Nappy, Loc’d or Straight, it Still Gets Hate: A Collaborative Autoethnography Examining Black Hair in K-12 Education and Beyond

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that Black hair discrimination has on Black girls in K-12 educational settings. Black hair has long been tied to Black girls and women’s cultural identities. However, Black girls often fall victim to discrimination based on their hair texture and style, which can often impact their relationship with their hair through adulthood. Utilizing collaborative autoethnography, we provide our hair experiences during our K-12 educational experiences and how this has impacted our current relationships with our hair. Additionally, within the findings, we identify three themes common among our experiences: dress codes as political, perceptions and representations of beauty in schools, and active resistance. Finally, we provide recommendations for K-12 institutions to consider when working with Black girls.