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Black History Year

The History of Head Wraps in Black Culture

Black History Year

PushBlack

History, Society & Culture

4.32.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 April 2024

⏱️ 3 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When we adorn our heads with headwraps, scarves, and bonnets, we embrace an age-old Black custom worthy of celebration. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com — most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work. The production team for this podcast includes Cydney Smith, Len Webb, and Lilly Workneh. Our editors are Lance John and Avery Phillips from Gifted Sounds Network. Julian Walker serves as executive producer." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The cleaner the engine, the less fuel you use.

0:03.0

New Eso Supreme Plus 99 petrol,

0:06.0

Triple cleans and protect your engine

0:08.0

to help give you more miles per tank.

0:11.0

It's a little like cycling with a tail wind.

0:15.0

Or walking with extra long legs.

0:22.0

New Esso Supreme plus 99.

0:25.0

A fuel you could use less of.

0:27.0

That's thoughtful driving.

0:28.0

Eso. When we are doing our heads with head wraps, scarves and bonnets, we embrace an age-old

0:40.0

black custom worthy of celebration. This is too in a black history, what you didn't learn in school. Our people have been rocking head wraps and different head coverings for centuries.

1:03.4

It's a tradition that predates coloniality and despite when anyone says it's a beautiful custom we should hold on to.

1:11.7

Head wraps were worn as traditional attire in many African countries like Ghana and

1:16.8

Namibia, where they're called Dukus or Duke. Certain headrapped styles indicated wealth, marital status, and family lineage.

1:27.0

During the 1700s, Louisiana's Tignan laws prohibited black women from being in public without covered heads.

1:35.0

The system used these laws to shame our hair and bodies,

1:39.0

and although they were rooted in anti-Blackness,

1:41.0

and sisterly, we had already been proudly wrapping our heads long before. The Tignon Laws did create a ripple effect though and for many headscarves of all kinds became

2:05.4

associated with servitude because of mammy caricatures like Aunt Jemima.

2:10.6

Although some folks chose to carry this shame and the respectability politics

2:15.6

behind it, we don't have to. Head wraps, bonnets, and scarves are all a part of who we've always been and companies like the rat life are

2:26.5

embracing the tradition. Like head wraps, our customs from fashion to, make us who we are.

...

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