I received the following questions from journalist Marc from Het Algemeen Dagblad. Believe it or not, he was curious whether I could answer these kinds of questions. Of course, you as a reader are the one who decides that.
After the publication of Kroeshaar Wat je moet weten en meer there was a lot of interest in interviews. It was not the very first book about kinky hair, kinky hair styles were still taboo. The Algemeen Dagblad also wanted to write about kinky hair. I received the following questions from journalist Marc. Believe it or not, he was curious whether I could answer these kinds of questions. Of course, you as a reader are the one who decides that.
Do you agree that Afro hairstyles are becoming more common?
I indeed share this opinion.
Is there a reason for this?
For a very long time, Afro-Atlantic women have straightened their hair, more so that they could simply meet the prevailing Western standards of representativeness than to meet beauty ideals. Representative hair for women is still hair in a bun at many companies, for example, or loose hair that falls neatly into a model. Frizzy hair is not easy to get into a bun and frizzy hair is not the hair type that lies down, but stands up. To get frizzy hair into shape, you can make many types of braids, but these were traditionally frowned upon and dismissed as backward.
Due to hair problems that have arisen after years of chemical manipulation of frizzy hair, people have started to return to original African hairstyles. This started in the 80s. The development really took off after several lawsuits were filed in America against employers who believed that braids were not acceptable in the workplace. Partly due to these kinds of developments, the standards and beauty ideals of society are changing today.
Men who are much less subject to beauty ideals have never had to chemically manipulate their hair en masse, but have always been inventive with their hair. Hair is very important in black culture, it is a way of expression, a way to distinguish yourself. Just think about it. Poets, writers and intellectuals have often worn locks through the ages. In the 80s, haircuts shaved at the back with figures, logos etc., the “shaved”, the shaved head of Michael Jordan was top in the 90s.
The fact that more Afro hairstyles are being worn these days is therefore due to the interaction of the above-mentioned developments that reinforce each other at certain times in a dynamic society.
Is the popularity of Afro hairstyles only subject to fashion waves, or does it stand for more?
The popularity of Afro hairstyles is certainly subject to fashion waves but also stands for more. Look for example at the Afro that symbolizes the time of the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s and the dreadlocks that were symbolic of the Rasta Fari movement. But even before that, during slavery. Maroon women braided paddy grains in their hair so that they could grow rice and survive, wherever they ended up.
Now, this time is symbolized mainly by the fashion trends initiated by hip-hop culture. This culture is a development of its own, an expression of life varying from the ghetto neighborhoods to the suburbs of America. The hairstyles that belong to this culture are quickly going around the world through contemporary video culture.
So, curly hair is not only unique in its kind, but also special because it tells the history of blacks in the diaspora.