History of Features.

Headwraps

Today, it is relatively common to see headwraps and turbans sported by women of various ethnicities and cultures, especially among Black women and girls. The wearing of these wraps predates slavery and colonialism originating in Africa, where women wear them to indicate their status or family lineage. However, headwraps became a symbol of oppression enforced by white slave owners during slavery and even afterward in which Black women were not allowed to wear their hair out in public (e.g., Tignon Laws). Despite the oppressive aspect of this history, Black women of the diaspora have chosen to embrace headwraps and turbans as a way to reconnect with our ancestry and experience the various aspects of our beauty. 

Waist Beads

Waist beads have recently caught the attention of young women everywhere as a bold and stylish fashion statement; however, the history and significance of waist beads are relatively unknown. Waist beads can be traced back to numerous countries and tribes in Ancient Africa, a tradition passed through generations, each with its own significance and meaning. In Ancient Egypt, waist beads were known as “girdles,” helping women maintain their weight while expressing themselves. In Ghana, waist beads indicated class, aristocracy, and spirituality depending on the colors and styles women adorned. Currently, women of the African Diaspora have expressed interest, and many have wondered how, even if they could appropriately wear them, but they need not worry. The choice to wear waist beads is yours and yours alone, no matter your body type or background, so make them your own and start your journey!

Sara Baartman

Sara Baartman is a sort of household name within the Black community, a name that elicits a sense of pain, fear, and most of all, anger. For those who do not know, Sara ‘Saartjie’ Baartman was a South African woman who had steatopygia, a condition in which one has significant amounts of tissue in the thighs and buttocks, causing a pronounced and curvaceous figure. Sara was paraded around Europe for her figure as a sideshow attraction and scientific curiosity, nothing more than a creature to stare at and touch. Sara’s humanity was denied for most of her life, and the “studies” that were conducted about her were used to aid in racist agendas that affected Black women in the past and even in the present.

Now you may be wondering, what does this have to do with beauty? In short, everything. Sara Baartman became an example of the inferiority of Black women, the first stereotype. To this day, Black women fight the stereotype, and now we must watch as other races of women are praised for the features that damned us. The world often loves what we have to offer, but not us; however, this should not be our focus. So I say to you, beautiful Black girl, never forget your unique beauty and always celebrate it, proudly, not just for you, but for all of us, especially Sara Baartman.