Black Assimilation Through Hair

Hair is an aspect of identity many women are made to confront. It is a projection of how a woman would like to be perceived and who she believes she is within her society. Black women in America face an interesting dilemma when it comes to hair. When African slaves were brought to America, they were confronted with the Eurocentric ideal of beauty, which, in addition to pale skin and Anglo Saxon facial structure, also included straightened hair. As time progressed, black people sought new ways to assimilate. Throughout the course of time many hair straightening agents such as straightening irons, perms, and hair extensions have been used to help aid black people in mimicking the hairstyles of the socially accepted white standards. More black women than not began to perm their hair, in effort to fit in with what now, was not only a norm among the white community but also in black communities. The altering of natural hair became a norm of necessity. Already embodying an "otherness" that was rooted in their dark skin and that proved to be the initial separation from what was viewed as female, black women found an entryway into societal acceptance through the alteration of their hair to the majority's favor. Soon, black women began to internalize these ideals themselves. The development of black assimilation through hair is a direct result of the internalization of white standards and the double conscious mind set of looking at one’s self through societal ideals.
In the early 15th century, in Africa, various African cultures were represented through the hairstyles of its citizens. Historically, afro-textured hairstyles were used to define status, or identity, in regards to age, ethnicity, wealth, social rank, marital status, religion, fertility, manhood, and even death. Hair was carefully groomed by those who understood the aesthetic standard as the social implications of hair grooming was a significant part of community life. Dense, thick, clean and neatly groomed

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