Black Books Review: Hair Power, Skin Revolution
Is Black beautiful? When faced with messages coming from the media and beauty industry that tell us that being black is not really beautiful unless it is packaged in the lightest shade of brown and accompanied by hair that lifts with the slightest puff of wind, it’s no surprise then that black and mixed-raced women have problems adjusting their self-images to world they live in.
New anthology Hair Power – Skin Revolution, edited by freelance writer and published poet Nicole Moore, is a collection of personal essays and poems, from black British and mixed-race women, that explores how they view themselves through the prism of hair and skin.
The most engaging contributions come from a generation who grew up trying to fit in and hated being seen as different. Their stories and poems are about personal journeys moving from self-loathing to self-acceptance, the search for individual and collective identity, the celebration of historical culture and achieving a sense of freedom from the constraints of having to conform to a society where euro-centric ideals are promoted.
Catch a Vibe spoke to Nicole Moore about the anthology.
CAV: Why did you choose the themes of hair and skin?
Nicole Moore: As a writer, my interests are personal and political and with Hair Power Skin Revolution, my own personal journey with my hair was the context I drew upon in the first instance, particularly from September 2006, when I decided to grow my hair into locs, thereby freeing me both literally and figuratively from the dictates of western European fashion. I had a strong desire to express my hair through Africentric cultural/ancestral connections. I felt empowered by this decision as my hair was returning full circle to an authentic and liberating hair style making strong connections with the seventies when I wore an afro hairstyle, which then became one of the emblems of Black Power, as popularised by the iconic Angela Davis. It became a reflection of political and cultural progressiveness, as well as self-esteem, among black people. Fast forward to the 21st century, the hairstyle that says “I’m black and proud”, has almost disappeared, replaced by fake hair weaves and hair extensions and more damaging still, hair ‘relaxed’ into submission through chemical products.
The theme of skin evolved naturally while researching the book’s concept. At that time there were several documentaries on television covering the use of skin lightening products and discussing Black women’s beauty and how it is widely argued that the majority of African and African-Caribbean women today aspire to and adopt the standards of Caucasian beauty. The beauty and fashion industries still maintain a closed shop when it comes to the selection and promotion of models. In women’s magazines, on catwalks, even shop dummies, dark skin is rarely seen. In this context, light skin and straight hair affirm superior human status. In Black women’s magazines, adverts promoting skin lightening creams are silently reinforcing this skin hierarchy revolution and this motivated me to tackle this complex subject even further.
CAV: What do you think are the political, cultural and social implications of British black and mixed-race women revealing their experiences with hair and skin in an anthology such as this?
Nicole Moore: Next to skin colour, hair is truly the other most visible stereotype of being a black/mixed-race woman. Physically, socially, economically and stylistically, Black women’s hair is indeed, not just hair. It is a big deal. Having said that, the medium of creative writing is a powerful and inspirational way of addressing what are big issues. The implications are positive in that the writing empowers not just the contributors, but the readers, who can gain revealing insights into other women’s experiences that they can identify with.
Judging by the anthology’s contributors, many Black and Mixed-Race women are embracing their natural hair with pride, and challenging those Eurocentric fashion trends that seek to influence their lives. They are discovering that black hair is beautiful left to its own devices. It is optimistic and evident that a wider definition of beauty is possible – one that is multi-dimensional and defined by black women themselves.
CAV: Your book comes at a time when there seems to be more interest in black women and how they manage their hair, for example Chris Rock’s documentary Good Hair lifts the lid on how African-American women manage their hair. Why do think this is?
Nicole Moore: Yes, there does appear to be more interest in Black women and how they manage their hair, although why now, is anyone’s guess. I guess it’s the right time for Black celebrities, like Chris Rock, to offer a humorous insight into the way hairstyles impact the lifestyles and love lives of the black community; Chris Rock’s approach has comedy written all over it and he is taking a smart route to tackling what is a personal issue and promoting the subject in a fun way, which is still a powerful way of addressing the wider public.
I was pleasantly entertained when I watched Chris Rock on the Graham Norton show on BBC1 on 8th June, discussing his documentary Good Hair, to a somewhat surprised Graham Norton, who after sight of a clip of the film, was amazed that African-American women spend thousands of dollars on ‘their’ hair. There were quite a few Black women in the audience who backed Chris Rock’s statement so as to convince Graham Norton that this in fact was the reality of those Black women and many in the UK.
CAV: What do you hope this anthology will mean for 21st century black and mixed-race women?
Nicole Moore: Literature written by and for Black and Mixed-Race women is rare in the UK. This new anthology is important to me because it will continue to promote Black and Mixed-Race women’s writing adding a new dimension to UK Black literature. I hope Hair Power Skin Revolution empowers writers and readers from African & Caribbean backgrounds in contemporary Britain. Whether we like it or not, our work is marginalised. The mainstream publishing culture is inclined towards the status quo – resistant to change. The problem is that poetry publishing in particular has too few Black role models so I hope Hair Power Skin Revolution goes some way to addressing that imbalance.
CAV: What is your next writing project?
Nicole Moore: I will continue to produce and distribute my quarterly on-line newsletter Shangwe News, host spoken word events and post entries on my blog I am also interested in mentoring writers and would consider setting up a Mentoring Programme. In April I started my own collection of creative writing – poems and personal essays, with a working title of Seasons.
To order a copy of Hair Power, Skin revolution, order via email: nicole@shangwe.com
Price £9.99 plus £1.80 postage and packing.
Applause to Nicole Moore, such books remind black women that black is beautiful. Continue to inspire all people with your gift of writing .