“As far as neatly and efficiently chronicling African Americans and the importance of their hair, Hair Story gets to the root of things.” —Philadelphiaweekly.com Hair Story is a historical and anecdotal exploration of Black Americans’ tangled hair roots. A chronological look at the culture and politics behind the ever-changing state of Black hair from fifteenth-century Africa to the present-day United States, it ties the personal to the political and the popular. Read about: Why Black American slaves used items like axle grease and eel skin to straighten their hair. How a Mexican chemist straightened Black hair using his formula for turning sheep’s wool into a minklike fur. How the Afro evolved from militant style to mainstream fashion trend. What prompted the creation of the Jheri curl and the popular style’s fall from grace. The story behind Bo Derek’s controversial cornrows and the range of reactions they garnered. Major figures in the history of Black hair are presented, from early hair-care entrepreneurs Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam C. J. Walker to unintended hair heroes like Angela Davis and Bob Marley. Celebrities, stylists, and cultural critics weigh in on the burgeoning sociopolitical issues surrounding Black hair, from the historically loaded terms “good” and “bad” hair, to Black hair in the workplace, to mainstream society’s misrepresentation and misunderstanding of kinky locks. Hair Story is the book that Black Americans can use as a benchmark for tracing a unique aspect of their history, and it’s a book that people of all races will celebrate as the reference guide for understanding Black hair. “A comprehensive and colorful look at a very touchy subject.” —Essence

Kinky Roots: A Memoir - The memories, ruminations and vignettes of growing up in Southern Africa. Written from the life, wisdom and experiences of Ingrid Arlington, 'Kinky Roots' is an uplifting, poignant and reflective journey alongside the author. From a tumultuous upbringing in Zimbabwe, where violence and sexual assault was rife - to Ingrid meeting her husband in South Africa before starting an arduous new life in the UK. It's a story that explores how identity, excuses, religion, relationships, self-worth and family heritage all ultimately lay life's crazy pathway. United Kingdom - When Ingrid Arlington looks back on her life, it's been a rollercoaster defined by adversity, poor relationships with men, a move to the other side of the world - and some bold life lessons that have ultimately made Arlington a fearlessly strong woman. 'Kinky Roots' invites readers to step alongside her as they rise from the ashes of loss and harassment in Zimbabwe, to a new life in the UK. No step has been without its challenges, yet Arlington steadfastly defines each as a vital part of her story. From the introduction: That day, I felt lost, aimless, purposeless. I had received a rejection from an employment agent saying I didn't get the 33rd job that I'd applied for, whilst sitting on the couch watching NCIS reruns and stuffing my face with all sorts of snacks. I felt like a black Bridget Jones - except I wasn't trying to quit smoking and I already had the man. Now, you might ask how I got myself into this unemployed situation, feeling all sorry for myself. The easy answer is that I moved from South Africa to the UK with Alex (my husband of nine years), to pursue happiness and the European dream but without a plan of how to do this. The difficult answer, I guess, starts a year after arriving. "I started re-evaluating my life when I hit unemployment rock bottom in the UK," explains the author. "It was a very raw process of questioning myself and my identity, and reliving my tough upbringing in Zimbabwe - a place where my mother chose her new husband over me, and where I'd been sexually harassed by the age of fourteen. I took a long, hard look at how I'd always chosen controlling men, and felt powerless in every relationship I'd gotten into. As I unraveled things, I began to figure out who I really am." Continuing, "My biggest life change was meeting my husband in South Africa, only to find him relapsing on a drug habit - fiercely challenging my Christian upbringing. After our separation, I began to mull over everything from excuses, my beliefs, biases around religion, the LGBTQ community, my emotions and how music connects it all - and the definitions I devised are now all shared in this volume". It's going to leave people with plenty to think about.

Recounts the author's experiences living in Spain as a young black woman, where she learns about the country's racial prejudices against blacks and falls in love with a Spaniard.

A history of the culture and politics behind the ever-changing state of black hair - from 15th century Africa to present-day US - this fascinating book is an entertaining look at the intersection of the personal, political and popular aspects of hair styles, tracing a unique aspect of black American history. An entertaining and concise survey... A book that successfully balances popular appeal with historical accuracy' - Publishers Weekly 'Impressive work of cultural history' - Book Page 'Comprehensive and colourful' - Essence'

Told in alternating voices, the debut novel Choose Me is the tumultuous story of a Latina woman and an African American man whose search for true romance takes a detour through the perfect love of God. Eva has no desire for romance. She's a self-reliant, celibate Christian who, despite a truly bad marriage, has successfully raised two college-aged sons. Adam wouldn't mind being in love, but women seem to be too much trouble-they just have too many expectations. As a recent cancer survivor, he just wants time to heal, write his books and poetry, and work on his spirituality. But when Eva and Adam unexpectedly meet, their attraction to each other is immediate and undeniable. Struggling with their doubts and seemingly insurmountable pain, they will start to let down their guard-and share a love that only God would understand.

This classic text by Geneva Smitherman, pioneering scholar of Black Talk, is a definitive statement on African American Language (AAL). Enriched by her inimitable writing style, the book outlines past debates on the speech of African Americans and provides a vision for the future. As global manifestations of AAL increase, she argues that we must broaden our conception of the language and its speakers, and further examine the implications of gender, age and class on AAL. Perhaps most of all we must appreciate the "artistic and linguistic genius" of AAL, from Hip Hop lyrics to the rhyme and rhetoric of the broader Black speech community. Smitherman explores AAL's contribution to American English, includes a summary of expressions as a suggested linguistic core of AAL, and features cartoons that educate readers on the broader relationship between language, race, and racism. This classic edition features a new foreword by H. Samy Alim, celebrating Smitherman's continuing impact on Black Language scholarship and her influence on the future of the field. Word from the Mother is an essential read for students of African American speech, language, culture and sociolinguistics, as well as the general reader interested in the worldwide "crossover" of Black popular culture.

Kinky, curly, or wavy hair isn’t “problem” hair—it’s just hair with a different set of rules! For too long, hairstylists and hair-care companies have ignored the needs of women with kinky, curly, or wavy hair, focusing on it as “problem” hair rather than celebrating its unique texture. But now hair-care and style expert A. Dickey, considered by top magazine beauty editors to be the foremost authority on caring for, cutting, and styling curly hair, has written Hair Rules! to end the frustration faced by women with curly hair every day. Hair Rules! is chock-full of simple tips for all types of curly hair and covers everything from the best shampoos and conditioners to use, to damage-free hair-drying (dust off that hood dryer!), the use of natural oils, and the safest coloring, styling, and chemical relaxing techniques—as well as guidelines for maintaining healthy, gorgeous hair. “My mission,” writes Dickey, “is simple: to advise and encourage all women with nonstraight hair to strive to attain their beauty, whatever their ethnicity, and whatever their tastes.”