home from work or faced disciplinary action because of their natural hair. More than half of Black children have been sent home from school for wearing their hair naturally or in a protective style. These statistics are not mere numbers; they represent lived experiences of marginalization stemming from deeply entrenched colonial beauty norms. The CROWN Act, therefore, represents a legal attempt to decolonize public spaces, affirming the right to self-expression and cultural identity through hair, challenging the ingrained prejudice that has historically policed Black bodies.

Beyond Legislation ❉ Decolonizing the Mind and Aesthetics

While legislative changes are vital, Decolonial Hair Studies extends its meaning to the profound process of “decolonizing the mind” (Dabiri, 2022). This involves an internal shift, a rejection of internalized colonial beauty standards, and a conscious embrace of one’s natural hair texture as inherently beautiful and culturally significant. This process often involves unlearning generations of conditioning that equated “good” with “straight” hair. Kristin Denise Rowe (2018) posits that truly “decolonizing beauty studies” necessitates questioning the notion that Black women are passive subjects within racist and sexist systems, instead exploring their active renegotiation and rearticulation of beauty standards.

The academic pursuit within Decolonial Hair Studies also critically examines the historical role of Western aesthetics in shaping global perceptions of beauty (Mignolo, 2013). It challenges the universality of Western aesthetic categories, such as “beauty” or “representation,” and explores how these categories were historically deployed to categorize and control perceptions of “white or black, high or low, rich or poor, strong or weak, good or evil”. This analysis extends to the commercial sphere, scrutinizing how hair care industries have historically profited from the insecurity generated by colonial beauty standards, and how contemporary Black-owned brands are actively working to create products that honor and support natural textured hair, drawing from ancestral ingredients and knowledge.

Ethnobotany and Ancestral Knowledge Re-Centering

A core component of the academic discourse within Decolonial Hair Studies is the re-centering of ethnobotanical knowledge and ancestral hair care practices. This involves a rigorous investigation into the traditional uses of plants and natural ingredients for hair health across various African and diasporic communities. For centuries, African people used diverse natural materials and techniques, such as clay, oils, herbs, shells, beads, and metal, to style and adorn their hair. The forced migration during the transatlantic slave trade disrupted the direct transmission of this knowledge, yet elements persisted through resilience and adaptation.

The field advocates for the academic validation of these indigenous knowledge systems, not merely as historical curiosities, but as sophisticated approaches to hair care that often align with modern scientific understanding of hair biology. For example, the use of certain plant oils in traditional African hair care, now gaining recognition in contemporary science, provides insights into practices that nourished and protected textured hair long before the advent of industrial cosmetics. This re-evaluation serves to counteract the colonial narrative that positioned Western scientific knowledge as supreme, while indigenous practices were dismissed as rudimentary. It is a profound act of epistemic decolonization, restoring agency and intellectual heritage to Black and mixed-race communities.

Here, we delineate some key conceptual procedures in decolonial studies, as applied to hair ❉

1. Situating Origins ❉ Recognizing that the origins of modern beauty standards, particularly those denigrating textured hair, are rooted in the conquest of America and the control of the Atlantic by Europe, rather than in an inherent aesthetic universal.
2. Problematizing Coloniality ❉ Actively identifying and analyzing the diverse forms of coloniality that continue to shape hair experiences, from implicit biases in media representation to explicit discriminatory policies in institutions.
3. Reclaiming Epistemologies ❉ Valuing and integrating subjugated knowledges, such as African ethnobotany and traditional hair care rituals, as legitimate and profound sources of understanding hair health and beauty.
4. Fostering Pluriversality ❉ Advocating for a “pluriversal” understanding of beauty, where diverse aesthetic expressions, including the full spectrum of textured hair, are celebrated and respected as equally valid, moving beyond a singular, Eurocentric ideal.

Reflection on the Heritage of Decolonial Hair Studies

As the discourse on Decolonial Hair Studies settles upon the spirit, we are reminded that hair is far more than protein filaments emerging from the scalp; it is a living archive, a profound meditation on textured hair, its heritage, and its care. The echoes from the source, those ancient practices steeped in the earth’s wisdom and communal bonds, continue to resonate through generations, a tender thread connecting us to ancestral wisdom that resisted erasure. This exploration has been a journey through the intimate landscapes of Black and mixed-race hair experiences, revealing how each coil, curl, and loc carries the indelible mark of history, struggle, and an unwavering spirit of self-determination.

The narrative of Decolonial Hair Studies is one of profound resilience, a testament to the enduring power of identity against forces that sought to diminish it. It compels us to see hair not as a mere accessory, but as a site of profound cultural memory, a canvas upon which stories of oppression and liberation have been etched. The continuous work of decolonizing hair is a sacred trust, honoring those who came before us, who, even in the harshest conditions, found ways to care for their strands, to braid messages of hope, and to retain a connection to their authentic selves.

This living library, Roothea, holds within its digital pages the whispers of ancestors, the vibrant rhythms of resistance, and the scientific insights that affirm the wisdom of old ways. The unbound helix of textured hair, once constrained by colonial dictates, now spirals freely, a symbol of liberation and an invitation to all to partake in its rich heritage. It is a call to recognize the inherent beauty in every unique strand, to challenge the lingering shadows of imposed standards, and to celebrate the multifaceted splendor of hair in all its natural forms. This journey of understanding is not complete; it is a continuous unfolding, a promise of deeper connection to self, community, and the timeless legacy of textured hair.

References

• Byrd, A. D. & Tharps, L. L. (2014). Hair Story ❉ Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America (first revised ed.). St. Martin’s Griffin.
• Cripps-Jackson, S. (2020). The History of Textured Hair. Colleen.
• Dabiri, E. (2022). Don’t Touch My Hair. Rare Birds Books.
• Leidenanthropologyblog. (2017). ‘Hairstyle Politics’ ❉ Decolonizing Beauty Standards. Leiden University.
• McGill Johnson, J. et al. (2017). Decolonizing my hair, unshackling my curls ❉ an autoethnography on what makes my natural hair journey a Black feminist statement. ResearchGate.
• Oforiwa, A. (2023). The History and Culture of African Natural Hair ❉ From Ancient Times to Modern Trends. AMAKA Studio.
• Perception Institute. (2016). The “Good Hair” Study Results. Perception Institute.
• Quijano, A. (2000). Coloniality of Power, Eurocentrism, and Latin America. Nepantla ❉ Views from South, 1(3), 533-580.
• Rowe, K. D. (2018). On Decolonization, Beauty, and Black Hair Aesthetics. Research Collective for Decoloniality & Fashion.
• SciELO. (2024). DECOLONIAL THOUGHT IN CHILDHOOD STUDIES ❉ CRITICAL AND POST-CRITICAL EPISTEMOLOGIES. SciELO.
• Walsh, C. & Mignolo, W. D. (2018). Decolonial Identities in the Leadership Coaching Space ❉ Against Neoliberal Leader Identity Regulation. PMC.