Photography provided by Giphy

Digital Illustration by @K_DougDE

When I first set out to join the natural hair movement, I did not realize how much black history is attached to it. In my opinion, the natural hair movement of women of color has been the biggest civil movement ever. Started back in the 60s, there was one woman who helped push and grow this movement more than anyone else, our choice for today’s #DEBlackHistory topic of beauty today. Her name is Mrs. Cicely Tyson.

Photography provided by Pinterest

Cicely Tyson changed the game for the African American natural hair movement during a television commercial appearance back in 1962 when she became the first African American woman to appear on national television with braids as her hairstyle of choice. This was a big deal back then because braids were often depicted as unprofessional or a “not done” hairstyle. Black women, really any women of color, were expected to follow the rules when it came to dressing their hair which included either chemically straightening their hair, or heat straightening so it would look more of that of a Caucasian woman. Basically straight hair. Tyson broke this barrier at the time, as with her television appearance, this gave women of color a representation of themselves through the media. Tyson looked like them and was wearing something black women could be familiar with during segregation times, a sign that things were changing.

As you can see, the natural hair movement is more than just a couple hairstyles. For the African American woman, the natural hair movement is a statement of freedom. Through the courageous acts of women from our past like Cicely Tyson, we are now able to make the decision on how we want to look rather than getting the approval from others beforehand.

Check out our new #DEBlackHistory collection with new artwork in honor of Cicely Tyson created by @K_DougDE courtesy of our affiliation partner Society6 Storefront by clicking the illustration shown above!

Credits
Racked
Allure
The Vinyl Bridge
BGLH Marketplace

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