More than never, braids are trendy! We have them in different styles, color and even size and length. Real symbol of femininity, they can also symbolize strength depending on where they are originally from. However, as much as good and practical we can find them, they also appear to be a real desire of being worn by many women who do not belong to the black community. this provokes the anger of many black women who see it as a cultural appropriation. Therefore, I believe that to have a better understanding of why it is problematic for many women to see non- black women wearing braids, we need to understand the origin of these hairstyles and what do they represent.
Brief Origin and History of Braids
The most ancient origin of braids can be traced back 3500 years before Christ. It was first seen in the Saharan region, most specifically in Namibia among the Himba people. Those women have been braiding their hair for centuries. Different types of braiding were symbolic as they depicted different stages in the life of a girl, to a woman. For instance, before a marriage, the women were styling their hair into four long and thick braids: eembuvi. This hairstyle was made before the ceremony and was symbolizing the change from girl to woman.
The braiding of hair was passed from generation to generation among women. In fact, most women in Africa were having their hair braided as they could symbolize their tribe or even, their social status, but also the age, wealth and spiritual belief.
We also know that braids appeared in Egypt in 3100 before Christ, in Greece around the first century, and later in Europe and even in China.
Braids during slavery
However, during the slave trade, the relationship that African people had with their hair changed drastically. In fact, hair represent, to a certain aspect, your identity. As it was said above, the different hairstyles represented different aspects such as social status, age etc. But a lot of things changed with the occidental slave trade in Africa.
In fact, the slaves were forced to shave their heads for sanitary reasons but also to cut them from their identity and to dehumanized them. Already, there was the idea that kinky hair was dirty and unattractive according to the slave traders and the occidental world.
Yet, not all slaves did shave their hair. Instead they adopted cornrows. Their hair which was mostly a symbol of femininity became a way to survive and to communicate differently outside the African continent.
Cornrows were the most used hairstyles as that time. They were used to share different messages among slaves: for instance, when they wanted to escape from their master, women would braid their hair in a certain way to inform the others. This hairstyle was called “departes”. Moreover, it happened that their hair was used to hide food inside when they were escaping and had to go for a long journey… The hairstyles became a way to survive. Another example is the fact that slaves used to braid their hair in a way that would be used as a map to freedom. The number of cornrows could indicate the number of roads or paths they would have to take to reach their destination.
Today: A reappropriation of the hair and hairstyles
Nowadays, the link that the black community has with their hair is different. After many years as being dehumanized and shaved, the black community tried to reconciliate with their hair.
Still very marginalized, it is sometimes difficult to wear natural afro hair without a weird comment or a weird look or question such as “Can I touch your hair?”.
However, many efforts have been made and many ancestral cultures regarding hairstyles have been kept. Among them can be found the Fulani braids but, also the bantu knots for example.
The black community also found different ways to take care of their hair through different hair products and hairstyles which are all inspired from the ancestral African hairstyles.
Cultural appropriation?
In a society in which black women see their physical appearance criticized and judged negatively most of the time, it is difficult to see non- black women wearing the same hairstyles as them but being congratulated for it.
And I know what some of you will say: “yeah but what about black women who wear wigs and straighten their hair?”. To this I will reply that you are confused between “cultural appropriation” and “assimilation”. The society does not value afro hair the same way it values straight hair. It is still seen as non- professional to work with an afro. Some people will even call it “ugly” and “crazy”. Therefore, when a black woman wears a wig, she is assimilating in a society which does not recognize the beauty of her natural hair because this is a euro- centric society. Some of them do it to be better accepted.
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