My mother taught me to cornrow when I was about 9 years old. She pulled out my Chrissy doll and started working that doll's hair slowly, to show me how to grab the hair as I continued to braid. I was fascinated.
Then she stood me in front my mirror and started to cornrow my hair...I liked it. But she told me not to wear my hair "like that" in public.
My mother wasn't particularly crazy about cornrows and small plaits and did not understand my interest in them. She's a product of the 30s, during which time she and her sisters sat while their mother cornrowed and braided their hair so tight, they walked away with perpetual smiles. As a result, she hated getting her hair braided. In addition, braidstyles of the days were ridiculed. She often feferred to the negative stigma of "Buckwheat", a character from "The Little Rascals", as well as various cartoon characterizations of young Black children of her young days. Mom did not want to look like a "pickaninny", with small, short plaits and cornrows, and she didn't want me to wear them.
Well I am my mother's daughter, which means I can be stubborn and "own way-ish", so I kept practicing cornrows on my dolls as well as my own head. I branched out and started cornrowing my cousins and neighbors' hair.
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I wasn't a fool though...I didn't wear my hair in cornrows in public for years because I didn't want to be the subject of Mom's wrath. Rather, I'd cornrow my hair at night and take them out in the morning, when I would style my hair in ponytails. My mother may have worked nights as a Registered Nurse, but she wasn't born at night...she knew what I was up to. Because cornrows actually straightened my hair out, I was spared the regular Saturday morning straightening hair sessions in the summers. In fact, my mother would cornrow my hair sometimes before going to work or on her nights off. LOL
During my teen years, I boldly wore my cornrows in public, much to both parents' chagrin. During a visit to Jamaica in the summer of 1976, my cousin cornrowed my hair in a circular pattern, popular in the day. Mammy, my paternal grandmother, was not pleased with me going out in public with my hair styled like that. However. she hated that I wore rollers at night, rather than plaits, like she did. I guess she figured a pickney should not be wearing grown hairstyles...a curly afro. LOL
Over the years, I was called upon to cornrown people's hair. During my first weeks at Howard University, I was amazed by the women wearing their hair in cornrow styles, with extensions. Two years later, I paid someone at a salon to cornrow my hair with extensions. Lawd, she braided my hair so tight, I was in pain. Add fuel to fire, my scalp got sunburned at the main part one spring day while I was hanging outdoors. OUCH! I took the cornrows out and discovered how she added the extensions. I took the synthetic hair and taught myself how to add extensions to cornrows and braids. After many attempts, friends and roomies allowed me to practice on them. Soon, I started cornrowing and braiding hair, with extensions, for pay. Again, like my mother, I supported my income by doing hair on the side. She was a straightening and Marcel curling fiend during her college and post-college years, while I preferred to style in natural hairstyles.
I was and continue to be fascinated by natural Black hair, in all its textures and curl patterns. During the days of the Afro and cornrows, I loved playing in my hair and natural hair wearers. I combed, twisted, twirled, brushed, plaited, and picked out many heads of hair. I'd find folks becoming relaxed or going to sleep while I groomed their natural hair. Some told me that I had a knack for soothing people while combing their hair.
After a 4-year hiatus, I started braiding hair again. Trends in styles have changed somewhat but the basics remain the same. More importantly, my love for natural hair remains. Like I did during my braiding heyday, I will continue to perfect my craft by learning new techniques and practicing on Ms. Fierce, my mannequin head.
