Cornrows

Cornrows (sometimes called canerows) are a style of traditionally three-strand braids, originating in Africa,  in which the hair is braided very close to the scalp, using an underhand, upward motion to make a continuous, raised row. Cornrows are often done in simple, straight lines, as the term implies, but they can also be styled in elaborate geometric or curvilinear designs. They are distinct from, but may resemble, box braids, Dutch braids, melon coiffures, and other forms of plaited hair, and are typically tighter than braids used in other cultures.

The name may refer to the corn fields or sugar cane fields of the Americas and Caribbean. According to black folklore, cornrows were often used to communicate on the Underground Railroad and by Benkos Biohó during his time as a slave in Colombia. They often serve as a form of black self-expression. Cornrows are traditionally called "kolese" or "irun didi" in Yoruba, and are often nicknamed "didi braids" in the Nigerian diaspora.

Cornrows are worn by both sexes, and are, on some occasions, adorned with beads, hair cuffs, or cowrie shells. The duration of weaving cornrow braids may take up to five hours, depending on the quantity and width. Often favored for their easy maintenance, cornrows can be left in for weeks at a time if maintained through careful washing of the hair and natural oiling of the scalp. Braids are considered a protective styling on African curly hair as they allow for easy and restorative growth; braids pulled too tightly or worn for longer lengths of time and on different hair types can cause a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia.

Africa
Modern cornrows are most closely associated with Black people in the Americas, including the USA and Caribbean, but are thought to come from older African traditions. Depictions of women with what appear to be cornrows have been found in Stone Age paintings in the Tassili Plateau of the Sahara, and have been dated as far back as 3000 B.C. A similar style is also seen in depictions of the ancient Cushitic people of the Horn of Africa, who appear to be wearing this style of braids as far back as 2000 B.C.

In Africa, cornrows have been documented in the ancient Nok civilization in Nigeria, in the Mende culture of Sierra Leone, and the Dan culture of the Côte d'Ivoire. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, there are many braided hairstyles which may include cornrows or "shuruba", such as Habesha or Albaso braids, and Tigray shuriba. Though such hairstyles have always been popular with women, Ethiopian men have also worn such hairstyles. In 19th century Ethiopia, male warriors and kings such as Tewodros II and Yohannes IV were depicted wearing braided hairstyles, including the shuruba. Cornrow hairstyles in Africa also cover a wide social terrain: religion, kinship, status, age, racial diversity, and other attributes of identity can all be expressed in hairstyle. Just as important is the act of braiding, which passes on cultural values between generations, expresses bonds between friends, and establishes the role of professional practitioner.

Europe
Though controversial, there have been a number of examples of European art and sculpture alleged to depict hairstyles similar to modern cornrows, though this is contested by modern scholars.



The oldest of these depictions are the statues known as the Venus of Brassempouy and the Venus of Willendorf, which date between 23,000 and 29,000 years ago and were found in modern day France and Austria. Whether these statues feature cornrows, another type of braids, headdresses, or some other styling has been a matter of vigorous debate — some historians rule out cornrows, however. The Venus of Brassempouy is often said to wear a wig or a patterned hood, while the Venus of Willendorf is said to be wearing plaited hair or a fibrous cap.

Since the early 5th century B.C., Ancient Greek and Roman art shows men and women with a characteristic melon coiffure, especially in the "Oriental Aphrodite" tradition, which may be confused with cornrows. The traditional hairstyle of Roman Vestal Virgins, the sini crenes, also incorporates two braids that resemble cornrows.

Americas
The first recorded use of the word "cornrow" was in America in 1769, referring to the corn fields of the Americas. The earliest recorded use of the term "cornrows" to refer a hairstyle was in 1971; the name "canerows" may be more common in parts of the Caribbean due to the historic role of sugar plantations in the region.

Enslaved Black people may have worn cornrows as one way to keep their hair neat and flat to their scalp while working; the other styles they developed alongside these may have blended African, European and Native American trends and traditions. African-American, Afro-Latino and Caribbean folklore relates multiple stories of cornrows being used to communicate or provide maps for slaves across the "New World". Today, such styles retain their link with Black self-expression and creativity, and may also serve as a political expression.

Cornrows made a comeback in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, and returned again during the 1990s and 2000s. In the 2000s, some athletes wore cornrows, including NBA basketball players Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, and Latrell Sprewell. Some female mixed martial artists have chosen to wear cornrows for their fights as it prevents their hair from obscuring their vision as they move.

Controversy
Over the decades, cornrows, alongside dreadlocks, have been the subject of several disputes in U.S. workplaces, as well as universities and schools. Some employers and educational institutions have considered them unsuitable and banned them. Employees and civil rights groups have countered that such attitudes evidence cultural bias or racism, and some disputes have resulted in litigation.

In 2011, the High Court of the United Kingdom, in a decision reported as a test case, ruled against a school's decision to refuse entry to a student with cornrows. The school claimed this was part of its policy mandating "short back and sides" haircuts, and banning styles that might be worn as indicators of gang membership. However, the court ruled that the student was expressing a tradition and that such policies, while possibly justifiable in certain cases (e.g. skinhead gangs), had to accommodate reasonable racial diversities and cultural practices.

In the US state of California, the CROWN Act was passed in 2019 to prohibit discrimination based on hair style and hair texture.