I don't want to sound too negative. This is wholly my own opinion, and I'm sure many people disagree with me. I did enjoy this book, and I definitely learnt a lot from it - in particular, Dabiri explains some complex issues in impressively coherent language - but I just found it a little disjointed and, as such, had to push myself to keep reading. I imagine it's difficult to teach your reader about extensive periods of history in a personal essay format, which is perhaps where I felt a disjunction -- and that is entirely my own fault, for not already knowing this history. I'm definitely glad I read this book, even if it wasn't what I was expecting, and maybe the book's structure will become more apparent to me on a reread.

Hair in this book is so much more than something to brush (or not brush) every day. It's a whole history. I can't recommend this book enough! Dabiri touches on so many topics that my mind is buzzing with the need to do my own deep dives & research more if I can, not least the somewhat hidden role the Irish played in slavery, the Orisha beliefs (I don't think mythology is the right word), the Oyo Empire and mathematical hegemony not understood or willfully ignored - which now that my eyes have been opened seems so obvious 🤦‍♀️ Ultimately, those who are struggling need to relearn and keep on learning about their hair to get to a point where they can accept it. Lee finishes by saying, “The great thing is there are so many resources nowadays, whether that’s YouTube or books, that can help. It is trial and error, but constantly learning and finding new ways to manage your hair type is part of the self-love journey”As a young adult, I slowly began to understand that my hair does not define me. I learnt that I do not need to conform to euro centric standards of beauty and that I do not have to hide my hair if that is not what I want to do. Thanks to Penguin Books UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. Terrible también resulta saber hasta qué grado hemos interiorizado estos estándares al grado de sentirnos mal o menos por no cumplirlos. Para mí esta lectura ha sido reveladora, tanto por haber crecido en México –en donde tenemos una especie de racismo que negamos- como por tener muchos amigos que se sienten menos por no ser lo suficientemente delgados o tener el cutis suficientemente terso o verse jóvenes. Desde hace tiempo tenía la impresión de que una cosa es la vanidad (y todos somos vanidosos en menor medida y no creo que tenga nada de malo) y otra cosa es obsesionarse con cánones estéticos que no corresponden a nuestra realidad. Puede sonar cliché pero sin duda, cada grupo étnico o raza si se quiere llamar, es bella, pero se nos ha enseñado a despreciar lo que no es blanco, delgado, liso, inmaculado. Pero la realidad es que la mitad de la población mundial no cumple con esos estándares y aun así se ha convertido en una aspiración que no puede desembocar más que en frustración. Una lectura muy recomendable para entender no sólo cuestiones fundamentales del racismo en contra de las personas de color, sino también para reflexionar y cuestionar los cánones de belleza que se nos han impuesto desde Occidente y que con frecuencia, nos han llevado a poner en duda nuestra propia valía.

August 2020 By Suzi Button in HIGHLIGHTED, NEWS The Lorna Byrne Children’s Foundation is 5 years old! However, one author is changing this with her debut book ‘My Hair’ which aims to bring about more representation of BAME within children’s literature, while also shining a light on the underlying racial issues that perforate our society. We talk with Hannah Lee about her book, her own journey through childhood, and on what needs to be done to bring about change. emma dabiri accomplishes something so beautiful in this book; reading people to filth with elegance while also educating us on the historical and societal significance of afrocentric hair. there were some facts and topics that i didn’t know/wasn’t educated properly on, and i really appreciate the fact that i could learn something new while also heal my inner child. reading about someone who also grew up in ireland was so refreshing istg girls it was like reading a biography. i truly believe this book should and will be on reading lists for curriculums in the near future, and if it isn’t i’m afraid i’ll have to intervene🙄 Lorna Byrne Spiritual teacher, international bestselling author and philanthropist Lorna Byrne has dedicated her life to remind humanity of the spiritual potential within us all. She is the author of seven best-selling books, including Angels in My Hair, A Message of Hope From the Angels, and Angels at my Fingertips and she has been published in more than 50 countries and 30 languages around the world. Dabiri takes us from precolonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, and into today’s Natural Hair Movement” exploring all aspects.

Hair, Literature, and Changing the Game

This story really evokes memories for me, of going to the hairdressers as a child. I love that the story busts some of those hair gender stereotypes. Showing the sister getting her high top fade and the short crop her Auntie goes for. Om te beginnen is de cover geweldig en kan je daar hele leuke foto's mee maken🤣 Het heeft hele sprekende warme kleuren en springt dus echt in het oog. Overall, this story is telling young readers to accept their natural hair, no matter the style and I love it.

What is also terrible –and this book made me realize more clearly – is the degree to which we have assumed this standards that we even feel uncomfortable in our skin for not complying with it. Having grown up in Mexico, I am familiar with racism, an attitude that unfortunately exists in our country, but also with the fact of having friends that feel less because they are not thin enough, or have the perfect skin or look young. One thing is to be concerned about one’s looks, and this is something completely normal, but another very different thing is to be obsessed with beauty standards that are not our own. It might sound cliché but we need to understand that every nationality and ethnic group is beautiful and we have been taught to think that if it is not white, or thin, or flawless, then there is something wrong. But why do we think that when half the world population does not meet these standards? And why do we feel frustrated about it? Basically because we have been taught there is something we should aspire to and this thought has become too ingrained in our minds. I have to admit that this book wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be. Dabiri starts off by talking about her own life, but, although she often writes in first person, her own experiences are not the driving force of the book. I tend to find that the best non-fiction is personal, because that's what makes it unique. While everything Dabiri wrote about was interesting, and I learnt lots of information, I kept wondering why she was the one telling the story. If it's not an objective study, especially when it involves so much history, it feels more like it should be the subject of an academic book. I know that Dabiri is an academic, so I don't doubt that she is qualified to write such a book, but Don't Touch My Hair is marketed at a popular audience, and Dabiri advertises her personal credentials over her academic ones. She has been featured extensively in worldwide television, radio and print media including CNN, NBC Today, BBC, The London Times, The Economist, ITV, and many others.What a powerful statement this is. I remember being told things very similar to this being raised in the Deep South of Mississippi. De illustaties gemaakt door Allen Fatimaharan zijn heel mooi gedaan. De schutbladen en illustraties binnenin het boek zijn heel mooi gedaan en hebben fijne warme zachte kleuren die je echt een gezellig en warm gevoel geven.

But one of the benefits of reading to learn more about being antiracist is that it also encourages me to think about how white supremacy, while not oppressing me, also forces me into certain patterns of behaviour. Reading this book inspired me to reflect on how my relationship with my own hair has changed over the past few years, mostly as a result of my transition. Since that isn’t relevant to my thoughts on this book, I turned that reflection into a companion blog post that you can read if you are interested in my thoughts. Dabiri takes us on a hair journey from pre-colonial Africa through to the Harlem Renaissance and up to the Natural Hair movement, which still discriminates against certain hair textures. She delves into politics, history, philosophy, even mathematics. The last chapter on maths and hair braiding seriously boggled my mind. I had no idea that essential mathematical calculations (even used digital systems) originated in ancient Africa - but it's not often talked about in the west because it doesn't fit in with the 'primitive' narrative of the continent.This book is a must read to understand not only fundamental aspects of racism against people of color, but also as a first step to think about and question the Western beauty standards that have been imposed in the rest of the world. I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by the author herself and can highly recommend it. Really enjoy her turn of phrase and cheeky asides, please don't skip this eye opening educational and approachable read. Dit boek had ik zo graag gehad toen mijn dochters klein waren! En ik hoor zelfs van volwassen vrouwen, dat ze dit boek graag zelf als kind hadden willen lezen.