Hair texture has been a factor in the unspoken cultural divide amongst African-American (AA) women. US society's White beauty ideology enhanced the desire for chemically straight hair; however, some AAs reject this standard. Natural hair is not fully accepted among AA sub-cultures or in mainstream society [Byrd, A. D., & Tharps, L. L. (2001). Hair story: Untangling the roots of Black hair in America. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press]. Consequently, AA women lack knowledge of their natural hair texture. Social networking sites (SNS) present support for the movement towards acceptance and appreciation of natural hair because they communicate information concerning natural hair care and styling. This research revealed the level of support SNS provided for women with natural hair. A purposeful sample of 17 natural hair women participated in focus groups and shared their experiences with SNS. A few participants revealed that they were 'addicted' to using YouTube for hair advice. Participants talked about having no family or friends who wore natural hair, therefore support had to be offered and obtained elsewhere. Findings inform the AA culture and mainstream society on the importance of acceptance of natural hair.

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Dress, the self, and education are vital parts of the African-American adolescent way of life. It has been said that African-Americans, in general, spend more of their resources on clothing accessories, and other body adornments (such as hair), than any other race of people. As dress is so important to this population, we discuss how AfricanAmerican adolescent girl's self-esteem, self-efficacy, and academic achievement are affected by dress. We further confer how dress has affected individual and peer acceptance, teacher and peer expectations, school performance, behavioral issues, and crime issues. The implementation of uniforms into the public school sector is discussed to expose the proposed benefits and criticisms from school officials, students, and parents. Lastly, we argue the theoretical views that must be considered when studying dress as it relates to the self and education of AfricanAmerican adolescent girls.

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