THE VERSATILITY OF AFRO HAIR: HOW AFRO HAIR PLAYS A ROLE IN HISTORY AND DAILY LIFE

Afro hair has been revered since African civilizations began. In those days, hair was considered divine because of its position at the top of the head. Hairstyles were used to identify clans and status, also serving as a link between the carrier and his gods.

Hair that was clean, carefully braided and adorned with shells and beads was a sign of vitality, and dirty and unkempt hair was a symbol of affliction.

Moving on to Western history, hair has also played a huge role in helping black people establish a sense of self, create jobs and economic growth, and bring families together.

So, hair is a big deal.

In all of its forms, afro hair is extremely versatile, the one hair type that can withstand a lot of manipulation and that can be styled in as many hairstyles as are known to man.

So the person with a head of afro hair has a history that is different from that of others. They also have the blessing of being able to wear their crown in any style of their choice.

Here is how the versatile afro hair plays a role in our history and our daily lives:

It bonds families:

From time immemorial, hairstyling has always brought families together. In ancient Africa, hairstyling was considered a very intimate and private activity and only entrusted to relatives. The hair maintenance process involved washing, combing, oiling, twisting, braiding, and decorating the hair. This process took anything between several hours to several days to complete. This meant it was a great time for mothers and daughters to bond.

During the slave period, hair making was also one of the activities black women engaged in during their downtimes. Even today, nothing is as precious and as intimate as seeing a little black child getting their hair done by their auntie, grandmother, sister, or mother. That’s what afro hair does; it brings families even closer together.

Afro hair fosters a sense of community:

The black hair industry creates unique spaces like barbershops and beauty stores and salons, where people of colour come together and learn from one another. Beyond barbershops and beauty salons and stores, there is also an excellent online afro hair community. We have hundreds of thousands of hair care blogs, forums, YouTube tutorials, and Instagram tutorials. You are never alone on your hair care journey and will always be a part of a huge community.

We pass on family traditions:

Let me take you back to the slave trade period. When the forefathers of today’s African Americans were kidnapped and enslaved, all they could do was hold as tightly as possible onto whatever traditions that they could. They were not literate and lived under the constant threat of their families being separated. This made the accumulation of generational information almost impossible, but they persevered.

They did manage to pass on certain skills and lessons verbally and through examples, including techniques for caring for and styling black hair. To this very day, the family traditions so passed down form the foundation for black hair care.

Afro hair speaks to a reclaimed personal history:

Because straight hair was the standard for women for such a long time, reclaiming our heritage by going natural is an empowering journey many black women have taken. When a black person starts to grow their natural hair and shuns chemical relaxers, it is the beginning of a reclaimed personal history.

The symbolism of Afro hair:

We have come a long way, such a long way that afro hair, which was once derided, is now glorified as a symbol of certain religious and political affiliations. This uplifting turn began during the civil rights movement era. In recent times, the versatile afro hair has also become a symbol of pride, i.e. Black Panthers. It is also a symbol of certain religions, i.e. Some members of the Rastafarian religion grow their hair into dreadlocks.

Afro hair as rocked by legends:

Diana Ross and Beyoncé are known for their big hair. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bob Marley, and Whoopi Goldberg are famous for their locs. These afro styles have become a part of these icons’ public identity and image. And this is great news for us all. These legends mentioned above are just a tiny fraction of the icons showing how versatile, beautiful, and iconic afro hair is.

Afro hair as a means of showing creativity:

There are so many ways to be creative; art, music, clothes. Hair, too, is a form of creative outlet for people of colour. Many people of colour have lightweight, voluminous hair that is perfect for sculpting and moulding into unique shapes and styles. You can braid, twist, straighten, embellish, and add colourful scarves. There is such a world of creativity to explore with black hair.

Afro hair as a form of entrepreneurship:

Afro hair provides a living for so many people. From history, we learn how African-American inventors and entrepreneurs have created a host of products over the years to cater to the countless distinctive textures and different curl patterns of black hair. Madam CJ Walker became the first self-made black female millionaire, largely due to her line of black hair care products. Today, many afro hair stylists also make a living from their skills within the afro hair community.

Afro hair inspiring the future

Afro hair is impacting the world. As a tool of progression, it has been a consistent catalyst for building and cementing identities and handing down cultural information. It is also inspiring the future generation. We are awake now, fully awake to the many possibilities that afro hair holds. Parents are teaching their children to be proud of the hair that grows out of their head the way that it grows.

And with celebrities like Yara Shahidi and Issa Rae helping to set the stage for natural-haired black women to be themselves on screen and in real life, media representation of afro hair is growing. The future of afro hair is brighter than it has ever been.

What does your hair say about you?

What does your own hair say about you? What will you allow it to speak about you?

How you choose to wear your hair is a personal choice. The good thing is that you now have a choice. The natural hair movement teaches that beauty is no longer gauged solely by European standards. Not that you can no longer wear European-inspired hairstyles, but you can choose it or otherwise reject it solely by choice.

Straight hair. Curly hair. Wavy hair. Coily hair. Whichever you choose to wear, you are beautiful.