Black Hair History: The quest for “good hair”

Back in the good old days after slavery (yes, I am being sarcastic here), white people didn’t like our hair,  they felt it should not be seen because it didn’t fit the European standard of beauty, you know, straight nose, straight hair, thin lips.

So, what were we supposed to do?

Who remembers the heavy grease and straightening combs from the stove and the smell of frying hair? (Ok maybe I’m dating myself here lol)

In the early 1900s Annie Malone and Madam C.J. Walker both came up with better ways to address the need for straight hair.

Annie Malone sold a “Wonderful Hair Grower” treatment product and promoted the use of the hot comb through her Poro Company. While still far from enjoyable, the electrical hot comb was a gentler alternative to previous heated straightening methods.

Starting in 1905, Madam C.J. Walker became a self-made millionaire with her own home remedy for hair loss and scalp issues, the “Walker Method” combined a heated comb with pomade.

The long and short of it is that they’ve always tried to regulate Black women’s hair, now there’s this belief that Black women are the only ones who wear extensionsand wigs. The reality is that all women, in all cultures, love to change their look by changing their hair. From Cleopatra to Diana Ross to Marilyn Monroe, and even Riri, Beyoncé, and the Kardashians – ain’t no shame in rocking a good wigor weavewhen the mood strikes you.

Girl, we have earned all of our freedoms.