Bonnets, braids, and big afros: the politics of Black characters’ hair

ABSTRACT

The representations of a Black woman character’s hair say something about her. The hair of a Black character is never neutral and nuances of hair are noticed by Black woman audience members. In my research interviewing 103 Black women about the representations of Black women in the shows/films they consumed, 12% of the participants discussed the politics of Black women’s hair as a marker of authentic representation. This article analyzes contemporary representations of hair in shows primarily directed/produced by Black women, arguing that representations of Black women’s hair can be empowering to Black women audience members. Hair styles, rituals, and the bonding over hair in shows and films are important. Even if these on-screen hair moments seem fleeting and unimportant, they are significant in that they affirm and celebrate the beauty, the connection, the love between and among Black women and their experiences. This article weaves interview excerpts into an analysis of Black women characters in contemporary film/series, making the argument that when Black women are behind the camera, Black girl’s/women’s hair represents power and pride through natural/Afrocentric styles and these representations matter to the audience.

KEYWORDS:

• Black women
• hair
• television and film
• feminist
• womanist

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The interview excerpts about hair are culled from 13 interviews out of 103 interviews I conducted with Black women about representations of Black woman characters in contemporary films/television. These interviews were part of a longer, book-length project on representations of Black girls/women in contemporary film/series.

2. When quoting a participant, upon first reference, I use her first name or the pseudonym she chose for herself, her age, and her occupation. After the first reference, I only use the participant’s first name/chosen name.

3. “Television series” is not exactly accurate in the age of streaming entertainment. Some of these series first aired on television, but others only exist as series on digital streaming platforms.

4. One should note that the CROWN act website is sponsored by Dove, an indication that there is money to be made by this specific corporation promoting natural hair styles. This website should not be confused with a purely educational or social-justice movement, although the natural hair acts/legislative bills are championed by policy makers who are concerned with social justice issues surrounding race.

5. In the series I include here where a man might produce the show (grown*ish, black*ish, She’s Gotta Have It), the series’ writers/directors are dominated by women.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kay Siebler

Kay Siebler is a scholar and teacher of rhetoric, gender studies, and all things composition. Her published articles and books relate to the rhetoric of race, class, gender, sexuality and other marginalized perspectives. Her most recent book, Shattering Stereotypes (Lexington Press, 2021) analyzes contemporary representations of Black womanhood in popular film and streaming series. Dr. Siebler has served in the Peace Corps, worked as a roving reporter for a daily newspaper, and developed software in the field of information technology. She holds a bachelors and master’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Ph.D. in English from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. A good day is a day spent in the classroom teaching and learning. Email: [email protected]