“Should I Straighten My Hair?”: Narratives of Black College Women with Natural Hair

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative meta-narrative was to explore the experiences of Black college women with natural hair on a predominantly white (PWI) college campus using intersectionality theory. Six self-identified Black college women with natural hair participated in this study. Three major findings emerged from this study: (a) interpersonal dualism: participants’ ability to make their own choices and control their own destiny despite white supremacist expectations of compliance; (b) negotiating external expectations: participants’ management of natural hair stereotypes and (mis)perceptions by and from others; and, (c) sense of community: participants’ community and kinship with other Black natural haired women. We offer implications for research and practice.