Closing out Black History Month Strong
It’s the last day of Black History Month, and I’m sitting with a cup of tea, thinking about how far we’ve come and how hair has always been at the center of our story. In 1786, the governor of New Orleans thought he could legislate Black women’s beauty by forcing them to wrap their hair under tignons. The law was meant to “stifle self‑expression,” but our sisters turned headwraps into bold, intricate crowns that became a worldwide fashion. Even the hand of the law couldn’t dim our shine.
A century later, two visionaries—Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam C.J. Walker—transformed that hair‑wrap rebellion into an industry. Annie Turnbo Malone, born in 1869, founded the Poro College Company in Missouri. Her college didn’t just teach hair care; it trained thousands of Poro sales agents, many teenagers and elders, who sold products worldwide, providing livelihoods and community spaces. Malone’s generosity built meeting places for Black organizations and funded scholarships and charities. One of her protégées, Sarah Breedlove (better known as Madam C.J. Walker), absorbed that knowledge and later developed her own line of “Wonderful Hair Grower” and shampoos. Walker opened Lelia College to train “hair culturists” and eventually became America’s first widely recognized self‑made female millionaire. She used that wealth to sponsor activists and fund Black institutions. Both women remind us that hair has always been more than vanity—it’s agency, community, survival.
March is nearly here, but Black history doesn’t end with February’s parade. The history is braided into our daily lives, in the way we twist locs, press curls, and now wear Afros and protective styles with pride. It’s in the fight against discriminatory hair policies—whether 18th‑century tignon laws or modern-day workplace bans—and in the CROWN Act and other contemporary legislation pushing back.
So here’s our promise: once a month, we’ll drop a post highlighting a historical Black figure—sometimes someone who shaped our hair culture, sometimes a scientist, musician, chef, or activist. We’re going to talk about pioneers like Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam Walker, but also folks whose contributions weren’t about hair at all. We’ll revisit the inventions, the rebellions, the art that shaped us.
And then, starting next month, we’ll return to our regular posts and schedule—writing about loc maintenance, community wellness, and whatever creative ventures are simmering. Think of these history spotlights as a way to keep our roots nourished while we keep growing.
Thank you for walking with me through February’s stories. Our legacy is rich; we’re still adding to it. See you next month, with a fresh style and another name to remember.
