Roots of our Roots

Africa Day ft The HAIRitage series
Chapter 3 The AFRO hairstyle
May 25th every year we celebrate Africa day, but have we really taken time to reflect on what this day actually means? Over the recent years, I believe as Africans, we have stepped into a shift of Self and identity realization, a journey to being our truest selves and proudly so. At Roots of our Roots, that journey stemmed from our natural hair, the history that we carry within our strands. The HAIRitage series is testament that for us to step into our identity we have to journey back in time, unlearn and relearn what it means to be an African, what it means to rock our natural hair and feel just as beautiful, breaking down societal norms and rewriting our history, OUR WAY. As we bring back the HAIRitage series today, we look at the Afro hairstyle, a similar hairstyle to the Oromo hairstyle of the Oromo tribe in Ethiopia. In the 1700s as white supremacy ruled over our ancestors, and some of them taken into slavery, their hair was termed "ugly" and "nappy", this involved the involuntary shift into the eradication of natural hair, the culture, and history embedded in our traditions. It wasn't until the 1900s when the first natural hair movement recorded, known as "Black is beautiful," started. This movement was a motivation for Black people to reconnect with their roots, and the Afro hairstyle became a way to say "I AM BLACK AND I AM PROUD ", a push back against Eurocentric standards of beauty. Black people were beginning to deprogram and decolonise their perception of their natural hair, after which the Afro hairstyle would be widely worn even by celebrities like Michael Jackson and Diana Ross well after the movement began. Although I could not find the historical significance of the Afro hairstyle, it is still a widely worn hairstyle by the Oromo tribe in Ethiopia, worn by both men and women, indeed THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN.

The HAIRitage Series Chapter 2

"I am still connected to where I come from. I KNOW WHO I AM."

The Bantu knots story

Over recent years we have seen a comeback of a lot of hairstyles Indigenous to the African culture, it is undeniable that our natural hair carries with it a history like no other, a form of identity in itself. One of the hairstyles that has made a huge comeback is the Bantu knot hairstyle.

Bantu means "people" in over 24 African languages however the history of the Bantu knots hairstyle can be traced to the Zulu "nguni" speaking people as well as the Akan people of Ghana.According to an article by Lornadale Charles, for our ancestors this hairstyle was initially worn as a practical solution for hot and humid conditions, to avoid hair hanging over the face or neck however when adorned with beads, shells or other decorative accessories known to ward off evil spirits or for protection, Bantu knots became a significance of African everyday culture interwoven with history and spirituality. The journey of Bantu knots across the continent into the rest of the world can be tied to the slavery period which Africans went through. At a time where natural hair and all the hairstyles that gave us our identity were scrapped off, Bantu knots became a form of resilience, identity and self-preservation. The act of styling their hair in this traditional manner allowed them to assert their cultural heritage in the face of a system that sought to erase it. Bantu knots became a form of silent protest, a way to declare, "I am still connected to who I am and where I come from.

The resilience and adaptability of Bantu knots during the African diaspora highlights the profound cultural significance of this hairstyle. It evolved from its African origins to become a powerful tool for maintaining a connection to one's heritage, asserting identity, and communicating in the face of unimaginable adversity. Today, when individuals choose to wear Bantu knots, they not only celebrate a beautiful and culturally rich hairstyle but also pay homage to the enduring spirit of resistance and resilience that has characterized the African diaspora throughout history. A symbolic pride of our roots.

Returning to our roots
Re-writing the norms
Re-telling our history
Rooted in our HAIRitage
This is our story