Are you team middle parting, or will you die with
your side part? What was worse - this cringe-fest or possibly the most unappealing styling of
all time? These answers reveal a lot about you, and that makes sense because hair is a key part
of our identity. And, as many of us know, hair - especially women's hair - has been policed for
decades. But it's also been used to fight back. Hi beauty besties! This is the third
and final installment of "Def's your grandma's activism," Huda Beauty's or
iginal
mini-series exploring how makeup and beauty have been used in activism, and
we've saved maybe the best topic for last. Let's comb through some of the
iconic ways hair became part of protest. In the ancient world, women who didn't spend hours
grooming their hair were considered subhuman. In the "let them eat cake" era, after centuries of
having to wear veils, women could finally reveal their naked hair, but only if it was styled to the
point of looking like a wedding cake. Throughout
the years, across many cultures all around the
world, one thing remained the same - women had to have long hair. Our friends the Flappers thought
otherwise. In the 1920s, women started cutting their hair into to chic short bobs, challenging
the very definition of femininity. Why did they do this? Well, not only did it look fierce, but these
women were understandably tired of men controlling every aspect of their lives. This wasn't the only
time hair was used to challenge the patriarchy. In
the 1960s, women sported hella cute bobs
and even pixie cuts. It meant less time in the salon and more time on the grind, which a lot
of men really didn't like. Speaking of the 1960s, the conversation about hair and activism wouldn't
be complete without discussing the politics of hair in the Civil Rights Movement. Black women
especially were expected to style or cover their hair to resemble white people's hair. So, during
the Civil Rights Movement, many black women threw out their wigs and
hair relaxers and began wearing
their hair in afros, locs, braids and dreads - to name just a few styles -to oppose European beauty
standards and white supremacy. One iconic example we've all likely seen is that of famous activist,
philosopher and writer Angela Davis wearing the most incredible afro. Natural hair was such a
major aspect of the fight for equal rights that the issue of wearing natural hair in the workplace
was even taken to court. While black Americans did eventually achieve
equal rights on paper, it's
vital to remember that racial discrimination surrounding hair is still very much a reality, and
the true fight for equality isn't over yet. At the same time, white Americans were also using their
hair for protest but for very different reasons. Enter the hippies. Long and loose hair
was a trademark of someone who was anti-establishment - you know, against "The
Man." What were they fighting against? Well, you must remember that in the late 1960s and
early 1970s,
America was waging a terrible war on Vietnam. Tens of thousands of young men were
sent to battle against their will, and many would die. And what was the first thing that happened
when they entered the the military? Their heads were shaved. So, crew cuts became tightly linked
to the conservative government and society of that time. So, if a man was seen with long hair, it was
safe to assume that he wasn't very happy with the way things were going. As for facial hair? That
had to go, too. C
lean-shaven was the the norm, so many hippie men - those who could grow one
- also sported impressive beards that would make Rasputin jealous. On the topic of hair
that's not on our heads, many women - and not just the hippies - stopped removing their body
hair in protest of unnatural beauty standards that existed only for women. The 1970s was a
major decade for women's bodily autonomy: they won the right to a safe abortion, and
spousal physical abuse became illegal. So, letting their bodie
s do what they do naturally
was part of how women reclaimed ownership of their bodies. This defining feature of second wave
feminism is still largely present even today. After two decades of war, America
finally pulled out of Southeast Asia. So, what was there to protest now in the 80s,
and who was doing it? Well, as it turns out, there were a lot of things happening that a
lot of people weren't happy about. Both the United States and the United Kingdom were
ruled by ultra conservative pol
iticians, namely former actor Ronald Reagan - sound
familiar? - and Margaret Thatcher, respectively. Both Ronnie and Maggie enforced policies that
were a disaster for the poor and the working class. The people began to rise up, and a new type
of activist was born: the punk. Above all else, the punk stood against the respectability
politics of the time. They believed that traditional authorities had no credibility and
deserved no respect. Their total disgust for the system took on a physical
appearance which often
included the famous - or infamous, depending on who you ask - mohawk. The hairstyle was named
after the First Nations tribe, the Mohawks, and the Iroquois tribes who wore their hair this
way when going into battle. The word "Mohawk" loosely translates to "man-eater," which is pretty
savage - in the good way! Mohawks - the hairstyle, not the people, but probably the people, too
- shocked the conformist society of the time, which was exactly what the punks had intended
.
They - again, the hairstyle - became a symbol of authenticity and self-determination. Then you
get the skinheads who did the exact same thing but in the exact opposite way. To be clear, we're not
talking about the white nationalists here - punks and other true skinheads rejected those as well.
Skinheads, as the name suggests, shaved their hair right down to the skin of their heads. Having no
hair on purpose was almost as shocking as having crazily styled hair. And that brings us to today
the year of our Lord and savior Beyonce, 2024. Although there's not really a set standard for
hair anymore, there are still some styles that are instantly associated with activism. I am, of
course, talking about the blue or pink or green haired "social justice warrior" stereotype.
Even in the third decade of the 21st century, women who have "unnatural" hair are automatically
thought of as "man-haters." Now, while that may or may not be true on a case by case basis, one
thing remains the sa
me: women who dye their hair unnatural colors are rejecting what's expected
of them by not appealing to the traditional male gaze. We've also come full circle with the
long-haired hippies, in a way. How is that? Let me explain: many gender non-conforming
people who were assigned male at birth grow their hair long as a way to celebrate their
femininity, and we think that's fab. In fact, we think wearing your hair any way you want,
for whatever reason you want, that's fabulous. Well, that bri
ngs us to the end of our
TED Talk. We hope this adventure was as interesting and educational for you as it
was for us. We loved making this series, and now we want to know if you did, too. Let us
know what you think. Alright, that's all from us. bye
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