According to a report compiled by Dove USA, Black girls begin experiencing race-based hair discrimination due to wearing protective hairstyles (braids, afros, locks, and twists) at age 5. A majority (54%) of Black women alter their textured hair to secure employment. In this enlightening and empowering presentation, historic and current hair biases and discriminations will be presented with vibrant images, physical examples, and data. Additionally, Black women’s and girls’ hair narratives will be shared to illustrate the lived experiences of hair politics. Attendees will leave with an understanding of how responses to Black/African American hair texture has and continues to perpetuate racism (internalized, systematic, and/or institutional) in America.
This program is intended for an adult and teen audience; families may attend. Registration is required.
Discover more programs in the One State/One Story series that are taking place at the Carmel Clay Public Library.
About the Presenter
Jantina Anderson (she/her) is an Indiana University–Indianapolis doctoral candidate. Her research explored Black girls’ and women’s aesthetic choices, sense of belonging in institutional and corporate spaces, and resulting identity, agency, and success implications. Jantina’s work has been presented at various national conferences and published in academic journals. Additionally, she is a Fortune 500 HR Director and a proud alumna of Clark Atlanta University and Michigan State University.
This special event is presented as part of the One State/One Story program, which helps communities come together to talk about a shared story. One State/One Story: All That She Carried is presented by Indiana Humanities in partnership with the Indiana Center for the Book and the Indiana State Library as part of Indiana Humanities’ Advancing Racial Equity Project, supported by Lilly Endowment.
Hoosiers are invited to join in the statewide reads of All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles as part of Indiana Humanities’ Advancing Racial Equity project, which supports discussions of history and memory and how engaging with our past can help us understand contemporary injustices and strive for racial equity. The Advancing Racial Equity Project aims to further conversations about the past, present, and future of racial justice and injustice in Indiana through engagement with the humanities. The project provides support for public-serving organizations to diversify circulating collections, resources for organizations to host conversations about racial equity and the experiences of Black Hoosiers, and learning opportunities for humanities professionals and community members to deepen their understanding of the progress and challenges on the journey to racial equity.
