Nappy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nappy can refer to one of the following:
* a popular adjective describing
Afro textured hair
* a diaper
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nappy
Afro textured hair
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Afro textured hair (also casually referred to as "nappy" hair, "kinky" hair or "wooly" hair) is the type of hair found among most people of sub-saharan African descent.
Overview
This type of hair is extremely tightly coiled, with a thick and compact appearance and feel. Only persons of African descent usually have this type of hair, although some Caucasians have extremely frizzy and hard to manage hair.
Many of the populations of North East Africa have looser hair that is not as tightly coiled as that of most other Africans. Some of these groups (the Amhara, Tigray/Tigre, Harari ) have Semetic (Sabaen) ancestry; others have virtually no Middle Eastern admixture or significant Middle Eastern ancestry (ie. the Somali, Oromo, Afar, some Nubians and so on ). Although Horn Africans are the only Africans who may have non-tightly coiled hair without Arab or Berber admixture, Black Africans naturally differ in complexion and facial features as well without admixture with non-Blacks.
Tightly coiled haired people of African descent are found in large numbers throughout the United States of America, the Caribbean, and Latin America as a result of the Atlantic slave trade, and in smaller numbers throughout parts of the Middle East and South Asia as a result of a lesser known Islamic/Eastern African slave trade. In addition to the Atlantic and Arab slave trades that dispersed people of African origin to these parts of the world, the Negrito Pygmies of the Andaman Islands (of whom there are less than 1000) and the Melanesian populations of the Pacific who are of proto-African descent (via South Asia) often have African features and hair texture.
Through African/Caribbean/Latin American migration, there are significant numbers of Black people found in Canada, Europe, and Australia as well.
Various styles
During the 1960s and 70s, Black Power and pride movements in the United States brought about the emergence of the Afro hairstyle. Black men and women would grow their African textured hair out to significant diameters away from their head. This was a rejection of Eurocentric standards of beauty, an embracing of African heritage and roots. and a confirmation of the idea that "Black is Beautiful"
The Afro is sometimes texturized so that it is not in its true African state, but slightly relaxed with a frizzier and more wiry appearance that springs out. Eventually, this hair style grew away from its political and cultural connotation and was embraced by the mainstream. Afros became popular even among non-Blacks with looser curly hair.
Other hairstyles often worn by wooly haired people of African descent are cornrows, braids, and dreadlocks. Cornrows and braiding traditions have survived in the African diaspora, and were brought to the Americas by African slaves. Dreadlocking is a tradition among the Rastafari movement of Jamaica. These hairstyles associated with people of African descent have become popular with non-Blacks with the emergence of hip hop culture and Caribbean influences such as reggae music.
While recent years have brought about a movement among Black women to wear their hair naturally, most Black women in the Western world have their hair relaxed or straightened (either by use of a device such as a hot comb, or by the use of chemical relaxers usually containing lye). From the 1930s to the 1960s, conking, where Black men straighten their kinky hair using chemicals, was common in the United States. Some Black people in the Western world are discouraged from wearing natural hair in the workplace and also among other Black people. "Kinky" hair is sometimes seen as something inferior or to be ashamed of, compared to straight or "good hair" (an old southern United States term for looser, curly hair). Afro textured hair is usually handled and combed with an "Afro pic", which comes from the traditional African grooming instrument that has long separated "teeth" to part out tightly curled hair.
There has been a boom in marketing to target hair products at African descended people (ie. "African Pride" for women, "Out of Africa" shampoo, etc. ) Slogans that promote a pan-African appreciation of Afro textured hair include "Happy to be nappy", "Don't worry, be nappy" as well as "Love, peace and nappiness". When African descended people wear natural hair, this is sometimes referred to as going "napptural".
See also
* Afro
* cornrows
* dreadlocks
* conk
* Jheri curl
* wooly hair syndrome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_textured_hair
