While cornrows have become a popular hairstyle for women of all cultures in the last decade, not many people are aware of the hairstyle’s long and illustrious history.
Cornrows, which are made by braiding the hair very close to the scalp in an underhand, upward motion to create a single line of the raised row, have long been a feature of African beauty and life.
How slaves used cornrows to convey messages.
Many slaves were forced to shave their hair for sanitary reasons during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Some slaves, however, braided their hair tightly in cornrows in order to appear clean without cutting their hair.
Slaves began to use cornrows to transfer and create maps in order to flee plantations and their captors’ homes.
Slaves used cornrows to convey messages because they were rarely provided with writing materials.
“No one would question or believe that one could hide entire maps in their hairstyle, so it was simple to circulate them without anyone noticing.”
“Hair braiding was used to relay messages during the time of slavery in Colombia.” Women, for example, would braid a hairstyle known as the “depart” to indicate their desire to flee. “It had thick, tight braids that were braided close to the scalp and tied into buns on top.”
Another style featured curved braids that were tightly braided on their heads. The curved braids would represent the routes they would [take to] flee.
They also kept gold and hid seeds in the braids, which helped them survive after they escaped.”
Cornrows are now widely accepted all over the world and are a great fit for people of all ages, tastes, and lifestyles.
The history of how it came to be, on the other hand, will never be forgotten.
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