Head tie

A head tie is an American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS), west and southern African women’s head scarf, specifically an elaborate ornamental head covering. The purpose of the head tie worn by enslaved African women was to protect their hair as they labored. In the 18th century, the Spanish governor of Louisiana passed a law requiring that free Afrodescendant women also cover their hair. This requirement was meant to demean free Afrodescendant women by associating them with slavery, but also to protect European men from sexual provocation.[1] The head tie worn by West African women has been worn since the 1960s.

Nigerian headtie

Gambian women in their head ties.

The name of the head tie varies according to region and historical context. These designations have included: tignon (United States),[2] dhuku (Zimbabwe), tukwi (Botswana) and doek (South Africa and Namibia).

Related pages

References

"Fashionable Rebellion". Retrieved 2021-09-03.
"Tignon Laws: Policing Black Women's Hair in the 18th Century". amplifyafrica.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-03.

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[1] "Fashionable Rebellion". Retrieved 2021-09-03.

[2] "Tignon Laws: Policing Black Women's Hair in the 18th Century". amplifyafrica.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-03.