Black Hair

Throughout the history of blacks being in America their hair has played a vital role. During slavery black women were forced by white women to tie their hair up and put their hair away, the purpose of this was to take away the femininity that hair brings to a women. The women were already seen as Jezabels who were after the masters, so this was a way to make them less attractive. Towards the end of slavery light skinned negroes would curl and straighten their hair in order to pass for white. This was a very common thing. Whoever could, did, for the most part. Fast forward to post slavery, the first black billionaire literally became rich from black hair. Madam C.J. Walker created the hot come. This tool combed heat through hair to straighten it out. After so many straightens, hair would be less likely to fully kink or curl. Today we know this as heat damage. At this time, black women were desperately trying to fit in, in order to get jobs and less abuse from the outward community. After straightened, their hair would be styled more closely to white styles. Eventually a perm was created and that pretty much put the Hot Comb out of business. This tool made it possible to instantly straighten one's hair. Hair would remain straight, until new hair grew. Even men were wearing perms. This straightening technique would maintain for many years after this. Moving down toward the 70’s which is known as the Soul Period, or Black Power Era, straightening hair became a thing of the past. Blacks wore their hair in afros. This was a true statement piece, as well as a politically tactic. The afro showed power and standing against the norm. It was a style that most black hair textures could do easily and a way for them to bond. Whites often times try to join the wave and where some version of the afro, but it was at this point that they were trying to be like blacks, not the other way around. Into the 80’s we get Jerry Curls and deep waves. Jerry curls were chemically produced hairstyle that resembled white curly hair. Looking back at it, this was a step backwards. Also women wore a lot of heat tools styles, such as flips, crimps, deep waves and press outs. It would be in the 80’s and 90’s that many heat tools and rollers would become popular tools. Unfortunately, this would be almost killing the progress of the afro. Blacks, although they had their own spend on it, were once again wearing white hairstyles. Straight hair would be on the rise all the way into the 2000’s. Things would change a bit however. Black women started to get extensions and hair coloring. All of these things which can be extremely damaging to black hair became the popular and the norm. Weaves were the way for so long. They were the first hairstyles that black women used to truly get a “white look.” Singers, dancers, actresses and many other media bond women wore weaves. At this time, young black girls were also wearing perms again. Straight hair or wavy hair was the way to go. Now a few years later in 2017, the Team Nature movement has shut shit down. To be nature is to for a black women to wear her hair in its natural state. Now you see afros, coils and curls and it once again has set the black community apart. Now while there is not all positive things to say about natural hair, this hair trend, like during the Black Power Era has sparked conversation and given blacks a reason to bond once again.

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