History of head wraps and Black identity

Although the significance of head wraps vary across cultures, they have transcended historical periods and continue to represent a timeless fashion statement. In the United States, the history of head wraps is typically traced to the Tignon Law. The law enacted by Governor Don Estevan Miro of New Orleans in 1786  mandated women of African descent to cover their hair with a 'tignon,' a type of head wrap. Whether they were free or enslaved, women of African descent wore head coverings which signified belonging to a lower class of society. 

Despite the constant policing of our hair textures, skin tones and bodies, Black women have always been resilient. The women targeted by the Tignon Law put a spin on the situation and designed their head wraps in ways that enhanced Black beauty. (Thank you mamas) It is also important to note that the culture of head wraps which is rooted in sub-Saharan African predates enslavement. It’s baffling that a beautiful part of the African culture was twisted to become a marker of inferiority for Africans in diaspora.

After emancipation, Black men, women and children sought to adjust to a new way of life within post-slavery America. To survive in a society that only accommodated white people, many Black women dropped the head wraps for straightened and pressed hair as a means to move further away from society’s assigned status of enslavement to a status of freedom. However, through the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, markers of Black identity that were degraded by white America were defiantly embraced. 

Shop African prints head wraps

The African head wraps come in different prints for various occasions and there are no limits to how the head wraps can be styled. The continued wear of head wraps is a beautiful representation of Black women resistance to colonization, enslavement and cultural erasure. Black women continue to reclaim their identity and resist ideas that shame people of African descent. We are embracing our skin tones, natural hair textures and choosing to live our best lives. We’re wearing our hair in its natural state, in protective styles like braids, cornrows, wigs and head wraps.

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