Cornrows Explained

Cornrows (also called canerows) are a style of three-strand braids in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to make a continuous, raised row.[1] Cornrows are often done in simple, straight lines, as the term implies, but they can also be styled in elaborate geometric or curvilinear designs. They are considered a traditional hairstyle in many African cultures, as well as in the African diaspora.[2] [3] [4] They are distinct from, but may resemble, box braids, Dutch braids, melon coiffures, and other forms of plaited hair, and are typically tighter than braids used in other cultures.[5]

The name cornrows refers to the layout of crops in corn and sugar cane fields in the Americas and Caribbean,[6] where enslaved Africans were displaced during the Atlantic slave trade.[7] According to Black folklore, cornrows were often used to communicate on the Underground Railroad and by Benkos Biohó during his time as a slave in Colombia.[8] They often serve as a form of Black self-expression,[9] especially among African Americans, but have been stigmatized in some cultures.[10] Cornrows are traditionally called "kolese" or "irun didi" in Yoruba, and are often nicknamed "didi braids" in the Nigerian diaspora.[11]

Cornrows are worn by both sexes, and are sometimes adorned with beads, shells, or hair cuffs. The duration of braiding cornrows may take up to five hours, depending on the quantity and width.[12] Often favored for their easy maintenance, cornrows can be left in for weeks at a time if maintained through careful washing of the hair and natural oiling of the scalp. Braids are considered a protective styling on African curly hair as they allow for easy and restorative growth; braids pulled too tightly or worn for longer lengths of time and on different hair types can cause a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia.[13]

History

Africa

Modern cornrows originated in Africa, where they likely developed in response to the unique textures of African hair,[14] and have held significance for different cultures throughout recorded history.[15] [16] [17] Early depictions of women with what appear to be cornrows have been found in Stone Age paintings in the Tassili Plateau of the Sahara, and have been dated as far back as 3000 B.C. A similar style is also seen in depictions of the ancient Cushitic people of the Horn of Africa, who appear to be wearing this style of braids as far back as 2000 B.C.[18] In Nubia, the remains of a young girl wearing cornrows has been dated to 550–750 A.D.[19] Cornrows have also been documented in the ancient Nok civilization in Nigeria, in the Mende culture of Sierra Leone,[20] and the Dan culture of the Côte d'Ivoire.

Women in West Africa have been attested wearing complex hairstyles of threaded or wrapped braids since at least the 18th century. These practices likely influenced the use of cornrows and headwraps (such as durags) among enslaved Africans taken to the Americas. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, there are many braided hairstyles which may include cornrows or "shuruba", such as Habesha or Albaso braids, and Tigray shuriba.[21] [22] Though such hairstyles have always been popular with women, Ethiopian men have also worn such hairstyles. In 19th century Ethiopia, male warriors and kings such as Tewodros II and Yohannes IV were depicted wearing braided hairstyles, including the shuruba.[23] [24] [25]

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. Just as important is the act of braiding, which passes on cultural values between generations, expresses bonds between friends, and establishes the role of professional practitioner.[26] Braiding is traditionally a social ritual in many African cultures—as is hairstyling in general—and is often performed communally, as White and White explain:

Europe

There have been a number of examples of European art and sculpture described as similar to modern cornrows, such as plaits, the melon coiffure and sini crenes.

The oldest of these depictions are the statues known as the Venus of Brassempouy[27] [28] and the Venus of Willendorf,[29] [30] [31] which date between 23,000 and 29,000 years ago[32] and were found in modern day France and Austria. Whether these statues feature cornrows, another type of braids, headdresses, or some other styling has been a matter of vigorous debate — most historians rule out cornrows, however. The Venus of Brassempouy is often said to wear a wig or a patterned hood,[33] while the Venus of Willendorf is said to be wearing plaited hair or a fibrous cap.

Since the early 5th century B.C., Ancient Greek and Roman art shows men and women with a characteristic melon coiffure, especially in the "Oriental Aphrodite" tradition, which may be confused with cornrows.[34] [35] [36] The traditional hairstyle of Roman Vestal Virgins, the sini crenes, also incorporates two braids that resemble cornrows.[37] [38] [39]

Americas

The first recorded use of the word "cornrow" was in America in 1769, referring to the corn fields of the Americas. The earliest recorded use of the term "cornrows" to refer a hairstyle was in 1902. The name "canerows" may be more common in parts of the Caribbean due to the historic role of sugar plantations in the region.[6]

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."[40] 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. Generally, however, slaveholders in the British colonies gave their Black slaves a degree of latitude in how they wore their hair.[41] Thus, wearing traditional hairstyles offered a way to assert their bodily autonomy when they otherwise had none.[42]

Enslaved Black people may have chosen to wear cornrows to keep their hair neat and flat to their scalp while working; the other styles they developed alongside cornrows blended African, European and Native American trends and traditions.[43] African-American, Afro-Latino and Caribbean folklore also relates multiple stories of cornrows being used to communicate or provide maps for slaves across the "New World".[44] Today, such styles retain their link with Black self-expression and creativity, and may also serve as a form of political expression.[45] [46]

Cornrows gained in popularity in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, and again during the 1990s and 2000s. In the 2000s, some athletes wore cornrows, including NBA basketball players Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, and Latrell Sprewell.[47] Some female mixed martial artists have chosen to wear cornrows for their fights as it prevents their hair from obscuring their vision as they move.[48] [49] [50]

Attitudes to cornrows

Colonial attitudes and practices towards Black hairstyles have traditionally been used to reinforce racism, exclusion and inequality.[51] For example, during the 18th century, slaves would sometimes have their hair shaved as a lesser form of punishment. Eurocentric beauty standards, which often denigrate Black hairstyles, can lead to internalized racism, colorism, and marginalization, which negatively affect Black people—and Black women in particular.[52] [53] Related valuations of hair texture—which portray straighter hair as "good hair" and curlier hair as "bad hair"—are emphasized through the media, advertising, and popular culture.[54] These attitudes to hair can devalue African heritage and lead to discrimination.[55] The unique type of discrimination that arises from prejudice towards Black women's hair is called natural hair discrimination.[56] [57] [58] Despite these challenges, cornrows have gained popularity among Black people as a way to express their Blackness, creativity and individuality.

Over the decades, cornrows, alongside dreadlocks, have been the subject of several disputes in U.S. workplaces, as well as universities and schools. Some employers and educational institutions[59] 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.[60] 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. Wild Adventures, soon followed.[61] Since other traditional Black hairstyles are also often banned, Black women may be forced to straighten their hair or emulate European hairstyles at significant additional cost. The intersection of racialized and gendered discrimination against Black women is often called misogynoir.[62] In California, the CROWN Act was passed in 2019 to prohibit discrimination based on hair style and hair texture.[63]

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. The school claimed this was part of its policy mandating "short back and sides" haircuts, and banning styles that might be worn as indicators of gang membership. However, the court ruled that the student was expressing a tradition and that such policies, while possibly justifiable in certain cases (e.g. skinhead gangs), had to accommodate reasonable racial diversities and cultural practices.[64]

In some African nations, regularly changing hairstyles can be seen as a sign of social status for a woman, while advertising continues to promote straighter hairstyles as fashionable. Braids provide a way for women to maintain their hair, and are sometimes used with Chinese or Indian wigs to rotate hairstyles.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: cornrow (noun) . 2024-02-27 . Oxford English Dictionary.
  2. Baron . Robert . 2010 . Sins of Objectification? Agency, Mediation, and Community Cultural Self-Determination in Public Folklore and Cultural Tourism Programming . The Journal of American Folklore . 123 . 487 . 63–91 (89) . 10.5406/jamerfolk.123.487.0063 . 0021-8715.
  3. Essah . Doris S. . Fashioning the Nation: Hairdressing, Professionalism and the Performance of Gender in Ghana, 1900-2006. . 2008 . Thesis . en-US. p. 221.
  4. Leong . Nancy . 2021 . Enjoyed by White Citizens . Georgetown Law Review . 109 . 1421 . 1430.
  5. Web site: Underwood . Khalea . 2019-08-24 . Cornrows, Braids, Twists, Oh My: How To Spot The Difference In Braiding Styles . 2024-02-27 . Refinery29.
  6. Book: Charlotte Mensah . Good Hair: The Essential Guide to Afro, Textured and Curly Hair . 29 October 2020 . Penguin Books Limited . 978-0-241-98817-6 . 42.
  7. Quampah, B., Owusu, E., Adu, V. N. F. A., Agyemang Opoku, N., Akyeremfo, S., & Ahiabor, A. J. (2023). "Cornrow: a medium for communicating escape strategies during the transatlantic slave trade era: evidences from Elmina Castle and Centre for National Culture in Kumasi". International Journal of Social Sciences: Current and Future Research Trends (IJSSCFRT), 18:1. pp. 127-143.
  8. Web site: Irbahim . Nur . 2022-03-12 . Did Braiding Maps in Cornrows Help Black Slaves Escape Slavery? . 2024-02-27 . Snopes.
  9. Dash . Paul . 2006-01-31 . Black hair culture, politics and change . International Journal of Inclusive Education . en . 10 . 1 . 27–37 . 10.1080/13603110500173183 . 1360-3116.
  10. Spellers, R. E. (2000). Cornrows in corporate America: Black female hair/body politics and socialization experiences in dominant culture workplace organizations. Arizona State University. p.iii.
  11. Web site: Kia . Kara . 2021-02-05 . It's Time We Ditch the Words "Cornrows" and "Canerows" and Call Them Didi Braids Instead . 2024-02-29 . POPSUGAR Beauty UK . en-GB.
  12. Web site: Cornrow Braid Styles . Africanamericanhairstyling . 2018-08-11 . 26 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180726195243/http://africanamericanhairstyling.com/cornrow-braid-styles/ . dead .
  13. News: Braiding 'can lead to hair loss' . BBC News . 2007-08-24 . 2010-04-30.
  14. White . Shane . White . Graham . 1995 . Slave Hair and African American Culture in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries . The Journal of Southern History . 61 . 1 . 45–76 . 10.2307/2211360 . 0022-4642.
  15. Web site: 2011-06-12 . History of Cornrow Braiding: African Orgins 1.d . https://web.archive.org/web/20110612120134/http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/Eglash/csdt/african/CORNROW_CURVES/culture/african.origins.2.htm . 2011-06-12 . 2024-03-01 . ccd.rpi.edu.
  16. Web site: The evolution of cornrows - Reader's Digest . 2024-02-27 . www.readersdigest.co.uk . en-GB.
  17. Web site: Dreadlocks Hairstyle, History, Cultural Appropriation, & Locs Britannica . 2024-10-28 . www.britannica.com . en.
  18. Book: Encyclopedia of African history and culture: Ancient Africa (prehistory to 500 CE), Volume 1 . Facts on File . 2001 . 978-0816044726 . Willie F. Page . 36.
  19. DeLongoria, M. (2018). Misogynoir:* Black Hair, Identity Politics, and Multiple Black Realities. Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, 12(8), 39-49 (40).
  20. Web site: 2011-06-12 . History of Cornrow Braiding: African Origins1.c . http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/Eglash/csdt/african/CORNROW_CURVES/culture/african.origins.1.b.htm . 2011-06-12 . 2024-03-01 . ccd.rpi.edu.
  21. Web site: Staff . Shine My Crown . 2023-06-20 . Albaso Braids: Modern Ethiopian Braids & Hairstyles . 2024-03-01 . Shine My Crown . en-US.
  22. Web site: 2022-10-04 . 20 Ethiopian Hairstyle Ideas – Forever Braids . 2024-03-01 . en-CA.
  23. Web site: African Ghana Wall Mask, Woman with Braided Hair, Hand Carved Ebony. . 2024-03-01 . Roadshow Collectibles.
  24. Web site: Ali . Kiya . 2019-04-16 . Returning to Roots: Braids Make a Comeback . 2024-03-01 . Ethiopian Business Review . en-US.
  25. Web site: Aning . Laurencia . A hair journey through time Hair Journey with Laurencia . 2024-03-01 . blogs.brighton.ac.uk . University of Brighton.
  26. Web site: History of Cornrow Braiding: African Origins 1.b . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150623170048/http://csdt.rpi.edu/african/cornrow_curves/culture/african.origins.1.a.htm . 2015-06-23 . 2015-06-20 . Csdt.rpi.edu.
  27. Randall White . December 2006 . The Women of Brassempouy: A Century of Research and Interpretation . Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory . 13 . 4 . 251–304 . 10.1007/s10816-006-9023-z . 161276973. .
  28. Web site: 2021-09-30 . Echoes of the Past: Prehistoric Wonders in Southern France . 2022-05-16 . France Today.
  29. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/willendorf/willendorfwoman.html "Woman from Willendorf"
  30. Book: Shaw Nevins, Andrea . The embodiment of disobedience : fat black women's unruly political bodies . 2006 . 978-0-7391-5457-1 . Lanham, MD . 856869915.
  31. Book: Shell, Ellen Ruppel . The hungry gene : the inside story of the obesity industry . 2003 . Grove Press . 0-8021-4033-5 . 1st Grove Press . New York . 53434322.
  32. Web site: The earliest artistic depiction of a hairstyle New Scientist . 2024-02-27 . www.newscientist.com . en-US.
  33. Book: Lawson, Andrew. Painted Caves: Palaeolithic Rock Art in Western Europe. 24 May 2012. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-969822-6. 47.
  34. Web site: Seated Nude Woman with "Melon Coiffure" . 2024-02-27 . Fordham University Libraries.
  35. Web site: The Herculaneum Women . 2024-02-27 . The J. Paul Getty Museum.
  36. Web site: 2015-12-16 . Hairstyles in the Arts of Greek and Roman Antiquity . 2024-02-27 . Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings.
  37. Book: León, Vicki . Working IX to V : orgy planners, funeral clowns, and other prized professions of the ancient world . 2013 . 978-0-8027-1862-4 . New York . 18 . 879285569.
  38. Web site: Oldest Roman Hairstyle Recreated for First Time . LiveScience . 9 January 2013 . 13 February 2019.
  39. Web site: Ancient Roman Vestal Virgin hairstyle re-created for very first time . 2022-05-16 . Gizmodo . 11 January 2013 . en-us.
  40. Book: White, Shane . Stylin': African-American Expressive Culture, from Its Beginnings to the Zoot Suit . White . Graham . 1999 . Cornell University Press . 978-1-5017-1808-3 . Ithaca, NY . 37–39 . en . 10.7591/9781501718083 . 2024-10-28.
  41. Book: White, Shane . Stylin': African-American Expressive Culture, from Its Beginnings to the Zoot Suit . White . Graham . 1999 . Cornell University Press . 978-1-5017-1808-3 . Ithaca, NY . 40–1 . en . 10.7591/9781501718083 . 2024-10-28.
  42. Web site: Walker . Susannah . 1999 . Stylin': African American Expressive Culture from its Beginnings to the Zoot Suit. By Shane White and Graham White (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1998. xv plus 301pp.) (Review) . 2024-10-28 . Journal of Social History, Volume 33, Issue 2, Winter 1999 . 483–5 (483) . 10.1353/jsh.1999.0077.
  43. Web site: History of Cornrow Braiding: Middle Passage 2.b . https://web.archive.org/web/20110612120144/http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/Eglash/csdt/african/CORNROW_CURVES/culture/middle.passage.1.htm . 2011-06-12 . 2024-03-01 . ccd.rpi.eduvvv.
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  45. Jaima . Felicitas R. . 2017-09-02 . When things get hairy: afros, cornrows, and the desegregation of US military hair salons in West Germany . African and Black Diaspora. en . 10 . 3 . 269–280 . 10.1080/17528631.2017.1363477 . 1752-8631.
  46. Chapman . Yolanda . 2007-11-28 . "I am Not my Hair! Or am I?": Black Women's Transformative Experience in their Self Perceptions of Abroad and at Home . Anthropology Theses . 10.57709/1059174.
  47. Book: Sherrow, Victoria . Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History . Greenwood Publishing Group . 2006 . 9780313331459 . 97 . registration.
  48. Web site: 2021-06-23 . For Professional Fighters, Hairstyles Can Make the Difference Between Winning and Losing . 2024-03-01 . Allure . en-US.
  49. Web site: 2020-11-20 . Michaela Angela Davis on the Power of Protective Hairstyles . 2024-03-01 . Allure . en-US.
  50. Web site: Dsalita . 2023-11-08 . why do female mma fighters have cornrows . 2024-03-01 . Dsalita Boxing . en-US.
  51. Anangonó . Pablo Tatés . Moreno-Montoro . María-Isabel . 2024-09-30 . Pelo negro y dramaturgia: sentir, pensar y politizar el pelo negro mediante dos piezas cortas de teatro . Tercio Creciente . es . 111–138 (111) . 10.17561/rtc..9203 . 2340-9096. free .
  52. Robinson . Cynthia L. . 2011 . Hair as Race: Why “Good Hair” May Be Bad for Black Females . Howard Journal of Communications . en . 22 . 4 . 358–376 (359–360) . 10.1080/10646175.2011.617212 . 1064-6175.
  53. Web site: 2021-11-30 . Black Women’s Hair and Natural Hairstyles in the Workplace: Expanding the Definition of Race Under Title VII - Virginia Law Review . 2024-10-28 . virginialawreview.org . en-US.
  54. Web site: 2016-03-25 . La locura por las pelucas en África . 2024-10-28 . ELMUNDO . es.
  55. Henson . Renee . 2017-11-01 . Are my Cornrows Unprofessional?: Title VII's Narrow Application of Grooming Policies, and its Effect on Black Women's Natural Hair in the Workplace . The Business, Entrepreneurship & Tax Law Review . 1 . 2 . 521.
  56. Web site: 2024-07-10 . Natural Hair Discrimination: Frequently Asked Questions . 2024-10-28 . Legal Defense Fund.
  57. Nkimbeng . Manka . Malaika Rumala . Bernice B. . Richardson . Crystal M. . Stewart-Isaacs . Shemekka Ebony . Taylor . Janiece L. . 2023-08-01 . The Person Beneath the Hair: Hair Discrimination, Health, and Well-Being . Health Equity . en . 7 . 1 . 406–410 . 10.1089/heq.2022.0118 . 2473-1242 . 10457631 . 37638116.
  58. Web site: Arefin . D Sharmin . 2020-04-17 . Is Hair Discrimination Race Discrimination? . 2024-10-28 . American Bar Association.
  59. Web site: Harris. Sherry. Cornrows: History, Controversy & Freedom of Expression. Sherry's Life. 28 August 2016. 14 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160814144131/http://sherryslife.com/cornrows/. dead.
  60. Book: Alison Dundes Renteln . The Cultural Defense . Oxford University Press . 2005 . 9780195154030 . 143 . 10 August 2011.
  61. DeLongoria, M. (2018). Misogynoir:* Black Hair, Identity Politics, and Multiple Black Realities. Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, 12(8), 39-49 (45).
  62. Web site: Mjr&l . 2021-03-09 . “Professional” Hairstyles: How Title VII Protections Have Condoned the Policing of Black Women’s Hair . 2024-10-28 . Michigan Journal of Race & Law . en.
  63. Web site: July 4, 2019 . California becomes first state to ban discrimination against natural hair . 2021-05-13 . www.cbsnews.com . en.
  64. News: School braids ban 'not justified' . The Independent . 2011-06-17 . 2011-06-17.

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