RESPECT Tag

Getting braids—single plaits, cornrows or any style that weaves together three strands of hair—is a rite of passage for a lot of Black women in America. Who can remember spending hours as a toddler sitting on the ground between a loved one’s legs as your tresses were rigorously intertwined? And today as adults lots of us frequent salons for more expertly crafted masterpieces. Nonetheless, unlike lots of our popular styles, equivalent to finger waves and rod sets, braids are greater than mere aesthetics. They bind us together. They're an integral a part of Black culture—past, present and future. ANCESTRAL ROOTS  The invention of ancient stone paintings depicting women with cornrows in North Africa shows that braids date back hundreds of years. Of their...