Sejal Coudhary Week 2

A HAIR PIECE – PERSPECTIVES ON THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND GENDER.

– Paulette M.  Caldwell

Paulette M. Caldwell in her literature piece – “A Hair Piece”, has very well drawn the attention of her readers towards the issue of discrimination – whether it be racial, based on gender or even one’s physical attributes. She talks about the manner in which a person’s physical attributes contribute in forming one’s identity. The author also questions the intersectional problems faced by the people of the society, mainly a black woman in this case.

Caldwell in her article reflects the patriarchy and racial discrimination openly practiced in our society through the case of Rogers. v American Airlines, wherein a black woman was dismissed from the Airlines solely based on her physical attribute – her hairstyle, to be precise, braids. What came as even more alarming was that the Supreme Court also held the case in favour of American Airlines. This did not only reflect the sheer patriarchy and racial discrimination running in our society, but also the way it has been embedded in the judicial sect of the society. Caldwell talks about how particularly a black woman faces not only discrimination based on her race but also her gender. She becomes an intersectional victim of two grave issues in our society – discrimination because she is “Black” and “Woman”, which multiplies the issue faced by her in her life everyday.

It is very saddening to see that the women, particularly the black women of our society are expected to comply to an absolutely vague and unnatural standard of beauty or the “American Standard of beauty” even if that meant compromising with her health.