Noliwe M. Rooks Hair raising beauty culture & African American women gave a detailed look into hair and beauty in the African American community. Like Rooks many have discuss this issue which takes a historical approach that leads into today’s society. Hairs have become an important expression of identity for African American women (118). According to Rooks, skin color was related to one’s intelligence during the nineteenth century. This also included hair texture and facial features. These characteristics were consequent to hierarchy in society (39). During the nineteenth and twentieth century white dominating companies have advertised skin and hair beauty products. These products implied that if used by blacks, they can strive for class mobility and social acceptance by the dominating culture. This all was through changing their physical features (26). Beauties throughout centuries have closely connected to class. Class dictates whether an individual have the means to fulfill the expectation of what’s ideal in society. In the nineteenth century middle class preferred hair that was in its natural state as the ideal style. However, in the mid-1920s middle…show more content… Rooks states how “beauty manufactures in the 19th century targeted skin color and hair texture, the two characteristics African Americans had to change if they expected to fit into African society”(31). The features of African Americans were brought upon by negative views of how they were perceived in society. Rooks mention that this caused African Americans to change or disavow their African ancestry (35). White owned companies marketed beauty products that aim directly to African Americans that first began with hair (39). The rise of the twentieth century had led to a struggle for identity, their relationship with men, and the middle classes for African American women and hair
