African American Hairstyle: A Political Statement

The African-American hairstyle gained popularity in the 1960’s when African-American people struggled for equality in the disparate American society. The hairstyle symbolized its people who were making a stand against a culture naturally not their own.

Many black power movers and leaders sported the African-American hair or the “afro” look for political, ideological reasons mostly rather than a fashion statement. Having an afro hair at that time is a statement of pride for the black Americans and their roots in the continent of Africa. It was a statement that Afro-American people are not ashamed of the natural qualities of their hair, where they see beauty that is contradictory to the racial point of view of the white people. While the whites praise the white straight hair, the Afro-American people sported the big and curly afro look to make a stand against the society and to make a stand for their race. And it worked.

The African-American look signified that the blacks were proud of where they came from and will show to the world their race through the color of their skin and through their hair.

The African-American hairstyle has hair that extends out from the head like a ball. The bigger the ball, the funkier one becomes. Sometimes Afro-American hairs balloon to several diameters of the head. The curly hair of most black Americans and their African roots is very conducive for the “Afro-American look,” although ancient Egyptians are also known to have woolen and curled their hair to obtain the hairstyle.

Legend tells it that the Afro-American pop culture traces its roots back to Europe where a certain Jebidiah Jamal Jennkins decided to brush up her hair in protest against the white Europeans whom he suspected of being discriminatory against the blacks.

The African-American look has slowly evolved into popular culture, gaining much acceptance even in the apolitical ranks of the Black American society. Some white Americans had also embraced the hairstyle although it is still much popular among the blacks, whose natural hair quality is accommodates the Afro-American look. The hairstyle has also become one of the defining symbols of the 60’s and 70’s.

Not only for black Americans, hairstyle is a statement of ride of ones culture and heritage. The Afro-American look blends political statement and a personal style. Although there is not much battle for equality at present, the African-American look persist, mainly because of the statement it screams when one does the hairstyle: Individuality and pride.