Cornrows

Cornrow braiding is an ancient African practice. As you all know, this blog focuses on various issues surrounding cultural appropriation and today we will be looking at the practice of cornrow braiding hair. Cornrows have been a staple in the African  American community, being  the hair style that was fashionable and functional. 

Cornrows offer an alternative besides the conforming to the "white" norm. So many African-Americans have been groomed to think that kinky hair is unattractive. In the 1860s, black women with hair that resembled a white women's hair were more likely to get jobs, get accepted into schools and so on. Society was fashioned to degrade, and dehumanize. 

We have come a long way, but our society still categorizes what is "ok" and what is not. In a LA Times fashion article  it was made clear that cornrows were the in thing, but only in a setting where a majority of the participants are white. 

Jon Reyman, a seasoned hair stylist, stated that "Cornrows are moving away from urban, hip-hop to more chic and edgy" (Schmidt). The use of cornrows on the runway, as trend that seems to be "newly discovered" is highly offensive. To take a style that historically lived with another people and culture and turn it into something supposedly "better", is a direct violation of the respect of another culture. 

 

     Schmidt, Ingrid. "Head-turning Hair Fashions for Fall: Bangs, Rows and Tails." Los Angles Times. Los Angles Times, 20 Sept. 2014. Web. 

"History of Cornrow Braiding." History of Cornrow Braiding. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2015.
"A Look Back at the Black Hair Story." NaturallyCurly. TextureMedia, 12 Feb. 2009. Web. 21 May 2015.