Black Girls Must Die Exhausted: A Novel

Hair represents identity, culture, and heritage for several leading characters in Black Girls Must Die Exhausted. Tabby illustrates how a hairstyle can match a personality or location when she describes Laila: “She was all the way Oakland with her ‘hella’ slang and long mane of bohemian dreadlocks” (39). Tabby focuses on various looks throughout the narrative, describing weaves, braids, and other styles traditionally worn by women of color. Moreover, when Laila attempts to die by suicide, she cuts her hair close to the roots, signifying her feelings of lost identity. Tabby returns to Denisha’s salon weekly, not because she prefers the aesthetics or finds the service superior, but because she feels at home when she is surrounded by community members with whom she shares many experiences. Additionally, Tabby feels love, belonging, and acceptance from her younger sisters when they diffidently ask if she will help them style their hair so that it mirrors her own hairstyle. While the ritual of helping girls and women with their hair is particularly significant to Black women, Tabby and her sisters demonstrate how this practice is easily shared across cultural backgrounds.

Additionally, hair symbolizes self-expression and autonomy as characters change styles and embrace natural textures.