Hair Love, an Oscar®-winning animated short film from Matthew A. Cherry, tells the heartfelt story of an African American father learning to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. The film was written and directed by Matthew Cherry, former NFL player. “I wanted to give kids a character that normalizes and celebrates black hair,” Cherry told NBC News. “Black fathers get a bad rap in mainstream media, so I also wanted to show them as present and caring, versus the deadbeat dad stereotype that is often ascribed to them in film.”
Hair Love producer, Karen Toliver shared, “There’s not a lot of movies that reflect black families in a positive light, so that’s initially why I was attracted to Hair Love.” “The film is an “amazing story about this young black father with long, beautiful locs, just trying to figure out how to do his daughter’s hair,” said producer Gabrielle Union.
Black hair is often policed and Hair Love brought attention to The CROWN Act. The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, is a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots. In 2020, the CROWN Act was considered in Missouri but did not become law.
Producer Gabrielle Union brought DeAndre Arnold, a high school senior who was suspended and told he wouldn’t be able to walk at his own graduation ceremony unless he cut his dreadlocks to meet the school district’s dress code, to the 2020 Academy Awards as an official guest of Hair Love team. Gabrielle Union said, “The same way as when we heard about your story, and you just wanting to wear your hair, the way you want, at school. And all this scrutiny that you faced and how unwavering you have been in standing up for yourself. We also knew that we had to get involved.”
After watching Hair Love consider your thoughts, assumptions, and biases of black hair. Do these lead to personal and/or systemic discrimination? Consider the connection between hair and identity in black culture. Do you see beauty and strength? Acknowledge the historical and current incidences of cultural appropriation specifically for black hair. Do you notice, name, and discuss the impact of this exploitation? Reflect on the white supremacy narrative that creates the white centered definition of professionalism. Where does your own resistance come up and when do you either disrupt or perpetrate this racist definition of professionalism?
References:
NBC News article | ‘Hair Love’ wins Oscar for best animated short film
CBS NEWS video | DeAndre Arnold, teen suspended for dreadlocks, invited to Oscars by Hair Love team