For years, black women have used synthetic braids to help style their hair.

But a recent study by consumer reports found that these fake hair strands can contain dangerous chemicals that pose a health threat.

Ali Rogan begins our report with a look at the rich history of braiding in black culture.

Interweaving pieces of hair into styles like cornrows and twists began thousands of years ago.

In Africa, men and women would ravel intricately braided patterns on their heads

laced with gold adornments and hair extensions.

These designs were a marker of class and age.

But by the 17th century, enslaved Africans would be forced to shave their heads, censoring their

identity. Only some were allowed to braid their hair. Then in the 20th century, as African Americans

gained their freedom and status, some chose Eurocentric

hairstyirstyles, which meant flattening their hair and its natural curls.

When folks gained their freedom from enslavement, they chose to wear Eurocentric hairsty

hairstyles as a means of safety for a lot of reasons.

Assimilating to whiteness or Eurocentric standards of beauty could mean a job.

Dr. Nicole Jenkins is an assistant professor of sociology and criminology at Howard University

and a visiting professor at Harvard.

She says the civil rights era in the 1950s and 60s

triggered a return for many black Americans

to hairstyles that celebrated their African heritage.

This was a way for folks in the black community

to celebrate their blackness,

rather than try to assimilate or hide it. On popular shows like Soul Train, Black Americans rocked afro.

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