Afro was a bold fashion statement among African Americans from the mid-1960s through the 1970s. The Afro hairstyle was characterized by a chunky long natural curly hair, scattered equally around the head and they were trimmed in full for a sharp effect. Thanks to chemical treatments that grew hair faster and added an architectural Afro silhouette.
Many African Americans adopted the Afro hairstyle because it was a symbol of racial pride, unity and rebellion. The fights for black rights in the 1960s saw a huge number of African Americans coming together to protest with their signature Afro hairstyle.
However, doing chemical treatments in order to fasten the growth of hair received negative criticism as it was against the fundamentals of acceptance among black, being said—unnatural grown Afro hairstyles went out of style within a short period after its popularity. African Americans were encouraged to grow hair naturally.
Civil rights movement leaders who showed their unapologetic selves with Afro hairstyles including Jesse Jackson (1941—), Stokely Carmichael (1941—1998), Angela Davis (1944—), Andrew Young (1932—), and Huey Newton (1942—1989). They strived to be an icon for their followers to embrace racial identity.
The Afro hairstyle was a symbol of prestige and black power not only politicians who embraced it, but also some of black famous people. Popular stars such as Michael Jackson (1958—2009), Roberta Flack (1937—), Richard Roundtree (1942—), Julius Erving (1950—), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1947—) tenderly cared for Afro hairstyle and allowed it to reign supreme on their heads.
The rising popularity of other alternatives to Afro hairstyle—such as dreadlocks, twists, corkscrew, and fades caused Afro to go out of style in the early 1980s. However, in the 21st century people still wear Afro, especially beauty social media influencers on platforms like instagram—seeking nostalgic, voluminous and sleek style of hair.
REFERENCES:
Byrd, Ayana D., And Lori Tharps. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2001.