The Tangled History of Cornrows

The hairstyle once helped African slaves escape to freedom

Carlyn Beccia
Published in
5 min readMay 31, 2021

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The Tangled History of Cornrows
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

A White friend recently got back from her hairstylist with neat lines of cornrows in her blonde hair. Tiny colorful beads at the end of each braid clicked together as she flipped her locks over her shoulder.

“I don’t even have to wash my hair now,” she exclaimed.

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Carlyn Beccia
The Grim Historian

Author & illustrator. My latest books — 10 AT 10, MONSTROUS: THE LORE, GORE, & SCIENCE, and THEY LOST THEIR HEADS. Contact: CarlynBeccia.com