Emma Dabiri

'Groundbreaking' Guardian Straightened. Stigmatised. 'Tamed'. Celebrated. Erased. Managed. Appropriated. Forever misunderstood. Black hair is never 'just hair'. This book is about why black hair matters. Emma Dabiri takes us from pre-colonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, Black Power and on to today's Natural Hair Movement, the Cultural Appropriation Wars and beyond. We look at everything from hair capitalists like Madam C.J. Walker in the early 1900s to the rise of Shea Moisture today, from women's solidarity and friendship to 'black people time', forgotten African scholars and the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian's braids. The scope of black hairstyling ranges from pop culture to cosmology, from prehistoric times to the (afro)futuristic. Uncovering sophisticated indigenous mathematical systems in black hairstyles, alongside styles that served as secret intelligence networks leading enslaved Africans to freedom, Don't Touch My Hair proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation.

Don't Touch My Hair

In the spirit of We Should All Be Feminists and How to Be an Antiracist, a poignant and sensible guide to questioning the meaning of whiteness and creating an antiracist world from the acclaimed historian and author of Twisted. Vital and empowering What White People Can Do Next teaches each of us how to be agents of change in the fight against racism and the establishment of a more just and equitable world. In this affecting and inspiring collection of essays, Emma Dabiri draws on both academic discipline and lived experience to probe the ways many of us are complacent and complicit--and can therefore combat--white supremacy. She outlines the actions we must take, including: Stop the Denial Interrogate Whiteness Abandon Guilt Redistribute Resources Realize this shit is killing you too . . . To move forward, we must begin to evaluate our prejudices, our social systems, and the ways in which white supremacy harms us all. Illuminating and practical, What White People Can Do Next is essential for everyone who wants to go beyond their current understanding and affect real--and lasting--change.

From Allyship to Coalition

What White People Can Do Next

From Guardian contributor and prominent BBC race correspondent Emma Dabiri comes a timely and resonant essay collection exploring the ways in which black hair has been appropriated and stigmatized throughout history, with ruminations on body politics, race, pop culture, and Dabiri's own journey to loving her hair. Emma Dabiri can tell you the first time she chemically straightened her hair. She can describe the smell, the atmosphere of the salon, and her mix of emotions when she saw her normally kinky tresses fall down her shoulders. For as long as Emma can remember, her hair has been a source of insecurity, shame, and--from strangers and family alike--discrimination. And she is not alone. Despite increasingly liberal world views, black hair continues to be erased, appropriated, and stigmatized to the point of taboo. Through her personal and historical journey, Dabiri gleans insights into the way racism is coded in society's perception of black hair--and how it is often used as an avenue for discrimination. Dabiri takes us from pre-colonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, and into today's Natural Hair Movement, exploring everything from women's solidarity and friendship, to the criminalization of dreadlocks, to the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian's braids. Through the lens of hair texture, Dabiri leads us on a historical and cultural investigation of the global history of racism--and her own personal journey of self-love and finally, acceptance. Deeply researched and powerfully resonant, Twisted proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation.

The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture

Twisted

An unmissable essay from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Don't Touch My Hair and What White People Can Do Next 'A radical, incisive and thoughtful assessment of beauty - how we conceive of it under capitalism and how we ought to reframe our thinking about it and, by extension - ourselves. I can't recommend ordering a copy enough' Vicky Spratt, The i 'A must-read' Psychologies For too long, beauty has been entangled in the forces of patriarchy and capitalism: objectification, shame, control, competition and consumerism. We need to find a way to do beauty differently. This radical, deeply personal and empowering essay points to ways we can all embrace our unruly beauty and enjoy our magnificent, disobedient bodies. It accompanies The Cult of Beauty, a major exhibition at Wellcome Collection, opening in October 2023. 'Powerful' The i, Best New Books to Read in October 2023 '[Disobedient Bodies] calls for a radical reimagination and holistic reclamation of beauty' Dazed

Reclaim Your Unruly Beauty

Disobedient Bodies

Emma Dabiri can tell you the first time she chemically straightened her hair. She can describe the smell, the atmosphere of the salon, and her mix of emotions when she saw her normally kinky tresses fall down her shoulders. For as long as Emma can remember, her hair has been a source of insecurity, shame, and—from strangers and family alike—discrimination. And she is not alone.

Despite increasingly liberal world views, black hair continues to be erased, appropriated, and stigmatized to the point of taboo. Through her personal and historical journey, Dabiri gleans insights into the way racism is coded in society’s perception of black hair—and how it is often used as an avenue for discrimination. Dabiri takes us from pre-colonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, and into today's Natural Hair Movement, exploring everything from women's solidarity and friendship, to the criminalization of dreadlocks, to the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian's braids.

Through the lens of hair texture, Dabiri leads us on a historical and cultural investigation of the global history of racism—and her own personal journey of self-love and finally, acceptance.

Deeply researched and powerfully resonant, Twisted proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation.

»So klug, so lesenswert, so hilfreich.« Nick Hornby In ihrem so radikalen wie praktischen Essay fordert Emma Dabiri die nächsten notwenigen Schritte, die wir alle gemeinsam gehen müssen, um dauerhafte Veränderungen für eine gerechte Gesellschaft zu schaffen: Wir müssen anders über rassistische Ungerechtigkeit sprechen. Wir müssen die rassistischen Kategorien »Wei߫ und »Schwarz« als ausbeuterisches Konstrukt des Kapitalismus erkennen und bezwingen. Wir müssen uns gänzlich von repressiven rassistischen und klassistischen Denksystemen lösen. Wir müssen für gemeinsame Ziele, für alle Menschen einstehen. Das Buch der Stunde, um uns, abseits von Cancel Culture und folgenlos bleibenden Social-Media-Diskursen, für grundlegende gesellschaftliche Veränderungen bereit zu machen. »Das Wichtigste: Dieses Buch ist für alle.« Irish Times »Wenn wir jemals eine ruhige Hand am Ruder dieser Unterhaltung gebraucht haben, dann ist es jetzt. Emma Dabiri ... ist die richtige Person dafür ... prägnant, trittsicher und absolut.« Irish Independent »Eine bahnbrechende Abrechnung mit dem Social-Media-Diskurs und eine historisch fundierte Analyse von Antirassismus, Kollektivismus, Neoliberalismus und Postkolonialismus.« Vogue (UK)

Emma Dabiri

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