Struggle to normalise black hair is a race that’s not yet run

Emma Dabiri’s experiences with having hair that 'has been disappointing people since my birth' infuse Don’t Touch My Hair with a cold fury that enlivens her well-researched text and well-argued discourse

Emma Dabiri tackles politics and racism through her own experiences growing up in Dublin and the treatment of black people’s hair through history

MEMOIR: Don’t Touch My Hair; By Emma Dabiri; Penguin, €21

You can probably imagine what life was like for Emma Dabiri, a mixed-race child growing up in Dublin in the 1980s and 1990s. While much has changed, this is still a country where a taxi driver might blithely try to engage you in deeply racist conversation, or where sportspeople of black, Asian or minority ethnic heritage endure foul abuse during matches.

Dabiri’s experiences ...