100 Objects #18: Hair Relaxer

Key takeaways

A significant majority of Black women in the U.S. have used chemical relaxers, which played a role in both economic empowerment and cultural standards of beauty.
The history of Black hair is rooted in African cultural traditions and transformed dramatically through slavery and systemic oppression, influencing perceptions of beauty and identity.
Innovators like Madame CJ Walker and George Johnson made strides in Black entrepreneurship and industry, but their success was intertwined with challenges including racial discrimination and health risks.
The political activism of the Black Power movement used natural hair as a symbol of pride and resistance against assimilation pressures.
Scientific evidence increasingly links relaxers to health risks such as uterine and ovarian cancers, prompting calls for regulatory warnings and greater awareness.
Despite progress, systemic biases and white supremacy continue to influence perceptions, policies, and the health-related consequences of hair practices in the Black community.

Summary

Historical Roots of Black Hair Styling and Assimilation

This section explores the deep historical connection between Black hair practices and cultural identity, tracing back to Africa where hair styling was a significant form of cultural expression and social identity. It discusses how the trauma of slavery led to a shift where straightening hair became a way for Black people to seek acceptance and demonstrate equality in a racially oppressive society. Inventive methods developed under slavery, such as using butter instead of palm oil and makeshift flat irons, highlight the resilience and ingenuity of Black communities. The rise of entrepreneurs like Madame CJ Walker underscores the economic empowerment derived from Black hair care innovations, which also served as pathways for wealth and community funding.

The Chemical Relaxer and Its Cultural Impact

This part details the introduction and popularization of chemical relaxers, also known as the 'creamy crack,' and their role in transforming Black hair to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards. It examines the rise of industry pioneers like Garrett Morgan and George Johnson, whose innovations made hair straightening safer, more affordable, and accessible, fueling Black entrepreneurship and economic independence. However, the segment also critically addresses the health risks associated with relaxers containing harmful chemicals like sodium hydroxide (lye), including links to reproductive cancers such as uterine fibroids, ovarian, and uterine cancers. It emphasizes how these products built Black wealth but at significant physical and psychological costs.

Political and Cultural Resistance through Natural Hair

This section discusses the Black Power movement’s rejection of chemically straightened hair as a political act of resistance, pride, and identity affirmation. The Afro and natural styles became symbols of defiance, rejecting assimilation and proclaiming Black beauty as it is. Despite commercialization and cultural shifts, policies and societal biases persisted, with institutions like the military and airlines historically restricting natural hairstyles, reinforcing systemic discrimination. The revival of natural hair and the decline in relaxer sales, coupled with scientific evidence highlighting health risks, mark a cultural shift rooted in resistance and reclamation of identity.

Contemporary Health Risks and Social Justice Challenges

This segment covers recent scientific research linking hair relaxers to increased risks of cancers and fibroids, predominantly affecting Black women. It discusses the societal and regulatory responses, including the call for warning labels and greater awareness, highlighting the ongoing disparities and systemic inequities. The narrative frames the use of relaxers as a complex interplay of economic opportunity, cultural identity, and health risks, underscoring the persistent influence of white supremacy and systemic racism on Black beauty standards and health outcomes.

Show notes

Somewhere between 85 to 95 percent of Black women in the United States have used a chemical hair relaxer at least once in their lifetime. It is a ubiquitous American product with a complicated legacy: it built Black wealth and opened economic doors, but also taught generations to see their hair as a problem to be solved. And now research is revealing a physical cost. Roman Mars and producer Priscilla Alabi explore how a single product became a mirror for all of America's contradictions.

A History of the United States in 100 Objects is a production of 99% Invisible and BBC Studios.

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