But this reality is not only evident in Colombia but all around the world. [su_pullquote]Today, black women with nappy hair – that is, natural and chemical-free – are desirable despite the popular discourse to the contrary. Then why did the straight hair slave wear their hair wrapped. Advert? Think for example of how Lupita Nyong’o has become a household name even though she is nappy and has dark skin. People will even cite the “anecdotal” evidence that Bob Marley’s dreads had 47 different types of lice when he died. It is most documented in Colombia where Benkos Bioho, a King captured from Africa by the Portuguese who escaped slavery, built San Basilio de Palenque, a village in Northern Colombia around the 17thcentury. In fact, I would argue that most white people don’t know anything about black hair, and get most of their misconceptions about what it is from black people. I thought wearing the head wrapped was part of some African traditions. Teslim Opemipo Omipidan is an award winning Nigerian journalist, poet, writer, historian and founder of OldNaija.com. Fair skin and straight hair remain the top beauty ideals for people of all colors. OldNaija is an online platform dedicated to documenting and promoting the history of Ngeria. The question, “can I touch it?” becomes one of the most awkward social moments and can break relationships before they even start. The only conclusion we can reach is that it is only under conditions of war and colonialism that black people present their hair as “unkept”. Black hair during the slave trade. Before the war the Ethiopian elite sported very neat Afros. He was listed among the 100 most influential Nigerian youths in 2018 alongside Falz, Davido, Simi and others. By choosing not to tease and tame your hair, you are also choosing to let your hair express its personality rather than look like everyone else’s hair. The policing associated with ‘black hair’ today, makes it necessary to look back at its historical myths. No thief our contents o or else we report you to Google. These are out of reach for most people and it makes them unhappy. Cornrows have long been a facet of African beauty and life. © 2014 - 2021 | All Rights Reserved | OldNaija, How The Cornrow Hairstyle Was Used As An Escape Map From Slavery Across South America. The vibrant styles have a poignant history however as they originate from the time of slavery, when Afro-Colombian women sat to comb their children's hair after a day of backbreaking work. In many African societies, braid patterns and hairstyles indicate a person’s community, age, marital status, wealth, power, social position, and religion. However, even in this instance, the misconception is that dreadlocks equal Rastafarianism. In America, the head-wrap was a utilitarian item, which kept the slave's hair protected from the elements in which she worked and helped to curb the spread of lice. Our hair (as does all hair) locks naturally when it is left uncombed or unbrushed. Many black women and men who wear weaves and relax their hair will explain their choice by either saying that their natural hair is “unmanageable” or that natural hair is “dirty”. For example, to signal that they wanted to escape, women would braid a hairstyle called departes. There are two main misconceptions that are urgent for understanding what the governing body and headmistress of Pretoria Girls High may have been thinking – or not thinking. She was a junior at my school. It is just one of several hundred ways of growing and maintaining curly hair. In … To be exact, matted African hair was transported to the Caribbean by images of Ethiopian soldiers who were fighting the Italian invasion which began in 1935.