4c Hair Discrimination: An Exploration Of Texturism

There is a long history of Black hair being demonized, vilified, and politicized. Hair discrimination is a widespread issue that doesn’t receive enough discussion. Afro-textured hair is victimized in workplaces and schools and because of this pervasive bias, legislation like the CROWN Act has been pushed forth to provide state-wide protections against hair discrimination. Texturism can be thought of as the discrimination faced by those with coarser and more Afro-textured hair. Texturism is based on the premise that hair textures closer to white are more acceptable. Our conversations about hair discrimination require more nuance and must unpack the texturism that is faced by those with coarser hair textures.

In a 2021 Byrdie article, Star Donaldson examined the history and evolution of the hair typing system. Donaldson explains that hair typing was a system used to understand an individual’s “proximity to whiteness based on their [hair] texture.” The original hair type categorization system was developed in the early 1900s by Eugen Fischer, a Nazi German scientist and ardent eugenicist. Fischer used this system in present-day Namibia on the mixed-race population to try and determine “Blackness” based on hair texture. Between 1904-1907, Namibia was the site of a mass genocide where German military forces killed approximately 80,000 of the indigenous Namibian people. This genocide was based on white racial supremacy beliefs. Systems such as the hair typing model developed by Fischer contributed to the subjugation of the Namibian people. Fast forward to today, and Oprah Winfrey’s celebrity hairstylist Andre Walker is generally thought of as the person who established and popularized the hair typing system that is currently in use. Based on Walker’s method, hair type can be divided into distinct categories based on the texture: 1 is straight hair, 2 is wavy hair, 3 is looser curls, and 4 is considered the coarsest and most tightly curled hair type. Walker’s system also associates letters with these numbers to further segment the hair types. Based on the hair typing system, 4c hair is considered to be the kinkiest and most tightly coiled hair texture and by design, the hair texture that experiences the most discrimination.

The first iteration of the natural hair movement emerged in the 1960s. Black activists were embracing their natural hair and afros were being celebrated as a symbol of power and resistance. A re-emergence of the natural hair movement occurred in the 2000s. During this time, Black hair was being promoted on social media websites like YouTube and there was a rise in natural hair blogs. Around this time, there was a move away from the use of chemical straighteners like relaxers due to the wealth of research indicating how harmful these chemical straighteners were. With the popularity of the natural hair movement, there was a swift move to monetize and monopolize on a booming industry. A 2020 Essence article indicates that the Black hair care industry generates an estimated $2.51 billion with that number likely to grow as time goes on. Even within a movement that was designed to be inclusive, hierarchies were formed. It should come as no surprise that a system initially designed to ascertain white proximity is being wielded as a tool of anti-blackness.

Individuals with 4c hair experience prejudice in a multitude of ways. In 2009, Chris Rock explored the importance of hair within the Black community in his documentary Good Hair. What must receive an equal amount of attention and discussion is the ways that texturism manifests in present day. From journalists making derogatory remarks about the then-7-year-old daughter of Beyonce and Jay-Z, to a TikTok influencer named Lipglossssssssss being bullied for wearing her natural hair without manipulation, and the backlash over a young Black girl’s hair in an H&M ad, texturism is alive and well. Those with 4c hair are often charged more at hair salons because this hair type is deemed as being more “difficult” to deal with. When analyzing the natural hair community, 4c hair representation is lacking. 4c hair does not receive the same amount of recognition or appreciation as other hair types and many natural hair bloggers and YouTubers like Mayowa’s World, Jouelzy and nappyheadedjojoba have spoken about this throughout the years.

Creating a world where the most marginalized communities are liberated requires us to examine each and every system and structure to understand the insidious ways that hierarchies have naturally formed and continue to oppress certain segments of the community. We must make consistent and concerted efforts to disrupt and dismantle these hierarchies. We must center the voices and the experiences of those most harmed within the natural hair community. We may want to think about doing away with, abolishing, and re-imagining the hair typing system, which was originally designed to perpetuate anti-blackness. Why continue to use a redesigned version of a tool initially developed by a known eugenicist to segregate and separate? We must analyze the ways that we perpetuate texturism within our families and communities. Do we encourage the narrative that straight hair, long hair, and looser curls on girls, women and femmes are more acceptable and more beautiful? We must unlearn that. Refusing to adhere to social norms is important. Pushing back against our natural inclination to associate femininity with long and straight hair is one of many ways that we resist white supremacist norms. We must encourage and amplify more platforms designed to center 4c hair. Supporting those that speak out about texturism and who are most harmed by hair discrimination is vital and educating others about this type of discrimination is imperative.