When does a few ounces of hair come to feel like the weight of the world? When an employer fires a black woman for wearing a cultural hairstyle that is "unprofessional", and she has to go to court to plead for her job. When she's with her man, and the moment she's supposed to let loose, she stops to secure her head scarf so he won't disturb the 'do. Tenderheaded? Definitely. All black women are, in one way or another. Featuring an extraordinary gathering of writers, performers and social luminaries such as Angela Davis, Tony Morrison, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Alice Walker, bell hooks and many others, this unforgettable anthology boldly breaks new cultural ground with straightforward talk about black women and their hair.

Introduction by: Ntozake Shange