History & Controversy Surrounding Cornrows

Series Summary

Cornrows are a black hair style, originally from Africa, that reemerged in American popular culture in the early 70’s. The cornrow is a tightly woven braid that is usually repeated in uniform rows, not unlike a cornfield. Designs are not limited to the traditional style though; and various cornrow styles have been created over the years. Cornrows, similar to dreadlocks, can be left in for weeks at a time, as long as some simple hair care routines are observed, helping to keep the hair clean and the scalp moist and supple.

In this free hair care video series for black hair styles, learn how to braid cornrows. Our expert will give you a short lesson on the history of the cornrow hair style; then she’ll show you how to plan your design, prepare the hair and do a basic cornrow braid. Also get hair care tips for managing your cornrows, with a few homemade hair care product recipes to boot. Finally, learn how to take down your cornrows when you are ready for a new do.

Video Transcript

" Hello I'm Jacqueline on behalf of expertvillage.com and I'm going to give you a brief history of cornrows and also just a little taste of some of the social attitudes towards corn rows and therefore I'm showing you how to were are hairstyle is pride and confidence and understanding. Cornrows are ancient they are thousands of years old and they go back to Africa. Even in Africa they were use as a meaning of self expression through hairstyle. The patterns has always been very geometrical either being very straight lines or elaborate spiral designs. Hairstyles from Africa are one of the many cultural details that were lost when Africans where brought to America during slavery through the male passage. There hairs are often shape for hygienic purposes. So that the fact that cornrows still exist and were still be worn as a hairstyle by slaves was a small but extremely meaningful victory. When Madam C.J. Walker invented the relaxer many people of African decent chose to wear straight hairstyles verses the natural hairstyles such as cornrows and Afros. However, the children typically still wore cornrows and ponytails and even till this day cornrows are still wide spread among children and young people because of the convenience and with cornrows you don't have to do your hair daily you can have it schedule for weekly or every two weeks if you chose. So during the black power movement natural hairstyles did make a come back. Cornrows and Afros represented black power. Now this generation is heavily influence by hip pop which is heavily influence by this long standard tradition of cornrows among men, women, and children. Some says that the row symbolize civilization, order and agriculture and people who wear cornrows have typically historically been regarded as very care for and well groomed people because these styles could take so long. They could take many hours to complete and to care for and to take down so this is a very positive and beautiful hairstyles tightly curled and coarse hair holds the style better and for longer periods of time. Also kinky hair produces much less oil then straight hair and therefore requires less frequent washing. Cornrows has been something highly controversial in the work place. Natural hairstyles in general have ended up in court under litigation because some people have negative commendations of what these natural hairstyles represent and they question there appropriateness in the work place. What it comes down to it cornrows are very historical and cultural and beautiful hairstyles and that is all there is really to it."