Did you know Cornrows were used by slaves to escape slavery?

Did you know Cornrows were used by slaves to escape slavery?

Cornrows were used by slaves to escape slavery: Cornrows that have found their way in the modern hairstyle among women were used by slaves to transfer information and create maps to exit from their masters.

During the moment slaves were not given the opportunity to write or read and so they developed tactics in passing information through cornrow.

This hairstyle is believed to have originated from the Southern American nation Columbia in the 1500s when Benkos-Bioho curated this design idea of using the cornrow hairstyle to create maps in order to deliver messages. Cornrows were also called canerows to mean the sugarcane fields that slaves worked in.

One style had curved braids, tightly braided on their heads. The curved braids would represent the roads they would use to escape.

Also in their braids, they kept gold and hid seeds which helped them survive after they escaped. They would use the seeds to plant crops once they were liberated.

Cornrows were the best way to not give back any suspicion to the owner. He would never figure out such a hairstyle would mean they would escape or the route they would take.

This hairstyle has now become a dominant fashion among women, especially among African women. It is the simplest hairstyle to go with. It’s best for wearing hair wigs.

Culled from: Black History Moment