Scan barcode
A review by nadia
Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.5
This is a book that I wish everyone would read — black and non-black people alike.
I knew I was in for an informative, enlightening experience, but this book was far richer, and the scope a lot broader (trust me, I don't think you'll see it coming!), than I had envisaged.
Dabiri takes us on an incredible tour of black history, always tying it back to the importance of black hair, and interweaves personal experience and humour. (Those asides — so great!)
Personally, there was a lot of hard reflection going on whilst I read this book: I've always known there was an issue around using westernised beauty standards as a marker for how I, or my hair, should look, and that was something to continually fight against, but Dabiri has also made me check myself on how I speak about getting my hair done: I shouldn't complain about its texture, especially after I've done a workout or it's been caught in the rain. I shouldn't begrudge how long it takes to get done. That's how my hair is. That's how black hair is. Our hair is part of who we are. How long it takes to look after it is a deep part of our culture. And it's something we should celebrate every day.
And if you are someone who thinks "it's just hair", doesn't understand why people get upset about non-black people flaunting black hairstyles, or who has an urge to touch (or ask to touch) their black friend's hair, see if you still feel the same way after reading this book.
One minor niggle: I sometimes felt a little lost with regards to the narrative thread of the book. Dabiri does an excellent job of tying it all together, but at times I couldn't always see what lead us from one idea to the next, and that made me pause at times to try and retrace or recollect the steps.
One bigger niggle: I was disappointed that a key part of the plot was spoiled for Toni Morrison's book 'Song of Solomon'. I've been wanting to read that book for the longest time and think that Dabiri's point could have been made without alluding to certain details so explicitly.
Just niggles though. Still excellent.
I knew I was in for an informative, enlightening experience, but this book was far richer, and the scope a lot broader (trust me, I don't think you'll see it coming!), than I had envisaged.
Dabiri takes us on an incredible tour of black history, always tying it back to the importance of black hair, and interweaves personal experience and humour. (Those asides — so great!)
Personally, there was a lot of hard reflection going on whilst I read this book: I've always known there was an issue around using westernised beauty standards as a marker for how I, or my hair, should look, and that was something to continually fight against, but Dabiri has also made me check myself on how I speak about getting my hair done: I shouldn't complain about its texture, especially after I've done a workout or it's been caught in the rain. I shouldn't begrudge how long it takes to get done. That's how my hair is. That's how black hair is. Our hair is part of who we are. How long it takes to look after it is a deep part of our culture. And it's something we should celebrate every day.
And if you are someone who thinks "it's just hair", doesn't understand why people get upset about non-black people flaunting black hairstyles, or who has an urge to touch (or ask to touch) their black friend's hair, see if you still feel the same way after reading this book.
One minor niggle: I sometimes felt a little lost with regards to the narrative thread of the book. Dabiri does an excellent job of tying it all together, but at times I couldn't always see what lead us from one idea to the next, and that made me pause at times to try and retrace or recollect the steps.
One bigger niggle: I was disappointed that a key part of the plot was spoiled for Toni Morrison's book 'Song of Solomon'. I've been wanting to read that book for the longest time and think that Dabiri's point could have been made without alluding to certain details so explicitly.
Just niggles though. Still excellent.