To mark Black History Month, Channel 4 is airing a documentary all about afro, textured and curly hair, and how it shapes the black experience in the UK.
Presented by Emma Dabiri – social historian and author whose debut book Don't Touch My Hair was published in 2019 to worldwide acclaim – the documentary by Channel 4 and Pulse Films (co-funded by Dove and Unilever Entertainment) explores how the identities of black men and women have been shaped by their hair.
“My big hair didn’t fit the pop star mould. But I stood my ground.”
The 50-minute film will explore a subject which has too often been ignored and overlooked by society. Through the stories told by Dabiri's interviewees, Hair Power: Me & My Afro explores how afro-textured hair has carried everything from stigma, stereotypes, pain and dismissal, to celebration, empowerment, and the ultimate rejection of white beauty archetypes and privilege.
Hair Power: Me & My Afro will also form a deep dive into the history and politics of afro hair, as well as how deeply-entrenched systemic racism has lead to hair-related microaggressions (such as white people thinking it's acceptable to touch someone's afro hair), cultural appropriation and prejudicial issues within the UK education system, which sees pupils being punished for 'inappropriate' hair styles.
The excitement for the documentary is already building on social media, with comments such as 'Cannot wait to see @EmmaDabiri's documentary featuring some powerful women' and 'Looking forward to watching this'.
We also can't wait to watch such an important piece of film; one that not only shines a light on the cultural and political significance of afro-textured hair, but one that also explores the prevalence of systemic racism and unconscious bias in the UK.
Watch the trailer for Hair Power: Me & My Afro below, and tune in tonight (Tuesday 27th October) at 10.15pm on Channel 4, or stream on All 4 shortly after transmission.
