Cornrow braids, also known as canerows, represent far more than just a hairstyle. They are a powerful symbol of African beauty, strength, and cultural identity, with roots stretching back thousands of years. This article delves into the rich history, cultural significance, and modern relevance of cornrow braids.
Ancient Origins and Cultural Significance
Depictions of women with cornrows have been found in Stone Age paintings in the Tassili Plateau of the Sahara, dating as far back as 3000 B.C. There are also Native American paintings as far back as 1,000 years showing cornrows as a hairstyle. This tradition of female styling in cornrows has remained popular throughout Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa and West Africa.
In many African societies, braid patterns and hairstyles indicate a person’s community, age, marital status, wealth, power, social position, and religion. Cornrows are also indicative of a variety of social concepts like kinship, age, religion, ethnicity, status and more such things related to one’s identity.
The first recorded use of the word "cornrow" was in America in 1769, referring to the corn fields of the Americas. In the Caribbean, the style may be referred to as cane rows to represent “slaves planting sugar cane”, and not corn.
In Ethiopia and Eritrea, there are many braided hairstyles which may include cornrows or "shuruba", such as Habesha or Albaso braids, and Tigray shuriba. Though such hairstyles have always been popular with women, Ethiopian men have also worn such hairstyles.
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Cornrow hairstyles in Africa also cover a wide social terrain: religion, kinship, status, age, racial diversity, and other attributes of identity can all be expressed in hairstyle. In African cultures, the grooming and styling of hair have long been important social rituals. Elaborate hair designs, reflecting tribal affiliation, status, sex, age, occupation, and the like, were common, and the cutting, shaving, wrapping, and braiding of hair were centuries-old arts.
The oldest of these depictions are the statues known as the Venus of Brassempouy and the Venus of Willendorf, which date between 23,000 and 29,000 years ago and were found in modern day France and Austria.
As in Africa, grooming was a social activity for Black people on the American plantations; the enslaved Africans were reported helping each other style their hair into a wide variety of appearances. On his visit to a plantation in Natchez, Mississippi, New Englander Joseph lngraham wrote, "No scene can be livelier or more interesting to a Northerner, than that which the negro quarters of a well regulated plantation present, on a Sabbath morning, just before church hour."
Hairstyles were so characteristic of a person, even when their appearance and behaviour was otherwise heavily regulated, that they were often used to identify runaways, and enslaved Africans sometimes had their hair shaved as a form of punishment.
Cornrows as a Means of Resistance
During the Middle Passage, the heads of captured slaves were shaved to take away their culture and identity. Adopting this hairstyle by slaves over their time in the New World was a small act of rebellion and resistance to keep their heritage close to them. The African hair is also quite heavy and in order to maintain a neat and tidy appearance African people started to wear their hair in tight braids like cornrows and more.
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Perhaps the biggest way that cornrows helped the African slave population was by providing a discreet and easy to hide way to transfer and create maps in order to leave their captor’s place. Enslaved Africans also used cornrows to transfer and create maps to leave plantations and the home of their captors.
This act of using hair as a tool for resistance is said to have been evident across South America. 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 17th century. Bioho created his own language as well as intelligence network and also came up with the idea to have women create maps and deliver messages through their cornrows.
The village is a walled city that was meant to be a refuge for escaped slaves and help them get back on their feet. Bioho not only built the village with other escaped slaves but also created their own language, formed an army and even created an intelligence network in order to find, organize and get them to the liberated areas. Bioho was the person that had the idea to have woman create maps and even deliver messages through their cornrows.
Since slaves were rarely given the privilege of writing material or even if they did have it, such kind of messages or maps getting in the wrong hands could create a lot of trouble for the people in question, cornrows were the perfect way to go about such things. No one would question or think that one could hide entire maps in their hairstyle, so it was easy to circulate them without anyone finding out about it.
In the time of slavery in Colombia, hair braiding was used to relay messages. For example, to signal that they wanted to escape, women would braid a hairstyle called departes. “It had thick, tight braids, braided closely to the scalp and was tied into buns on the top. And another style had curved braids, tightly braided on their heads. The curved braids would represent the roads they would [use to] escape. In the braids, they also kept gold and hid seeds which, in the long run, helped them survive after they escaped.
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Another thing that Bioho did was have these women use seeds as decoration in their hair, these seeds were then used as a way for the liberated slaves to grow their own crops.
After having such close and intimate meaning for the African people, cornrows were at large considered to be dirty and unbecoming of ‘normal citizen’ look that people wanted.
There has been a resurgence of braided hairstyles in Colombia in recent years. But this reality is not only evident in Colombia but all around the world.
Modern Popularity and Versatility
Cornrows have become a crowd favorite for women of every culture in the last 10 years. Whereas it used to be worn by children, especially young African and African American girls, the style has become widely popular across women of all ages. Cornrows gained in popularity in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, and again during the 1990s and 2000s.
Cornrow braids can be styled in a variety of ways, including straight lines, curves, and even geometric shapes. They can also be adorned with beads, shells, or other decorative elements. This makes them a versatile hairstyle that can be adapted to suit any taste or occasion.
Here are some of the trendy cornrow hairstyles you can wear:
- Cornrow Styles to the side
- Cornrow Styles in a bun
- Tribal cornrows
- Chunky cornrows
- Middle-part cornrows
- Accessorized cornrows
Benefits of Cornrow Braids
There are many benefits to wearing cornrow braids:
- Protective Style: Cornrow braids can help to prevent hair damage and breakage. They keep the hair close to the scalp, which helps to reduce friction and tangling.
- Low Maintenance: Cornrow braids are relatively low maintenance. They can be washed and conditioned regularly, and they can last for several weeks.
- Stylish: Cornrow braids are a stylish and unique way to express your personality. They can be worn for any occasion, from casual to formal.
- Versatile: Cornrow braids can be worn by people of all ages and hair types. They are a great way to add style and personality to any look.
- Cultural appreciation: Wearing cornrow braids can be a way to show appreciation for African culture and heritage.
The low maintenance nature of cornrow braids is one of the reasons why they are so popular. They are a great way to protect the hair from damage and breakage, and they can also save you time and money on hair care.
Here are some tips for caring for cornrow braids:
- Wash and condition your braids regularly.
- Be gentle when brushing your braids.
- Avoid using harsh chemicals or heat on your braids.
- Cover your braids at night to prevent frizz.
- Take your braids down every 6-8 weeks to give your hair a break.
By following these tips, you can keep your cornrow braids looking their best for weeks.
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Cornrows and Cultural Appropriation
There has always been a lot of discussion and debates concerning the use of African hairstyles by modern celebrities and whether or not it is cultural appropriation. The major consensus, from those who actually know the history and significance behind these hairstyles would agree that the use of them by other cultures is not correct. That is not to say that no one can have these hairstyles, but merely having them as a ‘fashion statement’ is actually insulting to the painful history behind these hairstyles.
So before you go spouting that ‘now we don’t even have the freedom to have a hairstyle we like’, take a look at what these hairstyles actually mean to the Africans or even people of colour.
Cornrows gained in popularity in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, and again during the 1990s and 2000s. Some employers and educational institutions have considered cornrows unsuitable or "unprofessional", and have banned them. Employees and civil rights groups have countered that such attitudes evidence cultural bias or racism, and some disputes have resulted in litigation.
In 1981, Renee Rogers sued American Airlines for their policy which banned cornrows and other braided hairstyles. Other cases, such as Mitchell vs Marriott Hotel and Pitts vs. In 2011, the High Court of the United Kingdom, in a decision reported as a test case, ruled against a school's decision to refuse entry to a student with cornrows.
How to Cornrow Your Hair
Many individuals can cornrow their hair without needing assistance from a stylist. For the DIY purpose, you can create this style by obtaining one or more inches of your hair volume and sectioning it into three parts. Cross the right section under the middle hair section then repeat the process with the left one. You will have to repeat this until you have braided down to the end. If you leave any hair in the middle, it will no longer be cornrows but Dutch braids.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to cornrow your hair:
- Wash hair with conditioner and add treatment oil to keep it moisturized. Some hair textures may demand the use of leave in- conditioners to allow for easy combing.
- Use a tail comb to part the hair to form rows starting from the back. Note that, more sections will mean the braids will be small, while a few sections will form large braids.
- Take a small part of the hair, starting from the front row, and make 3 sections having the same volumes.
- Start weaving by crossing the right or left strand beneath the middle strand and do the same for the remaining strand at the other end
- Repeat the previous step by adding more hair to individual sides from under while braiding into weaves.
- Weave down until you have finished all the strands and there is no hair to add under it. Then, do a traditional 3-strand braid to finish the hair.
- Secure the ends of the hair with an elastic band or a knot.
- Continue braiding by repeating steps 2-7
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to smoothen the edges of your hair, to keep it laying firmly and neatly.
Can Cornrows Cause Hair Damage?
The answer to this question is No! Cornrows will rather grow your hair than damage it. It is a good option if you are considering a protective hairstyle. The main thing is for you to go gentle when tressing the hair. This means you should not knot the braids too tight to prevent loss of hair or tension headache.
You can protect your hair better by applying extra hydration to nourish the strands while wearing the braids. You can also add a leave-in hair conditioner to care for your strands before weaving cornrows. Also, you can go for a more professional look by walking into a hair braiding salon near you.
Add moisture to the hair to avoid dehydration which may be bad for your hair strands. You can do this before going to the salon to get the braids done. If you cannot wash your hair alone, ask your stylist to do it for you before braiding it. Your hairstylist can deep condition the hair and massage your scalp with more hair treatments that will help in protecting your hair.
Conclusion
Cornrow braids are more than just a hairstyle; they are a symbol of resilience, resistance, and cultural pride. From their ancient origins to their modern interpretations, cornrows continue to be a powerful form of self-expression and a tribute to African heritage.
