Gaskins, B. (1997). Good and Bad Hair. Newark, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Good and Bad Hair is a photographic exploration of contemporary African American hairstyles. The images illustrate that hairstyles are a large part of African American culture, sometimes leading to acceptance or rejection. The photographs show not only popular hairstyles, but also African Americans who express their sense of self and identity through their hair.

La Mar, K. L. (2018). The Impact of Media Influence About Hair Texture on Internalized Racial Oppression, Ethnic Identity, and Self-Efficacy. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Andrews University: Berrien Springs, MI.

In recent years, Black women have been encouraged to big chop and go natural, as to wear their natural hair curl pattern without chemicals and extensions. This is evidenced in the countless videos, memes, blogs, and vlogs via social media outlets, which may present challenges for Black women who wish to rid themselves of the mental enslavement Eurocentric beauty ideals have placed on their former crowns of glory, their hair, when entering professional arenas as well as social encounters. Incorporating Black hair politics allows for further exploration of the role aesthetics plays in the experiences of Black women socially and professionally. Skin tone bias has historical underpinnings but is still relevant in today’s society and is pervasive in the modern workplace, affecting Black Americans’ job mobility and professional experiences (Harrison, 2010), while simultaneously influencing the social lives of Black women. The purpose of the proposed study is to understand how colorism and hair texture bias influence the professional and social lives of Black women Student Affairs professionals. (abbreviated) Read here.

Ashe, B. (2001). “Hair Drama on the Cover of Vibe Magazine.” Race Gender and Class, 8(4), 64-77.

This study consists of a cultural reading of the cover photograph of the June-July 1999 issue of Vibe magazine. It explores the relationship between Mase, an African-American male rap star, and the three anonymous African-American female models that surround him. The study interprets the cover through the long, straightened hair of the models, locating the models' hair in a historically-informed context of black hair theory and practice. The study argues that the models' presence on the cover, particularly their "bone straight and long" hair, "enhances" Mase in much the same way breast-augmented "trophy women" "enhance" their mates. Ultimately, the study encourages and validates a wide variety of black hair styles—including straightening—even as it urges the acceptance of black hair as a site where the demonstration of the struggle for black consciousness (however one exhibits that consciousness on his or her head) can be observed.

Ellington, T. N. (2015). Social networking sites: a support system for African-American women wearing natural hair. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 8(1), 21-29.

Hair texture has been a factor in the unspoken cultural divide amongst African-American (AA) women. US society's White beauty ideology enhanced the desire for chemically straight hair; however, some AAs reject this standard. Natural hair is not fully accepted among AA sub-cultures or in mainstream society [Byrd, A. D., & Tharps, L. L. (2001). Hair story: Untangling the roots of Black hair in America. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press]. Consequently, AA women lack knowledge of their natural hair texture. Social networking sites (SNS) present support for the movement towards acceptance and appreciation of natural hair because they communicate information concerning natural hair care and styling. This research revealed the level of support SNS provided for women with natural hair. A purposeful sample of 17 natural hair women participated in focus groups and shared their experiences with SNS. A few participants revealed that they were ‘addicted’ to using YouTube for hair advice. Participants talked about having no family or friends who wore natural hair, therefore support had to be offered and obtained elsewhere. Findings inform the AA culture and mainstream society on the importance of acceptance of natural hair.

Gilchrist, E. S. & Thompson, C. (2012). Media effects and Black hair politics. The University of Alabama in Huntsville Department of Communication Arts, pp. 1-28.

Gilchrist, E. S. & Thompson, C. (2012). African-American Women's Perceptions of Constitutive Meanings of Good Hair Articulated in Black Hair Magazine Advertisements. Journalism and Mass Communication, 2(1), 279-293.

Hair has historically reflected material consequences in the Black community; thus, research has begun to investigate how the power/privilege matrix that is propagated throughout the media permeates society and impacts African-American women's perceptions of hair. This research joins the discussion by exploring how Black hair magazine advertisements influence Black women's hair decisions and their perceptions of what constitutes beautiful Black hair. Findings reveal that the images African-American women consume from Black hair magazine advertisements do impact what they consider to be beautiful and, subsequently, influence their day-to-day styling and hair care mechanisms, lending further support to the idea that the media serve as powerful sources of knowledge. This study culminates by theorizing about the constitutive meanings and importance of Black hair as conveyed through magazine advertisements and considers how Black women use social comparisons to make everyday hair decisions to achieve what they identify as good hair.

Gill, T. (2015). “#Teamnatural: Black Hair and the Politics of Community in Digital Media.” Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art, 37, 70-79.

Perhaps no aspect of black women’s corporality is more contested and debated than their hair. Social-media personalities of the self-described natural-hair community mediate complex and often contentious conversations about black women’s bodies and lives in the twenty-first century. Based on my previous research on black women and the politics of beauty culture in the twentieth century, I examine the ways that online natural-hair communities provide a rich archive for those who wish to take seriously the concerns of black women. Specifically, this essay discusses the ways in which community is defined, cultivated, and contested in the world of digital beauty, from my perspective as both a historian of black beauty culture and a participant in these online communities.

Jeffries, R. & Jeffries, D. (2014). “Reclaiming Our Roots: The Influences of Media Curriculum on the Natural Hair Movement.” Multicultural Perspectives, 16(3), 160-165.

This article, theoretically constructed on Gramsci's notion of cultural hegemony, explores the use of Black female hair as a cultural signifier in two media texts, specifically Adrienne Kennedy's play, Funnyhouse of a Negro, and Chris Rock's documentary, Good Hair, in specific media texts. Analysis of the verbal and visual rhetoric regarding a Black female aesthetic revealed associated themes of generational family influences and identity formation.

Madlela, K. (2018). “Visual Representations of Black Hair in Relaxer Advertisements: The Extent to which it Shapes Black Women’s Hair Preferences and Attitudes towards Hair Alteration.” de arte, 53(1), 49-74.

This article focuses on how the black body, particularly black women’s hair, is represented in advertisements for hair relaxers published in True Love, a South African magazine directed at black women. Using qualitative visual semiotic analysis, this article focuses on the process of dehumanisation through visual representation by paying attention to hair, a highly politicised subject in South Africa. In addition, using pre-group questionnaires and focus-group interviews, the article examines to what extent the images possibly shape hair styling practices of black female readers, aged between 18 and 45, who live in urban areas in South Africa.

Neil, L. & Mbilishaka, A. (2019). “Hey Curlfriends!: Hair Care and Self-Care Messaging on YouTube by Black Women Natural Hair Vloggers.” Journal of Black Studies, 50(2), 156-177.

Black women with tightly coiled hair are faced with the unique health challenge of abstaining from exercise or other self-care behaviors to maintain hairstyles that are often expensive, time consuming, and conform with Eurocentric standards of beauty. However, recent YouTube natural hair vlogs have emerged to provide a counter-narrative on "do it yourself" hair care practices for highly textured hair. Through a thematic content analysis of the top 20 viewed natural hair YouTube vlogs, findings suggest that Black women vloggers demonstrate product selection through detangling, shampooing, moisturizing, and styling their tightly coiled hair on camera, using their own lived experiences, as both peer and expert to viewers. These vloggers took the role of digital storytellers to describe their personal experiences with self-care in the forms of exercise, eating healthy food, drinking water, medication use, and stress management while maintaining healthy and stylish natural hair. Black female natural hair vloggers disrupt the myths about tightly coiled natural hair and are credible conduits for the distribution of health information aimed at reaching large masses of Black women through sisterhood supported wellness.