Hair Heritage

African hairstyles are diverse and rich in history, creativity, and cultural significance. They vary widely across different regions and ethnic groups, reflecting the continent’s vast cultural diversity. Here are some of the main types of African hairstyles:

1. Braids and Plaits: These include a wide variety of styles such as box braids, cornrows (also known as canerows in the Caribbean), and micro braids. Braids can be styled in countless ways and often incorporate beads, shells, and other adornments.
2. Twists: This style involves sectioning the hair and twisting the sections around one another. Examples include two-strand twists and flat twists, which lie flat against the scalp.
3. Afros: The afro is a natural hairstyle where the hair is combed out to form a halo around the head. It became particularly popular during the 1960s and 70s as a symbol of black pride and natural beauty.
4. Bantu Knots: Bantu knots originate from the Bantu people of Africa. The hair is sectioned, twisted, and then wrapped to form small, coiled buns.
5. Locs: Locs (previously known as “Dreadlocks”, a term that is deemed racist due to its etymology. involve matting the hair into ropes or locks. This style has been worn for centuries in Africa, with significant cultural and spiritual meanings in different communities.
6. Fulani Braids: Named after the Fulani people of West Africa, this style combines cornrows and box braids, often adorned with beads, cowrie shells, and gold clips. It’s characterized by a distinct pattern of braiding, usually featuring one or more cornrows braided in the opposite direction.
7. Threaded Hairstyles: Hair threading uses a thin thread to wrap around sections of hair from root to tip. This traditional African method of styling and stretching hair is known as African threading.
8. Twist-Outs and Braid-Outs: These styles are created by unraveling twists or braids to leave the hair with a defined curly or wavy pattern. They are popular for showcasing the natural texture of the hair.
9. Protective Styles: Though not a specific hairstyle, protective styles cover a range of methods intended to protect the ends of the hair from damage. These include wigs, weaves, and extensions that can mimic various natural African hairstyles, providing versatility while protecting the hair.

Each of these hairstyles carries its own history, cultural significance, and variations. They reflect the creativity, adaptability, and resilience of African cultures and their descendants around the world.

Cornrows, also known as canerows in the Caribbean, are a traditional African style of hair braiding where the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to produce continuous, raised rows. Cornrows are more than just a hairstyle; they carry a rich history that dates back thousands of years to the African continent, serving as a symbol of identity, status, and heritage among African people.

Cultural Significance

Hairstyles served multiple purposes within African societies:

• Identity: Hairstyles could indicate a person’s age, ethnic identity, marital status, wealth, and rank within the community. Different tribes and regions had distinctive braiding styles, enabling individuals to express their origins and affiliations.
• Social Status: Intricate designs often signified higher social status. The more complex the braids, the higher the status of the wearer, as they indicated that one had the resources to dedicate time and manpower to hair styling.
• Spirituality: Hair was, and still is, considered powerful and spiritual in many African cultures. Cornrows and other braided styles were believed to be a way to communicate with the divine, with each braid representing a rope to God.

Practicality

These hairstyles were also practical for African people, especially considering the climate of Africa. The style kept hair neat and tidy, protected it from the harsh sun, and was conducive to the physical labor many engaged in daily. It was also a method for managing hair that could otherwise become unmanageable in its natural state due to the heat and humidity.

The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Diaspora

The transatlantic slave trade had a profound impact on African hairstyles. Enslaved Africans brought their cultural practices, including hair braiding, to the Americas. Despite the harsh conditions and the attempts by slave owners to strip Africans of their cultural identity, the practice of these hairstyles persisted as a form of resistance and a way to maintain a connection to African heritage.

In the Caribbean and South America, enslaved people used these hairstyles as a means to keep their hair neat but also to convey messages, mark maps for escape routes, and even to transfer seeds hidden within the braids for planting crops.

Modern Times

Today, traditional African hairstyles have spread globally and are embraced by people of all backgrounds, often sparking conversations about cultural appropriation. In the African diaspora, these hairstyles remain a symbol of pride, heritage, and resistance against assimilation. They have been popularized by celebrities, athletes, and more, further embedding them into the fabric of modern fashion and identity.

However, despite their widespread popularity, African Americans and other people of African descent have faced discrimination and prejudice for wearing cornrows and other natural hairstyles, leading to movements and legislation like the CROWN Act in the United States, which seeks to protect individuals from discrimination based on hairstyles.

The history of these hairstyles is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and enduring strength of African culture and its ability to survive and adapt through centuries of change and challenge.

Some examples of hairstyles I did on our children are shown below. Our children are of Nigerian, British, & Chinese heritages. Their hairstyles are celebrating their Nigerian heritage; their Dad washes, conditions, & treats their hair while I style it; it takes 2 – 3 hours per child to complete the wash, treatment, and styling. Then a week later, I take the hairstyles out, then we start the process again. To maintain the health of Black hair, Dermatologists suggest washing Black hair once a week or every other week. This routine aids in minimizing the accumulation of hair care products, which can lead to dryness in the hair. This hair care routine is one that has taught our family about patience and results of preparation as well as celebrating their culture. Another benefit for us is that our 4- and 7-year old children have learnt how to communicate their wishes for styling or for a pause during the styling in a way that is kind and loving. They are always so proud of their hairstyles and are developing their creativity when they ask for specific hairstyles.

Once or twice a year, the children get their hair trimmed and deep conditioned by our amazing professional Hairstylist, Yvette; she is also a guide for my husband & I with respect to best hair care products and processes we should use to maintain the children’s hair.

I showed their faces in some of the portraits but for the actual project, the BIPOC individuals will have anonymity similar to those portraits with the subjects facing away from the camera lens. I attempted to obscure their faces with some of their toys; however, I would prefer to explore other ways to preserve their anonymity, perhaps through the use of other cultural accessories.

This project will also research the optimal way to present the BIPOC hairstyles after an exploration of the technicalities and logistics of making the hairstyles.

There are more examples of styles I did on our eldest child in this reel. For this project, I aim to take more photographs of the other types of hairstyles mentioned earlier using different lighting and backgrounds. The subjects will be a variety of BIPOC individuals whose hairstyles were done by the subjects themselves, or by a family member, or a friend, or by paid professional hairstylists. Their anonymity will be preserved.

Links that discuss why “Crazy Hair Day” must be challenged and discontinued in schools and child care facilities:

Theme days schools should avoid (and what to do instead)

On “Crazy Hair Day”: A letter to Daycare

Crazy Hair Day by Educator Arianna Lambert

Fear and discomfort shouldn’t block anti-racism efforts in schools

This is the start of the research referenced within the Grant application. Much more photos and research will follow if Grant is approved.