When you grow up white and go to a predominantly white school, there’s a very specific sense of self that you’ve never experienced. It is the anxiety that arises from the imposition of ethnocentrism. Conducted by Jermyn H. Awad, Andrea Holman, Carolette Norwood, Desiree S. Taylor, Mercedes Martinez, Shannon McClain, Bianca Jones, Colette Chapman Hilliard, Journal of Black, 2014 This is said as part of a study published by Psychology. “African American women’s body image and beauty can only be truly understood within the framework of interlocking systems of ‘isms’ (racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, etc.). ” Still, Eurocentric beauty standards permeate Western culture because they are not a concrete or quantitative manifestation of racism.
The act of styling natural African American hair requires precision and attention to detail. Overall, there are four textures black hair tends to have. In order of increasing curl definition: 3b to 3c, 4a, 4b, and 4c.
Makeup and cosmetics rarely meet the needs of black women and are generally difficult to meet. Get it at mainstream stores. The disparity in white and black beauty products and its emotional impact on black women has been investigated by many scholars, and the research can be found in the National Library of Medicine’s database. To understand the social scrutiny that Black women in the United States face regarding their hair, we need to consider the systemic and subtle racism that society has largely acknowledged until recently.
Common in the American South are what a New Hampshire Public Radio article called “black salon deserts,” or small towns with no black salons, where black women drive to get their braids, cornrows, and wigs taken care of. You have to go there for over an hour. Students at the University of North Alabama in Florence may have access to a number of comprehensive, high-quality hair salons if they wish, but for the most part, these salons only cut, dye and cut typical gray hair textures. , specializes in styling. Students with extremely curly or curly hair often have to leave Florence to get their hair styled. Campus residents who fall into this category often wait to change their hairstyle until they visit their hometown.
There is a desert of black salons in the United States. This is in part because mainstream cosmetology licensing programs do not address the responsibilities that come with caring for African Americans’ natural hair. Additionally, licensed cosmetologists face obstacles such as high studio rental fees and shortages of essentials such as curling irons and curl creams.
Beauty stores, especially in less populated areas, may charge unreasonably high prices for type 4 curls, ignoring the fact that this is unfair discrimination.
In 2014, in the defunct online publication Galdem, Jamelia Donaldson wrote:That’s all [Black women] We are not taught to accept it, nurture it, and appreciate it. ” Donaldson is the founder and CEO of TreasureTres, a hair product line aimed at enhancing the texture of natural African American hair.
American culture is finally taking concrete steps toward breaking away from the systemic racism that dominated the country in the 20th century. Journalists from Teen Vogue and Allure recently discussed the practice of redlining. This was a Depression-era process that allowed the newly created Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to deny insurance to African Americans based on the financially precarious circumstances of their neighbors. real estate. A 2017 National Public Radio report revealed past statements by the government agency FHA that “incompatible racial groups should not be allowed to live in the same community.” National real estate ownership in the United States is still affected by this type of outdated sentiment to this day.
Fortunately, thanks to online shopping, Black women in relatively sparsely populated areas have access to hair care products that not only work well, but also allow them to style their hair with confidence and easily wear it the way they want. You can get Additionally, thanks to the efforts of independent black cosmetic artists and easy access to online sales platforms, the need for intricate braids and custom-made wigs and extensions is gradually being met in Florence. For example, Malik Tilles, her UNA graduate, offers and styles wigs that are seamless, gorgeous, and long-lasting. Tyrez offers a large selection of wigs from her highly regarded suppliers, UNIce Hair, Cynosure Hair, and Bangjazz Hair, all at affordable prices with quality and customer service in mind. Examples of the artist’s work can be seen on her Instagram and her TikTok.Florence locals face lack of care for black hair