The History of African Braids

Hello!

Today I decided to do some research into the history of hairstyles in Africa! From taking my African Cultures class I have discovered just how important different hairstyles have been to the African People. - Which also followed slaves to the United States and has continued to be a part of African American culture. 

The African people used their braids for many different things. They used different styles to communicate with others. Braids could tell someone's marital status, age, clans, religion, etc. These braiding styles tended to be passed through generations. 

In regards to slavery... slaves often used braids to hide food such as rice so they would have food on their way over. Slaves were also known to use their hairstyles to communicate with each other and/or make maps. 






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