Black Hair: Our Power and Crowning Beauty

In pre-colonial Afrikan societies, hair was a symbol of crowning beauty. It was a reflection of one's wealth, religion, ethnic identity, and marital status. In the spiritual nature, Afrikan hair was used to communicate vitality, prosperity and fertility when contacting the divine. Upon the arrival of slavery and enslavement, Afrikan hair that once symbolized natural deity, strength, and procreation, became demonized and fueled with misconceptions, disinformation, and distortions.

The resurgence of Black natural hair began in the late 1960s. Those who could not style their hair into afros wore afro wigs, locs, twists, and Bantu knots, and the revival of Black hair was essential to reclaiming our cultural identity. In the 1970s liberation movement across North America, natural Black hair became a political statement against anti-Black racism, with folks showing off their afros, locs, and intricate braid-ups.

Our hair carries our DNA: it represents lineage, strength, a life source to our spiritual divinity, jammed packed with energy, our hair is evergreen, as it stands in harmony with all seasons.

In this webinar, we will discuss:

• Pre-colonization – Black hair before slavery
• Slavery and enslavement — Demonization of Black hair
• Integrational trauma and sexualization of Black hair
• Resurgence period — The need for cultural autonomy
• The construction and roles of the Black barbershops, salons, and clubs