1962
Actress Cicely Tyson wears cornrows on the television drama “East Side/West Side.” Over a decade later, braids and beads cross the color line when actress Bo Derek appears with cornrows in the 1979 movie “10.”
1970
Angela Davis becomes an icon of Black Power with her large afro. Also in 1970, ESSENCE magazine launches. The groundbreaking women’s publication celebrates Black beauty like never before.
1997
Singer Erykah Badu poses on the cover of her debut album “Baduizm” with her head wrapped, ushering in an eclectic brand of Afrocentrism.
1999
“People” magazine names lock-topped Grammy award-winning artist Lauryn Hill one of its 50 Most Beautiful People.
2001
Macy Gray sports a new-school Afro while rapper Lil’ Kim wears a platinum blonde weave. Some Black women perm, some press, and others like Alicia Keys go with natural braids.
2006
Baltimore Police Department’s new, more rigid professional appearance standards prohibit such hairstyles as cornrows, dreadlocks and twists to be worn by staffers. These natural hairstyles are deemed to be “extreme” and a “fad” by the department.
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