The hidden cost of black hair | The Economist

Hair is an important part of black women’s identity, but throughout history it has also been a source of oppression. What is the true cost of having black hair?

00:00 - What does your hair mean to you?
01:17 - Current attitudes towards textured hair
02:37 - How has black hair been viewed historically?
05:12 - Adhering to white expectations
06:14 - Why is black hair so expensive?
07:30 - The economics of the black hair care industry
09:16 - The health detriments of products and treatments
11:12 - What is the natural hair movement?

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Read Tamara Gilkes Borr’s 1843 piece on the secret economics of hair: https://econ.st/3B368gm

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Read more about race in America: https://www.economist.com/race-in-america

Read about Nigeria’s hair trade: https://econ.st/3phPasw

Hair in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels: https://econ.st/3ATCsCs

The dark side of human hair trafficking: https://econ.st/3C0jk7b

The history of First Ladies’ hairstyles, untangled: https://econ.st/3vsuA9Q