Previously, to celebrate Black History month, the College of Education produced a celebratory and informative photo essay titled, “Black Hair, Unbothered and Unedited.” Several Black faculty, staff, and students, who wear their hair in natural styles like Afros, twists, and locs, shared what wearing their hair naturally means to them. The photo essay gave many an opportunity to share their Black hair joy and their Black hair journey.

Black hair in America often has been policed and punished in educational spaces like K-12 schools and in the workplace. In today’s Talking Eds podcast, we’re revisiting the topic of Black hair with four of the faculty members who were featured in the photo essay. Listen as host M. Yvonne Taylor talks with professors Keffrelyn Brown, Terrance Green, Kevin Cokley, and Richard Reddick about their research and provide insights and context about the policing of Black hair in schools and workplaces.