Afro

An afro, sometimes called a '''"natural"''' or shortened to '''"fro"''', is a Hairstyle in which the Hair extends out from the Head like a Halo or Cloud . This may or may not include wearing such afros long, to several times the diameter of the head. An afro requires tight curls and often, but not always, Coarse hair, which typically only people of indigenous Africa n descent naturally have, hence its name. Anyone of any ethnic background however, is capable of acquiring an afro by using Curling Tongs and Hair Gel . With naturally kinky hair, the spiralling, tightly coiled curls can be straightened out somewhat, giving the hair added volume and length, by first braiding the hair, then separating the coils using an ''afro pick.'' The afro pick is an adaptation of a traditional African grooming instrument, which is essentially a narrow Comb with long, widely spaced teeth.

HISTORY

In 1963, when most Black women were loath to be seen in public with unstraightened hair, actor Cicely Tyson sported Cornrows or a "TWA" (a "teeny, weeny afro") in the popular network Television series ''East Side, West Side.'' Following the example of Bob Dylan - who was Jewish and who had let his curly hair grow out - Jimi Hendrix became one of the first popular entertainers hair to have a large afro. The afro also had political connotations with Malcolm X calling conked hair "a step towards self-degradation". The afro style was a repudiation of the use of hair straighteners to mimic the straightness of Caucasian hair. The afro gained popularity during the 1960s and 1970s , in connection with the growth of the Black Pride and Black Power political movements, and the emergence of Blaxploitation Films . Among Blacks, afros were considered a proclamation of "Black is Beautiful!" a popular slogan of the time. They became symbols of race pride; progressive, often Leftist political leanings; and militancy. In northern and western states Afros were seen popularly worn in ghettos such as Harlem , Bedford-Stuyvesant , and Watts as early as 1965 and 1966 . In the southern US however, it was not a popular hairstyle until 1969 and 1970 . However, during the later half of the 1970s , the style passed into the cultural mainstream and for many people became simply a fashion that sometimes even Caucasian men (and women) with looser, less curly hair adopted.

The afro is not limited only to Blacks - an humanoid in the Dustin Hoffman film Marathon Man of Dominican or Puerto Rican descent sported an Afro in the film.

In the Blues Brothers feature film (1980) - musician Donald "Duck" Dunn was seen with an Afro, not to mention Don Henley (the music video for Hotel California which usually shows on VH1 featured Henley with an Afro).

Afros enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in the early 2000s, and have remained popular with many African Americans, who continue to wear them as an affirmation of the natural beauty of African descended people, a rejection of European aesthetics and a symbol of political consciousness. Others, including members of other ethnic groups (e.g. Pacific Islanders ), wear the style simply as an edgy or retro fashion.

POP CULTURE

Today afros are used in popular culture for comedic effect, especially in comedies from the 90s era due to their unique dimensions. A common joke involves the hiding of objects in the person's hair. In the movie '' Leprechaun In The Hood '', for instance, a character played by Ice-T pulls a baseball bat from his afro; this scene is a satire of a similar scene in the Blaxploitation classic '' Foxy Brown '', in which Pam Grier hides a revolver in her afro. Another Grier film, Coffy (1973) depicted a scene where she plants razor blades in her afro before a catfight scene.

Another kind of afro joke is seen in a 70s '', where Nordberg (played by O. J. Simpson ) sports an afro so large that he's unable to walk through a door. One of Victoria Principal 's films ('' Earthquake '') featured her character in an "afro", and the James Bond film '' Moonraker '' depicted a scene with a member of Drax's master race sporting an "afro". Afros often pop up in Anime with characters such as Nabeshin and Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo , both of whom seemingly derive mystical powers from their afros. This kind of haircut also appears in the anime Sgt. Frog .

REFERENCES

Information About

Afro