When it comes to Black hair care I think a lot of us can say we are exceptionally familiar with all the struggles, wins, and triumphs. Emma Dabiri’s book Twisted effectively weaves together her personal journey with learning to love her hair and historical reference from precolonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, and into today’s Natural Hair Movement. She explores so much throughout this book it’s incredible given that it is 244 pages.
Dabiri takes us on such an emotional (and relatable in some aspects) hair care journey. I find it interesting that she has an Irish mother and a father from Yoruba (I’m also biracial Irish and West African descent and ‘Emma’ is part of my name, are we supposed to be best friends??). A lot of her childhood experience and relationship to Black hair culture comes from her time growing up in Ireland. Although I did not grow up in Ireland, so many of the things she experienced hit close to home. Especially in the few quotes where she was quoting things kids would say to her in school, it felt like flashbacks since we have part of the same name, “I don’t even see you at Black, Emma” …yikes that one that hit home!
I strongly appreciated the research that clearly went into this book. I want to give you a play by play of each chapter but then this would take up the whole paper! The work and love that clearly went into this book is felt through the page. I loved being taught so many new historical aspects of Black hair care and culture. It made me feel much more connected to myself and my hair. I felt empowered and further curious! Dabiri has a great talent for displaying her research in an easy to understand way. I felt as though I was being spoken to, this did not at all feel like a clunky info dump history book. I loved how she took us through time: how things were before colonization, during (I mean when they were actively in Africa stealing our Ancestors), and present day.
I love when a book can make me feel empowered to be the Black woman that I am! This book did make me much more mindful of my self care practices including how I love and treat my hair. A loc journey is a mental journey of its own, but no matter where you are in your hair journey I believe you will feel strengthened after reading this fantastic book!
My Empowered Reading Guild will be reading this while I teach various classes that help introduce various self-care practices! Check out www.EmmaraeEmpowered.com for more info!