Growing up in the ’60s as a Black face in a white space, Tina Shingleralways knew that her well-being depended on her ability to assimilate. As aBlack Barnardo’s child, Tina was ‘boarded out’ to a white foster family inrural Yorkshire. Overwhelmed by the complex texture of Black hair, her fostermother resorted to chopping back Tina’s curls as close to her scalp aspossible. Being unceremoniously shorn like a sheep felt like a punishment forhaving such troublesome hair. Today, however, many Black girls are growing up confident in theknowledge that their naturally kinky hair in all its amazing transmutations isa powerful expression not only of their identity but also of their individualstyle. And despite getting off to a bad start with it, Tina has ‘grown into’her hair and now appreciates and enjoys its incredible versatility. It hashelped her understand herself better, forge her own identity and create a senseof her own worth better than any self-improvement manual. An inspirational ‘hairmoir’, Hair Apparent embraces thepowerful legacy of Afro hair across several countries and seven decades ofsocial, political and cultural change. Right now, Afro hair is living its bestlife, and Tina’s manifesto of survival, resilience and identity helps us praiseit like we should.
