In her song, “Don’t Touch My Hair,” Solange discusses the issues with people of other races and cultures touching her hair. Her hair, however, is more than just a part of her body, but rather a representation of her culture and her self-expression. In the big picture, it discusses race and the issues that ensue today when the black community is misrepresented in the media and historically oppressed. It is through the lyrics, that Solange describes the emotional impact touching her hair has.

“Don’t touch my hair
When it’s the feelings I wear
Don’t touch my soul
When it’s the rhythm I know”

She is calm in her demeanor, but stern in her demand.

“Don’t Touch My Hair” was written and released in 2016, which was quite an eventful year. It was a year of Black Lives Matter protests. It was a year filled with police shootings and riots. It was the year of the most divided presidential campaign in history. Although years after the Civil Rights movement, the racial divide was and is still very prominent in the United States. There is much controversy revolving cultural appropriation, the Black Lives Matter movement, the immigration policies, and protests. “Don’t Touch My Hair” was released the same year that Colin Kaepernick kneeled for the National Anthem before an NFL game, protesting the treatment of minorities and causing huge debates on race and patriotism. There were also several shootings of unarmed black men by police in 2016. These shootings sparked more Black Lives Matter protests, which strengthened the black community, but received mixed stances throughout the entire country. 2016 was not just a time for empowerment in the black community, it was also a time for empowerment for females. In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president by a major political party. Although she lost the presidential election, it was a monumental year for women no matter their race or political affiliation.

Solange addresses these issues of race and feminism within her song. Her hair represents so much to her and her community. Black women are under-represented in media, sparking intrigue in curiosity in their hair and culture, thus furthering the frustration in the black community. Black women’s hair was a huge part of their oppression in history, so black women now use it as their self-expression. They are taking something that was once used to classify and oppress them, and using it to empower them.