Today I Learned Cornrows Helped Slaves Escape

And uncovered something else for myself about language and oppression

Young girl with braided hair by Rushay licensed from Adobe Stock

I hadn’t known before: cornrows conveyed messages.

It’s only common sense: why wouldn’t they? So does clothing, other hairstyles, makeup, and posture.

Reading the language of cornrows was probably as difficult for enemies during slavery — slave owners, trackers, and other bad-meaning people — as it is for today’s English readers to comprehend even simplified Chinese.

And for some reason this fascinating fact that I learned for the first time gives me another insight into what I do.

I do have my own language. It’s not the most inventive one, not like cornrows.

Reading the language of cornrows was probably as difficult for enemies, or during slavery — slave owners, trackers, and other bad-meaning people — as it is for today’s English readers to comprehend even simplified Chinese.

But it is the language of observation, experience, feeling, and ultimately, definition. This is the process I’d teach students, showing them the example of Dr. Oliver Sacks, whose…