Growing up with black hair in the GTA: three women share their stories

The literature demonstrates that Black hair affects the identity of Black women. However, there is little research on how Black hair affects the identity of Canadian Black girls. For the purpose of this study, Black hair will refer to coiled textured hair, often referred to as “kinky”. The goal of the present study was to understand the effects of Black hair on the identity of Black girls between the ages of 5 and 12. Three Black women between the ages of 20 and 35 were asked to recall their experiences growing up in Canada with Black hair. Following a Black feminist approach, data was collected through story telling in an open-ended interview and four themes were identified : caring for Black hair, hair altering, the future of Black hair, and influences on Black hair styling. The women in the study have a hopeful vision for the future of Black hair. Keywords: Black hair, identity, Canadian context, childhood