Iconic Styles and People
This entrepreneur built a haircare empire and became America's first recorded female self-made millionaire.
Who is Madam C. J. Walker?
This occurs when members of a dominant culture adopt hairstyles traditionally associated with Black culture without understanding their history, often receiving praise while Black people face discrimination for the same styles.
What is cultural appropriation?
This nutrient-rich and plant-based fat, extracted from the nut of a tree that grows naturally across 21 countries in Africa, is used to moisturize, soften, nourish, and define curls by sealing in hydration and providing vitamins A and E.
What is shea butter?
This nighttime accessory helps protect curls and reduce friction while sleeping.
What is a bonnet?
This is a styling technique where hair is divided into sections, raveled and spun around from root to tip (usually in two strands), and unraveled when dry to reveal defined wave or curl pattern.
What is a twist-out?
This activist wore her afro as a political statement to symbolize Black Power and resistance during the 1960s and 1970s.
Who is Angela Davis?
This hairstyle became a symbol of Black pride, liberation, and resistance against Eurocentric beauty standards in the 1960s and 70s.
What is an Afro?
This phenomenon makes natural hair appear shorter than it actually is.
What is hair shrinkage?
This natural oil that comes from the fruit of a type of palm tree found in tropical climates is widely used for hair conditioning and is known for sealing moisture into natural hair.
What is coconut oil?
"I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros..." is a lyric from this Beyoncé song.
What is "Formation"?
This chemical hair treatment that was popular amongst Black Americans during the 1980s and early 1990s was used to achieve the glossy and loose wave hairstyle famously worn by music icons including Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and Ice Cube.
What is a Jheri Curl?
These tight braids laid along the scalp became a form of resistance as enslaved Africans would use them to hide grains, encrypt messages, and map escape routes during slavery.
What are cornrows?
This hair oil promotes hair growth by enhancing scalp blood circulation.
What is rosemary oil?
This three-step technique and abbreviation is used to maximize moisture retention in natural hair by layering products.
What is the LOC/LCO (Liquid, Oil, and Cream) hair method?
The act of cutting off chemically relaxed hair to embrace natural growth, a cornerstone of the modern natural hair movement.
What is "The Big Chop"?
This hairstyle became a sacred symbol of the Rastafarian movement which was named after the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I (aka Ras Tafari Makonnen)
What are Dreadlocks?
Fill in the blank: "Black women's hair is _____ more likely to be perceived as unprofessional"
2.5x
This protein, naturally found in hair strands, gives hair its strength and structure.
What is keratin?
This term describes how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture.
What is porosity?
This iconic 1980s to 90s hairstyle is characterized by very short, faded sides and a long, voluminous top that stands straight up.
What is a high-top fade?
This singer-songwriter/rapper (known for being a pioneer of new jack swing, R&B, and hip-hop) famously wore a slanted fade haircut in the late 80s and 90s due to a haircut "mistake that turned out the be great".
Who is Bobby Brown?
This law was first passed in 2019 to protect against discrimination based on natural hairstyles.
What is the CROWN Act?
This natural positioning to the scalp significantly affects hair texture and whether your hair grows in curls/coils or straighter.
What is the angle of the hair follicle?
This heat-free and effective technique is used to stretch natural hair by section damp or dry hair and securing it with multiple hair ties or scrunchies from root to tip.
What is the banding method?
This curl classification system ranges from Type 1 (straight) to Type 4 (coily)
What is the Andre Walker Hair Typing System?