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A review by calamity_114
Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri
5.0
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley.
What a beautiful, beautiful book. The phrase 'Don't Touch My Hair', is by now incredibly familiar and comes up in most discussions about racism.
Emma Dabiri takes this one step further by drawing attention to the cultural and historical context of black hair. Mostly framed against both pre- and post-colonial African history, Dabiri also includes more familiar (read: Eurocentric) ways in which attitudes to black hair affect day to day lives.
Black hair is the topic of this book but this is not at all limiting. Dabiri deftly draws together the experiences of slaves in America, the mathematical processes of weaves and the computational abilities abound in pre-colonial Africa. All underlined by black hair.
I was delighted to read a book on this subject by a black Irish author. Dabiri offers some insight into growing up as a mixed-race child in Ireland, a narrative that I was unfamiliar with. I was not without white guilt while reading this book, but that's to be expected.
I really loved this book. To me, it was the reminiscent of the Devil Wears Prada scene in which Meryl Streep explains the context of Anne Hathaway's blue jumper. My basic understanding of not touching black hair has been blown wide open. Dabiri uses extensive secondary sources, giving it the sheen of an academic paper and providing tons of further reading for those wishing to know more. I for one can't wait to read more.
What a beautiful, beautiful book. The phrase 'Don't Touch My Hair', is by now incredibly familiar and comes up in most discussions about racism.
Emma Dabiri takes this one step further by drawing attention to the cultural and historical context of black hair. Mostly framed against both pre- and post-colonial African history, Dabiri also includes more familiar (read: Eurocentric) ways in which attitudes to black hair affect day to day lives.
Black hair is the topic of this book but this is not at all limiting. Dabiri deftly draws together the experiences of slaves in America, the mathematical processes of weaves and the computational abilities abound in pre-colonial Africa. All underlined by black hair.
I was delighted to read a book on this subject by a black Irish author. Dabiri offers some insight into growing up as a mixed-race child in Ireland, a narrative that I was unfamiliar with. I was not without white guilt while reading this book, but that's to be expected.
I really loved this book. To me, it was the reminiscent of the Devil Wears Prada scene in which Meryl Streep explains the context of Anne Hathaway's blue jumper. My basic understanding of not touching black hair has been blown wide open. Dabiri uses extensive secondary sources, giving it the sheen of an academic paper and providing tons of further reading for those wishing to know more. I for one can't wait to read more.