Book Review [Vibrant Hair by Elaine Destiny Bey]

Positive information is a plus in my book every time, all day. Vibrant Hair: African-American Hair Care, Knowledge and Culture by Elaine Destiny Bey is a tiny little book with a serious mission to educate and inspire those with natural curls and the original man's hair. It is a very brief book for beginners and is more like a pamphlet than a book. It's only 34 pages.

Vibrant Hair is great for those who know nothing about the African hair experience and its evolution through time in the new world. Elaine also includes a few details about hair during American slavery that I had never heard of. It would have been good for her to include the sources from which she received the historical information. There are no references at the end of the book.

The writing is basic and very easy to understand although it does come off a little preachy in some places. There are also areas of repetition in the text that could have been left out. The author does include relevant photographs throughout the book to accent points made in the writing. My favorite part of the book was the natural hair tips at the end of the book. All of them are in alignment with good care for whole body in general. I would recommend this book to anyone working with pre-teen and teenage girls of African descent who need a lesson in loving their own natural hair.

I hope one day there is an updated edition, the book has potential and can be developed as a viable source of modern information to encourage self love and understanding. Vibrant Hair gets 3 ankhs.

K. Akua Gray

September 22, 2016

Houston, TX