Black hair and the imago Dei : an embodiment for God's vision of wholeness.

Thesis (M.A.)--Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, 2018.The idea that black women in the United States were created in the likeness and image of God was not very fashionable in the inner city communities of Rochester, New York in the 1990's. With traditional Baptist ideology that did not necessarily emphasize the importance essence of black women to the black church, the black family, or the black community as whole (with no respect to the dual roles played due to the absence of black fathers), the omitted memo has played a critical role in promoting the self-esteem of black women. Not only have these traditional ideologies affected the self-esteem of black women, this deeply rooted, internalized, negative self-worth has been passed down generationally. It has evolved and been incorporated into beauty trends that serve as a coping mechanism for African American women in a desperate attempt to affirm their sense of self-worth. As a black woman who has experienced my own personal battles of self-worth and the concept of beauty as known in Western Civilization, I have also struggled to identify the value in my God-given gifts and have minimized my own ability to empower other women of color to do the same. Having encountered a near-death experience that forced me to question the ideal standards and my own personal idea of beauty, I have embarked on an unforeseen journey that sought the answers to the following questions. If I am created in the likeness and image of God, why have I had to physically and chemically alter my God-given features to be and feel accepted in society? To not have my hair looked at by others as a science project. To be hired for corporate positions. How can I perfect my true authentic self to reflect the beauty of God from within and externally? This thesis explores these questions using theological, biblical, and historical resources. A womanist hermeneutic will be used to tell the stories of black women, their hair, and its relationship to the divine through perilous times. The hermeneutic will also be used to display the role of black hair in the empowerment of African American women in America