Cunningham, Michael, and George Alexander - Queens: Portraits of Black Women and Their Fabulous Hair

[oyceter]

Like Cunningham's Crowns (same photographer, different interviewer), this is a a gorgeous book of photography coupled with personal interviews, only this time, it is on... hair! Yes, Actual Black Women (tm) talking about their Actual Hair (tm)! Hopefully those tormented by curiosity about the subject will at least read this instead of springing

Comments

[fmanalyst]

I've watched the debates and controversies over black women and their hair over the years. It's been several years, but I vaguely remember a case of a woman who worked for an airline receiving a poor score on her employee evaluation for deciding not to straighten her hair. That makes me sad, that someone would have to force their hair to fit a particular standard of beauty to keep a job

[fmanalyst]

Just to add, my long flowing hair envy bit me again while I was watching Watchmen. Malin Ackerman's hair as Laurie Jupiter was so pretty, just the kind of style I always wanted.

(Message to myself: Do not try again to grow your hair out. It will fail. Just don't. You know it's never going to happen.)

[oyceter]

At this point in my life (age 45), I've come to the conclusion that women of all races experience hair frustration.

I definitely agree that all women experience hair frustration, but I think that frustration is multiplied tenfold for black women, especially because their hair is politicized in a way that most women's is not. I mean, it is really annoying for me to know that all the hair care products in the store do not work so well on my hair, and ditto with the dyes, and that it's almost impossible to find a non-Asian hair person who knows how my hair works, but my choosing to perm my hair curly or straight is almost never seen as a "political" choice (a la Glamour's article last year on how afros were not suitable for the workplace because they were too "political").

[fmanalyst]

Yes, exactly. And that there can be material consequences related to how black women wear their hair is wrong. I remember years ago watching a Phil Donahue show in which Allen Toussaint talked about being an advisor for The Cosby Show (shows just how many years) and the debate they had over the mother and Rudy arguing about doing the daughter's hair and whether that was an appropriate scene to include because of these issues. And underlying the politics is the message of "your hair's not good enough; you're not good enough; torture yourself to mimic those who are good enough, but oh, you still won't be good enough." How can an ally fight that issue, I wonder, without being patronizing?

I'm fortunate. My hair issues have no impact beyond "Oh, Laurie changed her hair again." My dissatisfaction and frustration have no political element. At least not with my hair and ethnicity. It's all neurosis on my part.

[lady_ganesh]

Can I just derail for a moment and say I do not understand the kind of people who ask black women about their hair, or-- for that matter-- ask if adopted family members are 'real' brothers or sisters, or touch pregnant women's stomachs because apparently a baby bulge is community property? What the hell is wrong with people?

[delux_vivens]

What the hell is wrong with people?

Entitlement run amok?

[lady_ganesh]

I don't know but I want people to stop.

[oyceter]

This makes me think of a video game title: Orc Hordes vs. Entitlement Run Amok!

[jinian]

This sounds so great! (And it was fun paging through all of the "queens *" on the library system to find it, too.)

[oyceter]

Hee!

It is pretty awesome, and now I am sad I was not able to see his photography on exhibit.