I was going to do an entry on the political import of the afro back in the 60s, but I came upon this little tidbit and decided to go a different direction.
Angela Davis, a forerunner of the Black Pride movement which prompted so many African Americans to sport the afro
During the 1960s when the afro represented Black pride and celebration, many African Americans with looser textures could not achieve the much desired ‘fro. Just as we all come in different shades of brown and black, we all come with different hair textures as well. Those with what was once called “good hair” were now feeling that it was a hindrance in getting the look they wanted.
Many resorted to using homemade solutions such as vinegar, beer, and borax to “nap up” their hair. Others would get a curly relaxer with perm rods and pick it out. In the book Hair Story, the author mentions a lady who desperately wanted an afro. This lady went to a barber who cut her hair shorter and then washed it with a laundry detergent. It worked and the lady got her ‘fro. Some others resorted to afro wigs.
Once the Black Power movement begin to die down, the afro became a popular hairstyle. It was made more popular by celebrities who wore it.
The Jackson 5
The bigger, the better. People were resorting to straightening processed to achieve the biggest ‘fro. They would use kits called blowout kits in which a sort of texlaxing process was applied to loosen the texture. Many people also used a blow dryer with a comb to straighten it out a bit. All of that is really interesting when you think about how the afro started as a means of appreciation for natural hair texture.
Resource and a good read:
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Great post. I remember my mohter having an electric pick type thing … it was a pick with metal teeth that you plugged in
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That was really interesting! I didn’t know any of that before. It would really be a dream if everyone wanted afro textured hair. Even non-Black people had afros back then. What the heck happened
I actually met Angela Davis a few years ago. She actually has looser texture. I would say 3b/3c ish. My friend actually asked her about the change in texture. She simply replied, I don’t know it’s just one of those things. With all of us though, if we brush, pick or comb, the ‘fro will show. I think that was the way people maintained theri hair. I read about this irony of using heat and chemicals for a natural look in Hair Story.
I’ve always wondered why black women stopped wearing their natural hair in such overwhelming nuumbers.
Here it is 2009 and 73% of African American women relax their hair with chemicals!