Afrika Nå: The Politics Of Hair

Afrika Nå

In the Norwegian political public space a number of identity and ethnicity based questions are ignored or unknown. Prominent writers and feminists like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Chibundu Onuzo, to mention a few, write about how hair is a core issue connected to identity and status for Nigerian women, and in general, the African woman. The ideal of the Western hair style makes African women go through great amounts of work to fit into the understanding of what is considered beautiful and worthy. Could this be connected to the understanding of the Western as being something superior to the African? To racist undertones? To a history that is contrary to black pride? How does the status of the afro influence a woman with an African background and how she views herself and her role in the society? The discussion about the Western hair norm recently peaked in South Africa, where girls at a school were forced to chemically straighten their hair or they would be expelled, as afros were considered unruly and against school policy. How could it be that we build modern structures in a way that makes women´s natural African hair banned? And what are the implications? In the panel: Ongezwa Mbele, theater producer, actress and poet Lilian Donkor, conference speaker and coach Lea Bateman, flight attendant Moderator is Nosizwe Baqwa The event is a collaboration between the Norwegian Council for Africa and Oslo Afro Arts Festival.