In praise of long-scorned Black women's hair
The Oscars beef between Chris Rock and Will Smith centered around a frequently maligned topic: the hair of Black women. We examine its politics and meaning.
Headlines From The Times · Erin B. Logan, Erika D. Smith, Gustavo Arellano, Denise Guerra, Shannon Lin, Kasia Broussalian, Ashlea Brown, Angel Carreras, Mario Diaz, Kinsee Morlan, Jazmín Aguilera, Shani O. Hilton
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Show Notes
When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars for a joke the latter made about the hairstyle of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, it brought forth the politics of Black hair, especially the hair of Black women. Long maligned, it’s getting more attention than ever, from the sisterlocks of prospective Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to anti-discrimination bills passed on the state and local level.
Today, we talk about the issue with two L.A. Times writers who bring their own personal history to the subject.
Host: L.A. Times D.C. reporter Erin B. Logan
Guests: L.A. Times columnist Erika D. Smith
More reading:
Column: Will Smith’s Oscars slap of Chris Rock settles it. We’re done with Black hair jokes
California becomes first state to ban discrimination based on one’s natural hair
The world of Black hair magic, according to an icon of L.A.’s hair avant-garde