Individuality Rooted in Difference: Hair and Identity from the Margins

Inspired by the bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the U.S., this article considers how DEI influences individualism. This study uses literature on Black racial identity development and the conceptual lens of individualism to examine how Black women define themselves. The data used for this study came from 22 college-educated Black women who discussed their paths towards wearing their natural hair, which included personalized descriptions of the ways that race, gender, White beauty norms, workplace expectations, and the perspectives of others influenced this process. The narratives provided by these Black women reveal that DEI helps to promote their individual identity development by helping them to sort through the various messages and opinions to arrive at both a hairstyle and an identity that corresponds to their character.