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Books

From the South Side to South Africa is a compilation of journals of travels in various countries in southern Africa, all of which appeared in a syndicated newspaper column, first published in the Chicago Defender Newspaper in 2007. In a candid, personal style, Haaruun’s writing paints an intimate portrait of Southern African from the perspective of an African-American. Haaruun offers her perspective on the cultures, politics, history, and other aspects of the region. 

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View excerpts from articles I've written. 

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In Original Beauty, a pioneering ethnography by Ayana Haaruun and Melodye Watson, the authors explore the intersection of black women, beauty and technology. The results of their interactive research has been published in Catwalk: International Journal of Fashion, Beauty and Style and presented at conferences around the world.

 

Original Beauty captures a youtube.com community devoted to natural hair or afro-textured hair without chemical processing, and examines the community's impact on perceptions of beauty, self-esteem, and racial pride amongst women in the African Diaspora.

 

Haaruun and Watson investigate hair grooming as a facet of black expressive cultures, examine black women's engagement with Internet technology, and explore youtube culture.

 

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