Head Wraps Aren't Just a NYFW Accessory
Head wraps and turbans seem to be trending in the world of hair and fashion. But the history behind extravagant head wraps goes far beyond runway shows and YouTube tutorials. The practices dates back to pre-colonial African history in sub-Saharan Africa, and head wraps were considered symbols of status, marriage, and family lineage. During the Transatlantic Slave Trade, they were one of the few cultural pieces enslaved Africans were able to bring to the Americas.
But they were soon used as a tool of oppression: white slave masters forced African women to wear them as symbols of their enslavement. The beautiful cultural symbol was watered down to nothing more than a badge of shame and projected inferiority. In recent years, the natural hair movement has begun to reclaim these garments and the fashion industry is taking note. Head wraps even appeared at NYFW with models walking down the runway in afro-centric wraps and garments. But these pieces are more than a trend, and they still hold deeply-rooted symbolism for many African-Americans. Here’s a look at the history of African head wraps:
Getty Images1/9The History of Headwraps
Head wraps pre-date religious influence in Africa, and are used by women from a wide range of spiritual beliefs. The styles of wraps are often correlated with age, status, and lineage.
Getty Images2/9Sojourner Truth
However, in the United States, wraps have a much darker history. They were forced on African women as symbols of slavery. There were laws in place that made it illegal for black and bi-racial women to be in public without something covering their hair — a law that did not apply to white women. This law also applied to freed slaves, and was meant to shame black hair. Even after women like abolitionist Sojourner Truth were freed, many were still obligated to cover their hair.
Glenn Koenig/Getty Images3/9The Black Mammy Character
After the abolishment of slavery, black women who worked for white families were still forced to cover their hair with a simple cloth, and it continued to be a symbol of servitude.
David Redfern4/9Nina Simone
The legendary American soul singer was often seen wearing elegant wraps, at a time when black women were encouraged to wear wigs and hide their blackness in white spaces. Wrapping her hair in African-inspired patterns was her defiance.
New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images5/9Ms. Lauryn Hill
Everything about Ms. Lauryn Hill is iconic — from the looks she serves to her timeless lyrics. Her album brought with it a new wave of Afrocentric empowerment for black women everywhere — and without knowing it, became one of the inspirations for the natural hair movement.
Paul Morigi/Getty Images6/9Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys made headlines when she announced she would no longer be wearing makeup in 2016. Since then, she’s been regularly seen with wraps and natural hair.
AFP/Getty Images7/9Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita has stayed true to her Kenyan roots and has regularly paid tribute to her culture on the red carpet.
Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images8/9Paola Mathe
At this year’s New York Fashion Week, a range of designers wrapped their models in traditional African garments. The problem with this is it erases the history and the struggle of so many black women if we do not pay homage to the legacy of these wraps. In 2016, African-American students at a North Carolina high school had to protest for the right to wear cultural wraps. It’s 2017, and the world is still trying to control what a black woman does to her hair. While wraps are beautiful, it’s important that artists using cultural pieces support the black women who are still being denied their culture.
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