Roots
Our hair, coiled and vibrant, carries whispers from forgotten times, a living scroll etched with stories of survival and expressions of selfhood. It is not merely a biological extension; it stands as a testament to journeys traversed, resilience forged, and identities asserted across epochs. For those of us connected to Black and mixed-race ancestral lines, our textured hair holds a singular reverence, a silent keeper of wisdom passed through generations. This is a heritage written in each curl, a profound connection to the sources of our being.
Ancestral Understandings of Hair
Across pre-colonial African societies, hair transcended simple aesthetics; it functioned as a sophisticated language, a visual lexicon for an individual’s place within their community. Hairstyles conveyed one’s lineage, marital status, age, or even their position in the social hierarchy. A style could denote a person’s tribal belonging, wealth, or spiritual standing.
The care of hair, involving intricate braiding, twisting, and adornment with beads or shells, was a communal rite, often spanning hours or days, deepening bonds between family and kin. These practices underscored a collective understanding that hair was not separate from the self, but an integral part of one’s holistic existence and a conduit to the divine.
Textured hair, in its myriad forms, serves as a physical archive, preserving ancestral wisdom and communal narratives through time.
Hair as an Ancient Communication System
The ingenuity of ancestral communities found expression in how they manipulated hair, turning it into a medium for coded communication. Before the transatlantic slave trade, certain West African peoples, including the Wolof, Mende, Mandingo, and Yoruba, used hairstyles to carry messages. Such non-verbal systems allowed for subtle yet profound exchanges, an early form of resistance against external forces that sought to control or erase their cultural markers. This silent language persisted even through the cruelest disruptions, taking on new, urgent meaning.
One powerful instance of this hidden communication arose during the transatlantic slave trade and the subsequent enslavement in the Americas. As captives endured the horrific Middle Passage, their heads were often shaved upon arrival, a deliberate act designed to strip them of their identity and sever their ties to their homeland. Yet, even under such brutal conditions, the spirit of ancestral wisdom found ways to persevere. In Colombia, for instance, enslaved African women transformed their cornrows into secret maps for escape routes.
- Departes ❉ A hairstyle of thick braids tied into buns on top, reportedly signaled plans to escape.
- Curved braids ❉ Tightly braided patterns would represent the roads or paths for escape.
- Hidden items ❉ Seeds, gold nuggets, or even small weapons were concealed within these braids, assisting survival once freedom was sought.
Oral traditions in Colombia, particularly among Maroon communities like Palenque de San Basilio, attest that a leader named Benkos Bioho was instrumental in guiding women to create these hair maps. The patterns in cornrows could mimic the topography of the land, depicting rivers as worm-shaped braids or mountains as bantu knots. This clandestine artistry allowed for the transmission of vital information, a quiet rebellion against efforts to dehumanize and disorient those held in bondage.
Ritual
The tending of textured hair has always been a ritual, a continuum of practices shaped by environmental adaptation, cultural preservation, and overt acts of defiance. From ancient African styling methods to contemporary care regimens, each strand holds stories of hands that nurtured, protected, and expressed identity, often under duress. This ongoing dialogue between past and present defines the enduring nature of our hair traditions.
Concealing and Celebrating What Is Our Own
The 18th century saw direct legislative attempts to control the visual expression of Black women’s hair in colonial settings, a testament to the powerful symbolism hair already held. In Spanish-ruled Louisiana, the Tignon Law of 1786 mandated that Black women, both free and enslaved, cover their hair with a headscarf, a tignon, when in public. Governor Esteban Rodríguez Miró hoped to diminish their perceived social status and curb their influence, particularly concerning relationships with white men, who often found Black women’s elaborate hairstyles alluring.
However, those subjected to this law, with characteristic ingenuity, subverted its oppressive intent. Instead of signaling subservience, the tignon became a dynamic canvas for artistic expression and social statement. Women used vibrant fabrics, rich colors, and imaginative wrapping techniques, adorning their headwraps with jewels and ribbons. This transformation turned a badge of forced identification into a declaration of personal style and cultural pride, a silent protest that spoke volumes to those who observed it.
The tignon, therefore, stands as a vivid example of aesthetic resistance, where beauty became a tool for reclaiming autonomy. Even after the law ceased to be enforced, the tignon remained a cherished accessory, a symbol of defiance and African heritage.
How Did Hair Become a Battleground for Freedom?
The 20th century, particularly the mid-1900s, brought new battles for self-determination, with hair again taking center stage. The prevailing beauty standards, rooted in Eurocentric ideals, often led Black women to chemically straighten their hair, a practice prevalent from the 1950s onward. Products and advertising campaigns encouraged this alteration of natural texture.
The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement of the 1960s ushered in a profound shift in self-perception and cultural pride. The rallying cry of “Black Is Beautiful” encouraged Black individuals to embrace their natural features, including their hair, as admirable and dignified. The afro, a rounded, voluminous style, became a powerful symbol of defiance against white beauty standards and a public declaration of racial identity and solidarity. Activists such as Angela Davis wore her afro as a sign of rebellion, influencing many to follow suit.
The resurgence of natural hairstyles in the 1960s served as a visible rejection of imposed beauty standards and a powerful declaration of self-acceptance.
This period marked a rejection of assimilation, with natural hair becoming a political statement. A 1972 study in St. Louis showed that a significant portion of Black youth, 90% of young men and 40% of young women, wore their natural kinks, reflecting a broader national movement. This movement underscored how hair could be a direct expression of political alignment and a deep connection to African roots.
Relay
The relay of heritage is a continuous current, carrying ancestral wisdom into present-day care practices and legal battles. Our hair today stands as a testament to this ongoing journey, a living archive of resistance that continues to shape identity and cultural narratives.
Modern Resurgences of Hair Activism
The echoes of past struggles reverberated into the 2000s with a second wave of the Natural Hair Movement. This resurgence, partly fueled by the accessibility of information through social media and films, saw a widespread return to unprocessed textures. For many, this decision was a reclaiming of personal autonomy and a conscious rejection of historical pressures to conform to Eurocentric aesthetics. It was a cultural shift, legions of Black women abandoning chemical straighteners and pressing combs.
This contemporary movement is not merely about styling preferences; it is deeply rooted in heritage and a conscious effort to challenge persistent discrimination. The long history of policing Black hair in academic and professional spaces culminated in the creation of the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair). This legislation, first introduced in 2019 by California State Senator Holly Mitchell, seeks to prohibit discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locs, and twists. The CROWN Act directly addresses the systemic bias that often forces Black individuals to alter their natural hair to meet workplace or educational standards, linking hair discrimination to racial discrimination.
What Is the Ongoing Relevance of Hair in Identity Struggles?
The persistent need for legal protections underscores the ongoing relevance of hair in identity struggles. Chastity Jones’s experience in 2010, where a job offer was rescinded due to her dreadlocks, highlights the tangible consequences of hair discrimination, directly contributing to the CROWN Act’s urgency. The Act seeks to ensure that everyone can express their cultural identity without facing professional repercussions, affirming Black culture and challenging entrenched biases.
Indeed, a foundational principle of the CROWN Act is the recognition that hair discrimination is a conduit for racial discrimination. It is a tangible manifestation of a deeper societal issue concerning racial bias and the devaluation of Black aesthetics. The conversation surrounding textured hair today carries the weight of centuries of struggle, a silent dialogue between historical oppression and enduring cultural pride. This legislative effort represents not an end, but a significant step in acknowledging and valuing the diverse expressions of Black and mixed-race heritage.
The CROWN Act stands as a legal affirmation that textured hair is an intrinsic part of racial identity, deserving of protection from discrimination.
The journey of textured hair reveals a constant interplay between external pressures and internal strength. From symbolic acts of resistance on plantations to legislative battles in modern courts, the connection between hair, identity, and the struggle for freedom remains vibrant.
Reflection
Each twist, each curl, each carefully placed braid carries the whispers of generations, a living archive of triumphs and tribulations. Textured hair is more than a biological construct; it is a profound testament to memory, a vibrant echo of the source from which we spring. Our heritage, deeply ingrained in the very structure of our strands, tells a story of resistance that is both overt and subtle, a narrative woven into the daily rituals of care and adornment.
The ancestral ingenuity that transformed hair into maps of freedom, or headwraps into statements of defiance, continues to resonate today. The enduring spirit of those who wore their coils as crowns, even when facing disdain, guides the contemporary natural hair movement and the legislative triumphs of the CROWN Act. These acts, separated by centuries, speak to a continuous lineage of self-assertion, where beauty is not just seen, but felt as a profound connection to one’s roots.
To tend to textured hair is to engage in a sacred ritual, to honor the hands that came before, and to connect with the wisdom of ancestral practices. It is a journey of self-discovery and collective remembrance, where every strand holds a story of resilience, identity, and the timeless declaration of belonging. The soul of a strand, truly, lives within us all, a radiant thread of our shared heritage.
References
- Byrd, A. D. & Tharps, L. L. (2014). Hair Story Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. St. Martin’s Griffin.
- Ellington, T. N. Underwood, J. L. & Rogers-Lafferty, S. (2020). Textures The History and Art of Black Hair. The KSU Museum.
- King, V. & Niabaly, D. (2013). The Politics of Black Women’s Hair. Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato, 13(4).
- Patton, T. O. (2013). Hey Girl, Am I More Than My Hair? Communications scholar Tracey Owens Patton.
- Robinson, K. A. (2011). The Blackbody in Motion. University of California Press.
- Sherrow, V. (2006). Encyclopedia of Hair A Cultural History. Greenwood Press.
- White, S. (2005). Releasing the Pursuit of Bouncin’ and Behavin’ Hair Natural Hair as an Afrocentric Feminist Aesthetic for Beauty. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 1(3), 295-308.