Head wraps, a symbol of enslavement, resistance …. Or fashionable/ practical
accessory?
Head tie… Head wrap..Turban…call it what you may….
The head wrap has been historically tied to woman (and men )
of African descent. It is not
specifically bound to any particular geographical area within the African
continent, although it does appear in different variations, patterns and
materials. In some regions it serves a practical and functional purpose by
offering protection from the sun’s
raises, particularly amongst societies along the equator. In some cases it has
religious significance. However, in the slavery narrative it was a seen as
symbol of oppression. Free and enslaved
black women were (legally) required to cover their heads with cloths . On the
other hand, over the centuries the meaning and connotations assigned to head
wraps changed. Head warps became a symbol
of resistance against the oppressors, for some women it symbolised their
identity by embracing their ancestral roots.. ..in Africa.
As a Zimbabwean, I see head wraps as an everyday accessory, they
are practical, functional and fashionable. It may still be a head turning occurrence
for many people in my university city of Cambridge, but head wraps have been adopted into many western
cultures. A particularly notable example
was Jean Paul Gaultier’s 2010 Fall/Winter Collection. Take a look at some of
the pictures below…..
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