Nzingha (17): African Hair before Bondage

[Zhana Books]

Greetings, everyone.  Details of this event are below.  

With best wishes, 

Zhana 

In the early fifteenth century, hair functioned as a carrier of messages in most West African societies. The citizens of these societies - including the Wolof, Mende, Mandingo, and Yoruba - were the people who filled the slave ships that sailed to the "New World." Within these cultures, hair was an integral part of a complex language system.

Ever since African civilizations bloomed, hairstyles have been used to indicate a person's marital status, age, religion, ethnic identity, wealth, and rank within the community. In some cultures a person's surname could be ascertained simply by examining the hair because each clan had its own unique hairstyle. The hairstyle also served as an indicator of a person's geographic origins.  

To read the rest of this fascinating article, and to book, see London Black History Walks.  

[Zhana Books]

Click here for Part 2. 

Click here to read about beautiful, healthy Black hair and skin.