ices ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁slave hold ers ▁and ▁colon izers , ▁who ▁considered ▁most ▁slaves ▁as ▁second - class , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁citizens . ▁Ay ana ▁By rd ▁and ▁L ori ▁Th arp ▁say ▁that ▁they ▁believe ▁the ▁preference ▁for ▁Euro cent ric ▁ideas ▁of ▁beauty ▁still ▁per v ades ▁the ▁Western ▁world . ▁ ▁R ise ▁of ▁Black ▁pride ▁ ▁African - American ▁hair ▁has ▁been ▁through ▁many ▁different ▁cycles . ▁S la very ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁ups ▁and ▁down s ▁of ▁the ▁pride ▁that ▁African - Amer icans ▁take ▁in ▁their ▁hair . ▁" Every thing ▁I ▁knew ▁about ▁American ▁history ▁I ▁learned ▁from ▁looking ▁at ▁Black ▁people ' s ▁hair . ▁It ' s ▁the ▁perfect ▁met ap hor ▁for ▁the ▁African ▁experiment ▁here : ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁the ▁ticket ▁( for ▁a ▁journey ▁no ▁one ▁elected ▁to ▁take ), ▁the ▁to ll ▁of ▁sla very , ▁and ▁the ▁costs ▁remaining . ▁It ' s ▁all ▁in ▁the ▁hair . ▁Like ▁J ama ica ▁Kin ca id , ▁who ▁writes ▁only ▁about ▁a ▁character ▁named ▁Mother , ▁I ' ve ▁decided ▁to ▁write ▁only ▁about ▁hair : ▁what ▁we ▁do ▁to ▁it , ▁how ▁we ▁do ▁it , ▁and ▁why . ▁I ▁figure ▁this ▁is ▁enough ", ▁said ▁Lisa ▁Jones ▁in ▁an ▁ess ay ▁titled ▁H air ▁Always ▁and ▁Fore ver . ▁ ▁Ch ery l ▁Thompson ▁writes , ▁" In ▁ 1 5 th - century ▁Africa , ▁ha irst yles ▁were ▁used ▁to