"In the Kitchen" Analysis Essay

There has been a notable amount of conversation on the internet on the rebirth of the natural hair movement. Cherise Luter (2014) states that despite afros and the natural hair movement not being a new concept (i.e. the Black Power Movement), it has gone under what she calls a “refreshing change”. Furthermore, what used to be “I’m black and I’m proud”, has been replaced with “I’m me and I’m proud” (Luter 2016). So, what is the natural hair movement? It is defined as a movement where black women decide to not conform to the social norms of chemically altering their hair and wearing it in its natural, kinky, or curled state (Joignot 2015). The movement could also be considered as an outlet for black women to display their racial and cultural pride or to articulate their “political position (Brown 2014:297). However, simply the terminology “movement” is something that should be shocking to many. There is a great amount of historical context behind the continuous influence Eurocentric beauty ideals have had on black women for centuries. According to Nadia Brown (2014), Black natural hair throughout history has proven to be recognized as “either unintended or intended personal and political statements” (298). the beauty standard in Western society which praises European hair textures, has influenced many black women to be critical of other black women who choose to chemically straighten their hair, accusing them of being subservient to the dominant and pervasive racist

Chris Rock’s documentary, Good Hair, investigates the notion of what good hair is. Dominant society views good hair as straight or essentially caucasian hair. This is not only problematic to the self-esteem and confidence of black women, but it can also cause black women to appropriate Asian culture. Black women unfortunately take advantage of Asian culture in search of what society believes is good hair. Many black women wear weaves in order to align to what society believes is good hair. However, when they buy this hair, they do not realize what Asians go through. Likewise, Asians who give up their hair do not know where or who this hair will be going to. Thus, this desire for good hair further perpetuates the lack of understanding that black

The researcher interview with African American women with natural hair and examination of social media. The researchers explain that in the natural hair community a curl texture is more attractive than kinky hair texture and lengthier hair more desirable than short hair; also having manageable hair is dynamic to African American women’s effective performances of Black femininity. This research expands the discourse in African American Studies that theorizes the experiences of African American women with natural hair compared to those of African American women with relaxed hair such as perms (Howard, 2015, p.

“Janie ties her hair up in the store un- der her husband’s orders so that other men will not touch her. Hair is a tool for sexual desirability across races and ethnic groups; however, the issue within the African community is that the “type” of hair that is often de- sired. However, hair is a marker of femininity, so to restrict or demean one’s hair is a direct attack on women’s being. This implies that when the hair is covered—as it had to be on the plantation or other places where African women existed, they were deemed less feminine and thus less womanly”

The attitudes and arguments towards and against black hair in “Balm” by Lonnae O’Neal Parker and “My First Conk” by Malcolm X are contingent because they express two distinct views on black hair. Malcolm X pleads that manipulation of our hair by straightening or covering by wig is self- degradation. While Parker believes that the time she spent doing her daughters hair is translated to the love she has for them. This time not only assures the girls that they have a loving mother, it assures Parker that she could send them out into a world that would appreciate them because they had someone who put time (love) into the girls. Parker is aware of the scary truth that our worth by outside world is one dimensional and fuel by aesthetics. Both Lonnae O’Neal Parker and Malcolm X have analyze the importance of hair in the black community. Parker praises the “black hair ritual” while Malcolm criticizes it. Even though their topics differ, both essays share the act of taming natural hair, and the motifs of love and pain

The novel The Garies and their Friends is a realistic examination of the complex psychology of blacks who try to assimilate through miscegenation and crossing the color barrier by “passing as white.” Frank J. Webb critiques why blacks cannot pass as being white through the characters Mr. Winston and Clarence Jr.

In the beginning chapters of the book, we get a glimpse of the typical home and community of an African American during segregation. Many Africans Americans were too adjusted to the way of living, that they felt

The topic of beauty standards and body image is a pressing matter regularly discussed in today’s society. However, the concept of black beauty (those of African descent), both its internal and external components, has yet to be explored thoroughly. I aim to discover the motives of black women who wear protective styles—wigs, weaves, and braids. Do black women in the Syracuse area wear protective styles as a physical protective style to shield their natural hair from the harsh and sporadic environment or do they wear it for psychological reasons to shield their emotions from the harsh critics and scrutiny that black women face in a Eurocentric environment? This study is done with the purpose to bring to light the opinions of black women, whose feelings are frequently ignored and undermined in our society. In

Since the early 1900s, Black women have had a fascination with their hair. More explicitly, they have had a fascination with straightening their hair. The need to be accepted by the majority class has caused them to do so. Though the image of straight hair as being better than coarse hair still hasn’t left the Black community, there has been a surge of non straight hairstyles since the nineteen sixties. Wearing more natural hairstyles, which ironically enough include ‘weaves’ and ‘hair extensions’ has been considered to be more empowered and more enlightened. However, this image comes with a price, and though it appears the ‘natural’ hairstyle movement has advanced Black women, it has actually set

While participating in the panel discussion about the significant issues between acting black or white. The author Jones questions her beliefs on how does one “talk white”?. As the nine-year-old plays different scenes in the article. The author uses this to reflect on her past growing up since she was nine. She also uses context to explain her childhood in the first person. Jones mentioned in the past and gives us a deeper vision of what everyone would ask a black person in a time period of slavery. For example, she uses James Baldwin as a reference to the periodic time of slavery. James Baldwin also defends the sense of black English. She is trying to leave a message for African Americans. Which is how does one “talk white”?.

The author should dive some more into what it had meant for women back then to have a certain kind of hairstyle during the political movement period, between the 1960s to 1970s. One of the main reasons for the political movement was to help bring awareness to the issues whether the black women should straighten their hair or not, and if there were going to be any consequences of doing that. Many were afraid of getting openly killed for changing the way they were wearing their hair, from mostly wearing it in the natural form to the recent popular straightening

by saying “only one thing to do—” but it can be seen that she is

The Natural Hair Movement has made such a huge impact on the lives of black women in society. More women are seen wearing their natural hair and no longer care about other people’s opinions. Black women are making a statement in society today that their hair belongs to them and they can no longer be shamed from wearing it in the ways they do. The racism and oppression that is inflicted upon the black race in today’s day and age is not going to let the women fully embrace themselves and have full acceptance into our society as a whole. Due to society’s standpoint on beauty, if a person’s hair is not straight, that person will face indifference and will often be shamefully pushed to straighten their hair. During times of slavery in America, black women and other women of color went through similar societal influences. Since the Natural Hair Movement have become such a widely known, positive trend, it has motivated many black women appreciate their natural states. Because of the oppression that still exists and the difference in black women, they have become easy targets for criticism. Those opinions have been known to be discriminative, and are racial stereotypes towards black women and their natural hair.

The second book I will discuss is Hair Matters: Beauty, Power, and Black Women’s Consciousness by Ingrid Banks which was created to explain the relationship between black women’s hair and how it relates to their cultural identity. Banks takes on an analytical approach in her ethnographic research on 61 Black women of various ages, and provided a platform for informal discourse on the politics of Black women’s hair in America. The inspiration behind Hair Matters was launched during November 1998, when Ruth Sherman a White teacher at a predominantly Hispanic and Black public school supplied her third-grade students with a children’s book written by Carolivia Herron titled “Nappy Hair”. The book was about a child of color embracing her hair texture, however the incident caused national attention and received a multitude of backlash.

A restaurant that is practicing farm-to-table style presentations is M Street Kitchen which is located at 2000 Main Street in Los Angeles, California. M Street Kitchen is one block away from Venice beach. M Street Kitchen has always stood by having fresh, organic, seasonal, honest, and delicious food at all times. M Street Kitchen was said to be American cooking done right. M Street Kitchen presents simple, accessible modern American cooking using only the freshest ingredients. Some of the items on the breakfast menu include omelettes, French toast, pancakes, and morning sandwiches. Items on the lunch menu include a variety of sandwiches and burgers, tacos, a grilled teriyaki salmon bowl, and a quinoa and forbidden black rice bowl. Dinner