The Pursuit of Blondness

The Atlantic (08/19/2018)
  • 2016-2018: Poet Claudia Rankine and photographer John Lucas interviewed 100 people across the US and London to find their motivation for dying their hair blonde.
  • Only 2% of the worldwide population and 5% of white Americans are naturally blonde.
  • While some claimed dying was done to look younger or fit personality, when prompted many confessed it was done to gain better treatment from others.
  • Rankine believes some view blondeness, a proxy of whiteness, as a way of gaining or amplifying social status and acceptance.