- Many Africans and African-Americans have the wiry, surprisingly fine hair that makes a good basis for an afro. You can help encourage an afro by braiding or coiling the curls and then combing them out with a special comb, known as a pick. A pick has wide, flat teeth with generous space between the teeth to minimize frizz but maximize curl. Others amp up an afro's volume through the use of a blow dryer, with or without using a pick to extend the hair. This hairstyle is called a blowout afro. For those with looser curls, special curling muds, waxes and gels can help achieve the afro effect.
- The afro has its precedent in ancient cultures. Ancient Egyptians wore Nubian wigs that recall afros. In the 1800s, circus showman P.T. Barnum toured a group of Circassian women wearing afros in a demonstration of exoticism. The most famous examples of the modern afro are those worn by African-Americans such as Angela Davis and Diana Ross in the 1960s. One of the first 1960s pop culture sightings of an afro was a tight, small version, called TWA or teeny weeny afro, sported by Cicely Tyson. After her modest debut, people such as Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone pumped up the volume with major afros.
- The modern afro was a distinct symbol of the Black Power Movement as well as representative of the assertion that "black is beautiful." In previous eras, many people of African descent spent significant time and money straightening or disguising their natural curls. The empowerment of the 1960s encouraged many people not to hide their natural assets and to cease imitating hairstyles of others. By the 1970s, others picked up on the trend popularized by rock stars, revolutionaries and blaxploitation films, and afros became a popular accessory to a disco wardrobe.
- Mainstream white culture was not so quick to embrace the afro, with one exception. Jewish people quickly saw the advantages of a style that allowed curly hair to reach its maximum volume. Hence, the Jewish afro, or Jewfro, was born. The style became so popular that "Heeb Magazine" published a humorous tribute to the hairstyle the writers claimed originated with Albert Einstein. More recently, in 1997, rock artist Jordan Mann hit the stage in a modified Jewfro that was trimmed and sculpted.
- People continue to wear afros as a fashion statement as well as a means of political expression. Rap star Ice Cube shares insight about the power of afros to incite a response. "Everybody is worried about the guy with the black power, leather jacket on, Afro ... worried about those kind of people and not really knowing that racism is not just the obvious."
Comments
niknik2008 said
on 10/29/2009 Great Article!