“[An] entertaining and concise survey . . . A book that successfully balances popular appeal with historical accuracy.”
―Publishers Weekly
"Two world wars, the Civil Rights movement, and a Jheri curl later, America continues to have a complex relationship with Black hair. From the antebellum practice of shaving the head in an attempt to pass as a "free" person, to the transformational Natural Hair Movement of the the twenty-first century, Hair Story tells the whole story of Black America's crowning glory.
Hair Story is a historical and anecdotal exploration of Black Americans' tangled hair roots. A chronological look at the culture and politics behind the ever-changing state of Black hair from fifteenth-century Africa to the present-day United States and beyond, it ties the personal to the political and the popular."
Lori L. Tharps & Ayana Byrd
Authors
Ayana Byrd is an author, journalist and screenwriter. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Essence, Elle, Fast Company and other publications. She is the co-editor of the anthology, Naked: Black Women Bare All About Their Hair, Skin, Hips, Lips and Other Parts. Ayana has appeared in numerous documentaries and panels to discuss beauty culture and the representation of Black women in popular culture. To learn more about Ayana, please visit AyanaByrd.com.
Lori L. Tharps is a journalist and author whose work meets at the intersection of race and real life. She is the author of several books of nonfiction including, Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain and Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America's Diverse Families. She has also written for The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Post and Essence magazine. To find out more about Lori, please visit LoriLTharps.com
“Hair Story remains one of the most authoritative sources of research on the historical, cultural, political and social significance of Black hair. At a time when how we wear our hair can still determine how we are able to live our lives, Hair Story offers much needed context for understanding the politics of this complex subject .”
-Yaba Blay, author of One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race
Contact us.
To contact the authors, please use the contact forms on their websites.
“Hair Story presents an absorbing rendition of American history told through Black hair. In prose that is both humorous and haunting, the authors manage to bring vividly to life a subject most would consider inconsequential. After reading this comprehensive tale, people will walk away with a whole new appreciation for Black hair and all of its wonder and power.”
-Lloyd Boston, author of Men of Color: Fashion, History, Fundamentals