“They’re always gonna notice my natural hair”: Identity, intersectionality and resistance among Black girls.

Abstract

A wave of recent media and news coverage tells the stories of Black students who have been teased by peers, disciplined, and even excluded from school because of their hairstyles. These trends underscore the enduring anti-Black racism in schools and sociopolitical significance of Black hair in America. From a developmental perspective, such trends raise questions about the role of Black hair in the development of racial identity, especially among Black adolescent girls. The current paper follows a critical qualitative analysis to examine whether, when, and how Black adolescent girls (N = 60, M age = 16.17 years) reference hair when discussing their racial and gender identities. Results show that 93% of Black girls spontaneously mention hair in their interviews. Girls' references to hair highlighted the realities of oppression (i.e., discrimination) they encounter at the intersection of race and gender as well as the way girls used hair to illustrate their resistance to white feminine beauty standards and anti-Black racism. We discuss the contributions of critical qualitative analysis for identity theory and Black girls' development.

#BlackGirlMagic: Using multiple data sources to learn about Black adolescent girls’ identities, intersectionality, and media socialization

“…Data were drawn from a longitudinal, mixed-method study of Black girls' social and academic lives (Rogers, Versey et al, 2021). Data were gathered at two sites located in urban Midwest cities:…”

“…From an intersectionality perspective, Black girls and boys also negotiate gendered realities and thus discriminatory events that uniquely shape their development (Rogers & Way, 2018;Seaton & Tyson, 2019;Spencer, 2017). For example, hair-based discrimination impacts Black girls more frequently (and differently) than Black boys (Macon, 2015) with implications for identity (Rogers, Versey & Cielto, 2021;Thompson, 2009). From this view, it is important to consider the ERS messages that may nurture healthy development and identity among Black girls, specifically.…”

“…From this view, it is important to consider the ERS messages that may nurture healthy development and identity among Black girls, specifically. For example, ERS between Black mothers and daughters has been documented during haircare rituals where the specific content of ERS messages is both raced and gendered to address the intersectional biases of white feminine beauty standards that Black girls (and women) must negotiate in relation to their own identity development (Lester, 2000;Rogers, Versey et al, 2021;Robinson & Ward, 1991). Intersectional ERS messages for Black boys, on the other hand, may focus more on police encounters and safety precautions as toxic stereotypes of Black masculinity position Black boys as "men" to be feared and thus violently controlled (Stevenson, 2004).…”

Body positivity for Asian Americans: Development and evaluation of the pride in Asian American Appearance Scale.

“…A few studies have documented how people of color marginalized by White beauty standards develop positive body image through naming White and Eurocentric beauty standards as problematic and explicitly choosing to value their racialized physical features (Jefferson & Stake, 2009; Poran, 2002). Research highlights how Black women, in particular, often intentionally resist dominant cultural aesthetics prescribed by White supremacy, such as through wearing their hair in natural styles that maximize their comfort instead of conforming to hairstyles or general aesthetics that others may impose onto them (Neil & Mbilishaka, 2019; Onnie Rogers et al, 2021).…”

Introduction to the special section: Questioning established qualitative methods and assumptions.

“…In this process, constructivist and critical participatory methods have become increasingly prominent (e.g., Grzanka & Moradi, 2021; Levitt, Ipekci, et al, 2021; Levitt, Morrill, et al, 2021; Torres & Fine, 2021). Bodies of critical qualitative research have shed new light on topics tied to culture, identity, and intersectional stressors (e.g., Onnie Rogers et al, 2021; Sun et al, 2020). New guidelines for designing, publishing, and reviewing qualitative methods have been put forward for specific qualitative methods as well as for methods more generally (e.g., American Psychological Association, 2020; Braun & Clarke, 2021; Fine et al, 2021; Gilligan & Eddy, 2021; Levitt et al, 2017, 2018).…”