Black Beauty: A History Of African American Hair & Beauty Through The Ages: The Culture & Consciousness Of Black Women & The Politics Of Aesthetics

“BEAUTIFUL” Vogue“SUPERB” The Daily Express“MAGNIFICENT” Black Hair“AN ENTERTAINING CHRONICLE” VIBE“LOOK AND LEARN” Independent on Sunday“CRISPLY WRITTEN, WITH SMART DESCRIPTIONS” i-D“A SMART, SUMPTUOUS BOOK, INTELLIGENT AND INSIGHTFUL” Essence“CONTROVERSIAL AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING” New York Amsterdam NewsHow did Martin Luther King change the face of fashion? What did Malcolm X think about hair straightening? Why did the Afro go out of fashion? Why did Josephine Baker use lemon juice to lighten her skin? Who was the first black model on the cover of ‘Vogue’? Who spat in the face of a well-known fashion designer because he used black models? What lies behind Beyoncé’s blonde ambition? Was Michael Jackson more white woman than black man?Find out the answers to these and many other thought-provoking questions in this third edition of Ben Arogundade’s best-selling book, ‘Black Beauty’. Originally published in print in 2000, with a second edition in 2003, this new digital edition has been extensively revised specially for the format.‘Black Beauty’ chronicles the way in which the beauty values of blacks have fared throughout Western culture, from antiquity to the present. It analyses the aesthetics of make-up, hair, skin-tone and facial features, and the way in which they have historically been both accepted and rejected within society. The narrative draws on the galaxy of African American stars of twentieth century film, fashion, music, television and sports. From Josephine Baker to Beyoncé, from traditional African hairstyles to coloured contact lenses and blonde weaves, ‘Black Beauty’ has become the key text for all studies of this branch of beauty history.In 2003 ‘Black Beauty’ was adapted into a major three-part documentary, ‘When Black Became Beautiful’, for BBC TV.ABOUT THE AUTHORBen Arogundade is a London-based author and creative director of illustrated books. He originally trained as an architect before diversifying into graphic design and print journalism. In 1996 he launched, designed and edited ‘Extract’, a cult style magazine about the lives of non-celebrities. In 2000 he wrote his first book, ‘Black Beauty’ — an exploration of society's historical perceptions of the black image — which later became the subject of a three-part BBC documentary. Following this he worked as a voice-over artist before becoming creative director at Gloria books, publishers of luxury collectables. In 2010 he launched his own publishing imprint, Arogundade Books.