Hair Apparent

Growing up in the '60s as a Black face in a white space, Tina Shingler always knew that her well-being depended on her ability to assimilate. As a Black Barnardo's child, Tina was 'boarded out' to a white foster family in rural Yorkshire. Overwhelmed by the complex texture of Black hair, her foster mother resorted to chopping back Tina's curls as close to her scalp as possible. Being unceremoniously shorn like a sheep felt like a punishment for having such troublesome hair. Today, however, many