Knowra Afro Afro An Afro is a hairstyle in which tightly curled or textured hair is grown and shaped into a rounded, voluminous form. It became a prominent symbol of Black identity and political affirmation, especially during the 1960s and 1970s.
Hair texture : Hair texture describes the curl pattern, strand shape, and related characteristics of human hair. Tightly curled growth creates the volume and outline associated with an Afro.
Black Power movement : The Black Power movement advanced Black self-determination, pride, and political and economic empowerment, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. The Afro became a highly visible expression of Black pride within this movement.
Black pride : Black pride is the affirmation of Black identity, heritage, and dignity. Wearing an Afro can visibly affirm natural Black features and cultural pride.
Conk : A conk is a historically Black hairstyle created by chemically straightening tightly curled hair. It contrasts with the Afro’s natural texture and rounded volume.
Hair follicle : A hair follicle is a skin structure that produces and anchors a hair strand. Follicle shape influences the curvature of hair as it grows.
Civil Rights Movement : The Civil Rights Movement was a mass struggle against racial segregation and disenfranchisement in the United States. Its gains and limits formed the political setting for the Afro’s emergence as a statement.
Racial identity : Racial identity is a sense of self shaped by racial categories and their social meanings. The Afro can make racial identity publicly legible while expressing personal choice.
Jheri curl : A Jheri curl is a chemically treated hairstyle designed to produce loose, glossy curls. Its defined, hanging curls differ from the Afro’s outward, rounded shape.
Combing : Combing is the practice of arranging or detangling hair with a comb. Picking or combing outward helps shape an Afro’s rounded volume.
Angela Davis : Angela Davis is an American scholar and activist associated with Black liberation and prison abolition movements. Her Afro became an internationally recognized image of Black political resistance.
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