Headwraps are a vital part of many cultures, especially in parts of the African region. For ages, African American culture has been intricately intertwined with head wraps, an elegant and versatile headpiece. Headwraps, traditional attire is known or called different names depending on the specific area.
They are not just fashion accessories; they are markers of tenacity, individuality, and ethnic pride. In addition to serving as practical indicators of social standing, marital status, and religious affiliation, they are worn for sun protection. For instance, the Yorubas in Nigeria, a country located in West African, call their folded wraps 'geles'.
Head wraps have been around for quite a considerable amount of years or rather centuries.
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Headwraps indeed have some African roots linked to it. Some make the historical link of origins to royalty in ancient Egypt, Nubia and West Africa. Hieroglyphic evidence points to Pharaohs who wore headbands or covered their hair with wigs. The divine crowns for royalty and gods were made of cloth and had specific meaning and significance (1). In other parts of Africa hair wigs were made of natural materials such as beads, feathers and plant fibres from the baobab tree.
Africans transferred their cultural customs, including the head-wrapping habit, to the Americas when they were forcibly transported there as slaves. However, head wraps acquired additional significance in the context of slavery. During the slave era, many of the slave owners enforced a rule to ensure black women had head coverings. Headscarves aimed to protect the head from lice, the sun, and even sweat. However, they were more or less symbolic markers.
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Despite being forced to do things contrary to their beliefs, what black women did was create several ways to resist. Some of them wore their wraps or coverings in a way that would send signals among themselves, which was indeed void of their master's knowledge. African women who were enslaved were frequently forced to cover their hair as a symbol of their inferiority and submission. Enslaved African women managed to imbue their head wraps with cultural and personal significance despite the harsh circumstances. To preserve a feeling of identity and tradition, they employed elaborate tying techniques and vividly colored textiles.
In 1865, black American women continued creatively wearing headwraps, even after abolishing slavery. However, while rocking the style, it became more associated with homeliness. For black women to become more socially recognized, they began to teach or, better yet, embrace Eurocentric standards for acceptance as well as to be seen as a professional in society back then. During slavery era, slave owners were responsible or preferably in charge of blacks' dress code.
African American women used head wraps after liberation, although the forms and connotations changed. Early in the 20th century, head wraps were linked to domestic labor since so many African American women were employed as nannies and maids. But head wraps also started to show up in settings that were more formal and stylish. African American women embellished them with intricate patterns and vivid hues, indicating a change from utilitarian wear to artistic and culturally expressive pieces.
A significant shift in the history of head wraps in African American culture occurred in the 1960s. African Americans aspired to affirm their identity and reclaim their heritage in the face of institutional racism and oppression as the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum. Head wraps became a symbol of Black pride and unity worn by activists and prominent figures such as Angela Davis and Nina Simone, who were influenced by the African independence movements and the increasing recognition of African ancestry. The head wrap evolved into a visual declaration of cultural identity and political opposition, and it is now frequently styled in the African tradition.
In 2019 the state of California ruled that it was illegal to discriminate in workplaces and schools on the basis of natural hair with the CROWN Act. Reclaiming pride in traditions and claiming the undeniable beauty of Blackness requires constant effort. Headscarves have been allies in the work place for blacks - keeping them protected from harm, acting as a canary in the coal mine to communicate with our people, and as an unabashedly boisterous crown of pride - worn high and bright.
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It is a reminder of that which is already within (strength, royalty, and the legacy of an unbreakable people). No matter where you travel throughout the African diaspora, whether it be throughout the United States, South America, or Africa, the head scarf has stood the test of time and remains an important part of Black culture - pre-colonial, colonial, and present day. Using headwraps as protection is still a very valid act of self-care. As Maya Angelou said “Your crown has been bought and paid for.
Head wraps are becoming more and more popular as identity and fashion accessories in today's world. African Americans of various ages and backgrounds embrace them for everything from high fashion to daily wear. Many people find that connecting with their African heritage and honoring their cultural traditions can be achieved by donning a head wrap. African Americans' ingenuity and tenacity are demonstrated by the history of head wraps in African American culture.
The National Museum of African American History & Culture (2016), Washington DC. At first sight, the building’s architecture follows classical Greco-Roman form in its use of a square base and shaft, topped by a capital or corona. In fact is not that, the corona is inspired by the three-tiered crowns used in Yoruban art of West Africa.
The Youruba (Benin, Nigeria and Togo) with migrant communities in parts of Ghana and Sierra Leone are responsible for one of the finest artistic traditions in Africa, a tradition that remains live and influential today. In traditional Yoruba religious belief, the crown is the key emblem of the power of a sanctified reign, signaling the transformation of the human wearing it into a conduit to the spiritual, ancestral realm.
In other words, Art Historian Robert F. Thompson of the University of Yale, an specialist in art of Africa, points out that “the crown incarnates the intuition of royal ancestral force, the revelation of great moral insight in the person of the king, and the glitter of aesthetic experience.” Also the crowns are carried especially among women as a headdress.
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The museum acquired this crown through the art market. It is theorized that the crown was sold originally because the beadwork of the veil was damaged, which diminished its original significance and purpose. The crown originally belonged to Onijagbo Obasoro Alowolodu, who was a king of Ikere in the southwestern part of present day Nigeria.
If you look closely, you'll see that a beaded veil covers the area where his face would be. By hiding the face, it depersonalizes the king and emphasizes the idea of divine kingship. The crown itself is seen as a symbol of kingship, which kings from the area still wear today.
The face above the veil has been interpreted as being the god Olokun, who created the land and invented beads. It could also be Oduduwa, the first king of the ancient Yoruba capital who all kings claimed descent from. The figures on horseback are representations of the king's military strength. They are wearing are bowler hats, which speak to British military presence in the region. They are unique to crowns made by this artist.
Olowe of Isle Yoruba sculpture is the focal point of the Cultural Expressions gallery installed on the museum 4th floor, surrounded by sound and interactive exhibitions: music, sport, crafts, fashion, etc. that define African American people. This multi-figural veranda post is on long term loan from the Museum of Five Continents based in Munich, Germany. The veranda post carving depicts a priest mounted on a horse, with worshipers at the base, topped by a crown-like form that is echoed in the tiered structure of the buildings façade.
Debora Stokes, a specialist in Yoruba art of Nigeria, points out that crowned head of this figures “has been positioned so that it would be viewed at eye level in the original veranda setting. His feet are not allowed to touch the earth, a symbol of his transcendent position. His eyes are downcast, introspective, and attentive to the world beyond.” He treats the heads as a single ovoid and the convention of elongating the figure, head, and neck can be seen in many of Olowe’s carvings, as a way to “creating a solid ‘mounting’ to visually highlight the importance of the head that holds ase, or the inner spiritual power, dignity, strength, and sacredness of one’s destiny.” The conical crowns means the legitimacy of his reign.
So, the significance of Africa as a cultural source for African Americans and other people of the African diaspora is symbolized by this striking work of art.
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Origins | Ancient Egypt, Nubia, West Africa |
| Materials | Cloth, beads, feathers, plant fibers |
| Symbolism | Royalty, religion, status, resistance |
| Modern Use | Fashion, cultural expression, identity |
