Hair has played a major role in black American history. Whether bringing families together, creating jobs and economic growth, or helping children establish a sense of self, the power of coiled crowns has pervaded history for black people in the US. Read on to learn more about why hair is such a big deal in the chronicles of Afro-America.
There's a bond
Families carry on traditions
When the ancestors of today’s African Americans were kidnapped and sold into slavery, they did their best to hold onto whatever traditions they could. Though they were deprived of literacy and their families were constantly being separated, making it more difficult to accumulate generational information, certain skills and lessons could be passed down verbally and by hand, including how to care for and style black hair. These same skills, originating from West and Central Africa, still contribute to the way black people take care of their hair today.
Hair styling represents freedom and value
When black people were enslaved, they were made to feel less than human. Hygienic items, suitable grooming supplies, and presentable clothing were often hard to come by, if not restricted altogether. When slavery was abolished in 1865, black people were finally able to present themselves in a way that made them feel valuable. Over the years, presentation has kept its significance within African American culture, especially extending to the meticulous measures often used in sculpting the perfect 'do.
Representation in the media
Media content, including films, TV shows, and advertisements, plays a large part in shaping the way we look at ourselves in relation to the world around us. Throughout the course of history, celebrity role models that represented the many arrays of African American skin tones and hair types were scarce, making it more difficult for black children and adults to feel valued and included in a world they didn’t see themselves in. Today, celebrities like Yara Shahidi and Issa Rae are helping set the stage for natural-haired black women to be themselves on screen and in real life.
Community
At one time, “whites only” signs banned African Americans from using the same facilities as white people, but black people figured out ways to create environments that encouraged community. Specifically, the black hair industry created spaces, like beauty stores, salons, and barbershops, where black people could come together, learn from one another, and share laughs. Now, niche styles — like dreadlocks (usually shortened to locs or dreads) and specialty braids — have created even more specific communities that gather, learn, and share in spaces where black people can feel safe and included among one another.
Cultural entrepreneurship
Throughout history, in order to cater to the countless distinctive curl patterns and different textures of black hair, a variety of products had to be developed by African-American inventors and entrepreneurs. To serve the needs of kinky-haired people, innovative thinkers like Garrett A. Morgan created the first chemical hair relaxer in the early 1900s, while Madam CJ Walker became the first self-made black female millionaire, largely due to her black hair care products. African American hair stylists and barbers have now evolved into teachers, by carrying on the craft, and successful business people, by making a living from their skills within the community.
Symbolism
The versatility of black hair is so great that it has even been used as symbols of political and religious affiliation. During the civil rights movement, some Black Panthers sported large Afros as a statement of pride. Members of the Rastafarian religion are known for growing their hair into dreadlocks, although today most African Americans with locs aren’t Rastas.
