Get to know the author of Hair Apparent, Tina Shingler, as she takes us on a voyage of her roots.
What made you want to write Hair Apparent?
The book began as a diversity talk I devised to get people, both Black and white, exploring the idea that Black hair was more than a canvas for style and fashion and that it has the power to express historical and cultural change as well as personal transformation. Feedback from this talk encouraged me to deepen the exploration with a book embracing the wider legacy of natural Afro hair and exploring its social, political and personal impact in different cultural landscapes across my lifetime.
When did you realise your hair was a strength and not a weakness?
When I first went to university and began to meet other young Black women, who showed me how to care for my hair properly, I realised it was a strength. At the same time, I discovered it was so powerful and versatile that it could be transformed not only into fantastic styles but into a new sense of cultural pride.
How has writing Hair Apparent deepened your understanding of the historical and cultural importance of Afro hair within the Black community?
History hasn’t always allowed us to take a rightful pride and joy in our natural hair; over the years, it has been much maligned and devalued, and the negative impact this has had on Black people’s self-esteem and sense of identity has taken a heavy toll. It’s so much more than hair; it’s the visible evidence of our cultural heritage and a metaphor for resilience and renewal within the Black cultural landscape. As such, it’s also an artistic inspiration that reaches way beyond style and fashion. Writing this book has broadened my understanding of the significant part that women’s solidarity has played in enriching the life of the Black community.
Since the 1960s, how has society’s view of Black hair changed?
I’m no social historian, but you have only to look around today to see that natural hair is being worn by both men and women in ways that express individual style and a pride in cultural identity. This reflects a change and a new confidence in the way Black people see themselves. Hair is now dyed, weaved, lovingly sculpted and shaped like a personal landscape or architecture. Natural hair now speaks its own language and, in a myriad of styles, it’s a forceful statement of cultural pride everywhere, from fashion catwalks to the football field and the high street.
How do you see Hair Apparent contributing to the conversation about Black identity and the importance of cultural heritage?
I don’t see myself as a spokesperson and Hair Apparent was never intended as an academic exploration, but the younger generation’s freedom to celebrate their natural hair came at a price for many Black women who came before them. Hair Apparent celebrates this new climate of freedom for natural hair while recognising the struggle it’s taken to achieve it. The book can also be seen as revelatory for many white readers, who may not have considered the historical, economic and cultural significance of Afro hair.
Hair Apparent by Tina Shingler is out 1 October.
Catch up with some of our other authors here: