First Year Hon. Mention:Resistance in My Strands and a Pick in My Hands

HIST 1040, Popular Uses of History: An Introduction to Public History. CD: Leila Pourtavaf.

Abstract

“Resistance in My Strands” is an innovative and well-researched proposal for an exhibition on Black women’s beauty practices related to hair in Canada and the US from the early 1900s to the early 2000s. The assignment asked students to select any historical theme and design an Exhibition Proposal, which includes: a curatorial statement; a brief description and visual documentation of the chosen artifacts; a description of the intended venue for the exhibition and the intended audience; and a floor plan for the exhibition. The curatorial statement for “Resistance in My Strands” draws from scholarly research to advance the compelling argument that Black women’s hair has served as site for both the perpetuation of and resistance to Eurocentric beauty norms. In addition to this persuasive argument, the author’s exhibit features original archival research and artifacts, alongside a well-conceived floor plan. As the author suggests, the chosen artifacts invite the general public to learn about their own implication in reproducing the history of discriminatory beauty myths. But the author also intends for the exhibit to serve as a “place of healing” for Black women and girls. For its bold and much-needed vision, as well as its impeccable research and clear prose, this submission is most deserving of honourable mention.