Black beauty, Black culture, Black love, achievements, and our truest essence should always be uplifted. Honoring Black women, and telling the different stories of our journey is so incredibly bold and remarkable. So let’s talk about all things hair!  Every Black woman has grown to have a journey behind her hair. The significance of our hair lies deep within our beautiful history and has stuck with us, as we use it in ways  to express who we are. Black history should truly be told within every aspect of our everyday lives, so to honor the aspects of Black beauty, here’s the history of Black hair, and why our stories mean so much to who we are. 

Our History 

Many of the hairstyles that we so often see worn today such as box braids and cornrows, date back to the times of slavery.  Black women would use these braided hair patterns in order to communicate. These hairstyles were a way to navigate and map out routes towards freedom. To further this intelligence and creativity, these women also would hide seeds, and grains of rice in their hair to have nourishment once they’ve achieved freedom. Hair has been a sacral symbol of freedom, strength, and expression for Black women. For there is endless knowledge and brilliance woven into every braid Black women wear, and that is so incredibly beautiful

History of Black Hairstyles

 Black culture has a variety of hairstyles unique to the Black community, such as locs, twists, straightbacks, box braids, and cornrows to name a few. These hairstyles are also a part of our rich history and beautiful culture. Styles like locs have symbolized many things among the Black community, such as devotion to purity, and the belief of keeping things natural. Locs emphasize the love for the natural formation of Black hair, and our hair’s versatility and beauty. 

Road to loving my hair

Growing up, I would say that my journey to loving my hair was not always easy.  However, as I grew and evolved, I began to find that learning about, and doing my natural hair served as a form of self care for me. Learning about my natural hair in more depth, and my hair type, has inspired me to want to explore many different styles such as box braids, slick back pony’s, and twist outs. Finding comfort in my hair, regardless of the style, was a struggle, but one of the greatest things I can say I have accomplished. I love the complexity of Black hair, and the ability for the Black community to represent each style so effortlessly.