-
Slaves in Egypt had to shave their head or wear head wraps. Slaves wore cornrows to symbolize agriculture, order, and civilized lifestyle; cornrows were named after cornfields.
-
Europeans began to trade with West Africans; culture still intact.
-
Slaves hair reflected their labor; Field slaves had to hide their hair and house slaves were forced to wear wigs.
-
The first slaves arrive in Jamestown, Virginia. The African culture begins to fade.
-
Many white people begin to call African hair “woolly”, and by doing that they continue to dehumanize Africans and their cultures.
-
Negro Act is passed in South Carolina telling Black people how they’re allowed to look as a way to degrade their appearance.
-
Slaves have no access to proper hair oils and are forced to use bacon grease and butter.
-
Lighter skinned slaves begin to go for higher prices at auctions; creates colourism.
-
Slavery ends; Black people with “white hairstyles” are considered “well-adjusted” and ”professional.
-
Hot combs (created by the French) became easily available in the U.S.
-
Madame CJ Walker creates a product line for black hair, also popularized the press and curl style; 10 years later become the first American Woman Self-Made Millionaire.
-
Women chemical striaghtener is invented.
-
People are starting to go against society's beliefs; actress Cicely Tyson wears cornrows on TV, model Pat Evans shaves her head, and Angela Davis with her large afros. Natural hairstyles are being used for political awareness.
-
Melba Tolliver was fired from ABC for wearing her Afro at Tricia Nixon’s wedding.
-
Jheri curl becomes popular as a curly perm for blacks; the natural hair movement takes place.
-
Beverly Johnson first black woman to appear on the cover of Vogue wearing long, smoother textured hair.
-
Hip hop brought more Afros; head-wraps gained popularity and were worn to protect hair.
-
Spike Lee’s movie, School Daze, shows the separation between the good hair/bad hair light-skinned/dark-skinned prejudice.
-
Natural Hair becomes more accepted and has more representation.
-
The show Living Single features African American women with a variety of looks and hairstyles.
-
There are more natural hair products.
-
Black hair care is a billion-dollar industry.
-
Glamour magazine degraded natural hair by saying the phrases say no to the fro, dreadlocks are truly dreadful, and the office wasn’t a place for “political” hairstyles.
-
Chris Rock’s “Good Hair” documentary causes more awareness for black women hair and culture.
-
YouTube tutorials encourage many to go natural.
