Black Beauty: A History Of African American Hair & Beauty Through The Ages: The Culture & Consciousness Of Black Women & The Politics Of Aesthetics

How did Martin Luther King change the face of fashion? What did Malcolm X think about hair straightening? Why did the Afro go out of fashion? Why did Josephine Baker use lemon juice to lighten her skin? Who was the first black model on the cover of ‘Vogue’? Who spat in the face of a well-known fashion designer because he used black models?

Find out the answers to these and many other thought-provoking questions in this third edition of Ben Arogundade’s best-seller, ‘Black Beauty’. Originally published in print in 2000, this new digital edition has been extensively revised specially for the format.

‘Black Beauty’ chronicles the way in which the beauty values of blacks have fared throughout Western culture, from antiquity to the present. It analyses the aesthetics of make-up, hair, skin-tone and facial features, and the way in which they have been both accepted and rejected historically. The narrative draws upon the galaxy of African American stars of twentieth century film, fashion, music, television and sports. From Josephine Baker to Beyoncé, from traditional African hairstyles to coloured contact lenses and blonde weaves, ‘Black Beauty’ has become the key text for all studies of this branch of beauty history.

In 2003 ‘Black Beauty’ was adapted into a three-part documentary, ‘When Black Became Beautiful’, for BBC TV.

PRAISE FOR 'BLACK BEAUTY'
“BEAUTIFUL” Vogue
“A SMART, SUMPTUOUS BOOK, INTELLIGENT AND INSIGHTFUL” Essence
“CONTROVERSIAL AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING” New York Amsterdam News
“SUPERB” The Daily Express
“MAGNIFICENT” Black Hair
“AN ENTERTAINING CHRONICLE” VIBE
“LOOK AND LEARN” Independent on Sunday
“CRISPLY WRITTEN, WITH SMART DESCRIPTIONS” i-D