Fashion:The “African braid” hairstyle’s growing popularity | ANG
  • March 27, 2024

Four persons sentenced to death in Tunisia for a 2013 assassination of a politician

A Tunisian court sentenced four people to death and two to life in prison on charges stemming from the murder of a left-wing politician, a public prosecutor said Wednesday. Chokri Belaid, …

Central bank of Nigeria raises interest rates to combat soaring inflation

Nigeria’s central bank implemented a significant increase in its monetary policy rate, raising it by 200 basis points to 24.75% from the previous 22.75%, according to Governor Olayemi Cardoso on Tuesday. …

Nigerian parents reunites with their children who were in captivity

Parents of more than 130 Nigerian schoolchildren who were rescued after more than two weeks in captivity said they saw them on Wednesday and that they couldn’t hold back tears of …

Recently popular all over the world, the “African braid” hairstyle is used not only as a hairstyle but also as a social identity in Africa.

The hairstyle, which is made by adding synthetic hair to the hair or shaping the hair, differs from society to society in Africa.

Some varieties of African knitting, which may have recently attracted attention, sometimes reflect social status, sometimes symbolize the ethnic group to which they belong.

– “Each ethnic group in Africa has its own ‘African weave’ pattern”

Mipo Tchinkou Edith Flaure, President of the Association for the Promotion of Cameroon’s Wealth, gives insight about the meanings and history of the “African braid”.

Stating that the African braid is the oldest hairstyle in the world, Flaure says, “Each ethnic group in Africa has its own ‘African braid’ model.”

Flaure explains that ethnic groups from the natives of Africa such as Wolofs, Fangs, Fulani, Mandingo, Masai, Oromo, Bantu, Yoruba, Hausa, Bamileke use an “African weave” model that reflects the geography they live in and their cultural richness.

Expressing that knitting patterns in Africa reflect social conditions such as marital status, age, wealth and rank, Flaure noted that knitting also differs according to activities such as funerals and weddings that the person attends on a daily basis.

– “The African braid was the communication method of slaves who were not allowed to talk to each other”

Emphasizing that slavery had a profound effect on African history and culture, “the African braid was the communication method of slaves who were not allowed to talk to each other.”

The slaves drew mountains, hills, and crossing points in the region with a braid in their hair to show their friends’ escape routes.

Underlining that Africa was going through a very tragic period of exploitation, cultural historians reckon that “slaves kept rice in the braided part of their hair and then ate that rice to avoid starvation.”

“The hair of African slaves who were taken to America and Europe were cut completely without distinguishing between men and women. With the ‘nappy’ trend, which was introduced in the 2000s to encourage Africans to use their natural hair, the ‘African braid’ started to attract attention all over the world again. The movement was not just a fashion, it was also an expression of regaining their own identity.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *