Hair Beauty

And forget not that the earth
delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds
​long to play with your hair.
​Khalil Gibran

Goal:
Think about  the ways we categorize people based on hairstyles, length, color. Explore the idea of hair discrimination and the ways it might manifest. 

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The assignments that have activities are in red.

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5. Lookism: Hair

Writing Prompts and/or Discussion:
Personal Relationship with & Perception of Your Hair

• How often do you get your hair cut, dyed, relaxed, and/or styled? 
• Is length, color or texture important to you? 
• What is the best quality about your hair and what is the worst? 

• Do you go to a barbershop or salon, or do you get it styled at home?​

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Discussion:
​Discuss your hair style preference(s).

• Consider color, texture, and length for both men and women. Consider what hairstyles you think most successful people have.
• What are some of the stereotypes you have heard regarding hair and what it says about the person/people? Fill in the blanks.

Blonds ____________________________
Brunettes _________________________
Redheads _________________________
Bald ______________________________
Dreadlocks _______________________
You can add more if you think of any.

• Where do you think the those stereotypes came from?

You can either write or discuss your responses. 

Reflection:  

• Write about a time when someone made a comment about your hair, either positive or negative. What did your hair look like? How did it make you feel? 
• If no one has ever commented on your hair, then write about a time you have complimented or teased someone for the way their hair looked. 
• If you have never done that, then write about an observation of a conversation or comments you have seen between other people.   

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Read and discuss the following articles.

Legal Hair

Washington Post

Undone Hair

Essence: H&M

Crown Act

ABA 2019

Black Panther

N.Y. Times

Artistic Expression – Image Collage:
Materials: You can cut out pictures from magazines or online images as well as your own personal photos. 

Assignment: Create an image collage– celebrating your physical appearance either what you think you look like or would like to look like. Write a reflection about how it feels to create a collage celebrating your physical features. If there is a difference between your current physical appearance and the images you choose – explain why in your reflection.  ​

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Dove Hair

Teen vogue

​Social Perceptions of Your Hair

• What do you think teachers and people in positions of authority think about your hair? 
• Do you care what other people think, why/why not? 
• What do you think your hair says about you, your social class or your click?
• Do you think the way you style your hair would ever impact an important opportunity?

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Return to Look Lessons

Photo credits: On the beach by Ned Benjamin, Girl with braids by David Nels, Girl with Red Hair by Len-K-A, 
Rastafarians 1 by Dominic Morel,