Tenderheaded: A Comb-Bending Collection of Hair Stories. - Review - book review

Black Issues Book Review, March, 2001 by Althia Gamble

Tenderheaded: A Comb-Bending Collection of Hair Stories edited by Juliette Harris & Pamela Johnson Pocket Books, December 2000, $25.95 ISBN 0-671-04755-8

Hang on to your horse hair, 100% human hair, relaxed, natural, dreadlocked or hot combed tresses. It's time to get down to the nappy truth about all the pros and cons of black hair. Harris and Johnson's "comb-bending collection" is a tell-it-like-it-is compilation of essays which give insight into what we and others think about it, the history behind our hair, and how it affects our lives.

In a society where European-style beauty still dominates, black women and men have had to deal with the fact that their hair is often quite different than the "ideal." We have, for this reason, struggled with our own self-esteem, questioned our beauty and ultimately, found ourselves fighting internalized racism. This self-loathing, as many essayists in Tenderheaded write, is apparent in our use of such words as "good hair" and "bad hair." It is seen when we give special attention to the cute, little black girl with long, wavy hair, over the cute, little black girl with short, "nappy" hair.

Tenderheaded is a book where black hair is celebrated. The editors look at all varieties of black hair from a sociological and anthropological point of view, combing through how the hearts and minds of our diverse community feels and thinks about it. Why the need for such a book? According to Denise Davis, writer of the featured essay, "Post-Traumatic Tress Syndrome," "We need to have sessions where we tell the story of our s/tresses--the truth about our experiences and our hair. After we find safety, after we remember the source of our injuries, we can then reconnect to the beauty of our bodies, the strength in our souls, and the gift of our newfound crowning glory." Tenderheaded seems to work toward doing just that--opening the channels of communication so that black men and women may begin to heal and come to love themselves.

An opinion held by one of the essayists is that relaxed hair is a survival strategy. It is not the pursuit of white beauty, but the pursuit of white power--the power that goes along with having these accepted white characteristics. There is even an essay written by a white woman who expresses her love of black hair and the hurt she felt in realizing that her young black friends were ashamed of their hair.

The book is comprised of diverse ideas including anecdotes reminiscent of African folktales, and tidbits of information, like a "Love Drawing Spell to attract the guy/girl you've got your eye on--using his or your own hair."

1Tenderheaded is fitting for black men and women who have ever questioned their beauty in comparison to society's standards. Readers will be moved to feel and think, as the book brings buried sentiments to the surface. It is a celebration of something that has been too often ignored and debased--our own, unique, black beauty.

Althia Gamble is the Short Fiction Editor of Inner City Magazine in New York City and works as a freelance writer.