Black women fight for their hair

In the United States, prejudice against black hair has been around for centuries.In the 18th century, American society was so demanding of black female slaves that they often wore headscarves to wrap their hair when they worked in the fields.African slaves who worked in the "mansions" sometimes copied their masters' hairstyles: some wore wigs popular at the time, while others managed to comb their curly hair into a style similar to that of their owners.In cities such as New Orleans, to be free to the identity of the hybrid colored Creole (Creole) women's hairstyle is very delicate, they can show their swagger curled hair or curls into circle, while the city is already implemented a lift, farming method (Tignon Laws), asked the woman on the hair wrapped in a lift, agriculture (Tignon, scarf or handkerchief), to show that they are members of the slave class, whether they are already free or still into slavery.

Invented in the late 19th century to straighten curly hair and "tame" black hair, the comb was popularized and popularized by the black woman C.J. Walker.By the mid-1920s, straight hair had become the middle class's go-to hairstyle for status."That made walker the first African-American female millionaire in the United States.While some historians praise walker's business acumen, others blame her for perpetuating the idea that straight hair represents superior social and economic status.In any case, walker provided a way for black women to increase social acceptance, and even popular songs in her day mocked the texture of African American hair: "their hair is like wool, but it's more frizzy and messy than wool."

The first wave of the natural hairmovement came in the turbulent 1960s.The "black is beautiful" campaign convinced black men and women that their natural skin, facial features and natural black hair should be respected.Black activist Marcus Garvey (Marcus Garvey, he believes that black in white in the majority of countries could not get fair treatment, therefore argued that blacks should "go back to Africa," encourage black women accept their natural kinky hair, he thought the white copy Europe centered aesthetic standards actually derogatory remarks about the beauty of the black women: "don't have to out of your head curled hair (kinks)!You should get rid of those twisted thoughts in your head!"Black activist Angela Davis wears afro, which she believes symbolizes black power and rebellion against white American standards of beauty.The afro became a weapon for racial equality and a public statement of self-love and solidarity among members of the black community.A 1972 study of black teenagers living in st. Louis found that 90 percent of young men and 40 percent of young women in the city had their natural curls, a small increase from the 1950s and 1960s.While the study was not extensive enough, it shows how the phenomenon is spreading across the United States.

Whether rock 'n' roll blasters or short cuts, black americans protested and called for the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which "ended segregation in public places and prohibited racial discrimination in employment."The act was followed by the creation of the equal employment opportunity commission (EEOC), a major law enforcement agency targeting racial discrimination in the workplace.When the eeoc was created 55 years ago, the federal government's primary focus was to ensure that blacks wigs were treated equally in the workplace.