Hair Story
Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America

Chapter 6 is something that every white person should read to understand and accept our ignorance of black hair. Growing up with many black friends and my freshman year college roommate being Haitian, I had heard many of the stories told in this book already. This book raises a lot of questions th......more

Every American has something to learn from “Hair Story,” which spans from the elaborate hairstyles of the 15th century Wolof, Mende, Mandingo and Yoruba to the fades, weaves, locs and twist-outs of today. And the lesson is that the hair we grow and the styles we wear it in say something significant......more

It was a bit repetitive in its information at times, but there was a lot to learn in this text. It brought back some moments of nostalgia and is definitely a "fun" take on black history. I imagine sharing this with a future daughter or niece. I do wish that there could be an updated edition to inclu......more

I picked up a copy of this book at my local library. Even though I'm a former hairdresser, I never learned how to work on "ethnic" or "black" hair because there were no African-American students in my cosmetology class. If there were no African-American students enrolled in the cosmetology course at......more

Before the natural hair “revolution” took fold, I purchased Hair Story: Untangling The Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayana Byrd and Lori Tharps when it first came out in 2001. It is a more comprehensive look at African American hair from slavery to the 2000’s. On a personal note, I went back to......more