In the 70s almost everyone wore an afro. It didn't matter if you had frizzy, curly or even straight hair.
Non-frizzy women washed their hair with all sorts of mixtures of beer, vinegar, washing powder and other cleaning agents, to make the hair frizzy, so that they could also wear an afro. My Dutch aunt with straight blond hair did it differently. She had an afro wig that she wore every now and then and she will certainly not have been the only one. The afro was it and the popular hairstyle from back then is back.
What makes the Afro unique is that it is the first and probably only afro hairstyle that has ever dominated the international fashion world. However, this hairstyle was very controversial in the beginning. The hairstyle was initially worn by politically conscious black Americans who stood up for their civil rights. Through the Afro they claimed their African roots and at the same time showed resistance against the conventional order. For the first time, white people saw afro hair in its natural glory and that was more than an aesthetic nightmare for some. It was especially threatening because the Afro rebelled against the idea that assimilation was the only way to success in Western society. Someone with an Afro was therefore automatically considered a militant at that time.
Afros of today
Afro comb from the 60sFor people with frizzy hair, the afro was at least as revolutionary. After more than 300 years, frizzy hair was suddenly not only acceptable, it was even proudly displayed. The fact that the descendants from Africa could shamelessly wear the hair they were born with in public was a historical milestone. Of course, it took some getting used to for them too. For most, this hairstyle brought positive affirmation and initiated a process of self-awareness. However, not everyone in this community could immediately appreciate the afro. Especially the older generation, who had been taught for centuries that frizzy hair had to lie “neatly” flat and be shiny and smooth, could not get used to the wide, frizzy curls. But fortunately, this soon changed.
Afros of today
When singers and movie stars started wearing the afro, the politically controversial hairstyle turned into a fashionable style. The Jackson Five, Jimmy Hendrix and Stevie Wonder all helped make the afro acceptable and even succeeded in making it fashionable. Pam Grier, a very popular actress with perhaps the biggest afro ever, is said to have started the crossover of the afro. She did this by pulling a gun out of her impressively beautiful afro in an action movie. After this scene, everyone, regardless of hair type, suddenly wanted that hair style. What was initially a controversial hairstyle that rebelled against the dominant conventional beauty ideals, was eventually embraced by the Western world and even elevated to more than a fashion trend. The afro has been around ever since and has never really been “out”.