The Mysterious Coding System of Afro-American Braids

To be seen as your core and soul is the long pursuit of humans to date.

Every little scar has a unique story behind it.

It can be from a playground slide or a tank somewhere deep in a vigorous PTSD.

Our hair witnessed its own history too.

The rainy days, the hot afternoons, being messed up by a partner.

Or sitting on the lap of a warm loving grandmother to braid it into a cute ponytail.

Every strand is a tale captured by time and the vague filters of an aging memory.

African Americans invented many tricks and hustles to meet the very basic need of staying alive.

Some of these hustles are being carried out from the bodies of the survivors to the minds of proud heirs who refuse to let the pain dissolve in the momentum of mundane life.

Tatyana Armonee shared with Private Label and the Hair Business Blueprint, the peak of hair history by the braid code to survive life.

Let’s find out.

Juneteenth

In the summer of 2021, Congress pushed the legalization of Juneteenth to be a national holiday.

But it dates back to the late 1800s.

No one can imagine the mixed feelings of the enslaved African Americans of Galveston, Texas when they were informed of the end of the Civil War and their slavery.

Afterward, formerly enslaved families used to pilgrimage back to Galveston to celebrate their Independence Day.

Here in Atlanta, especially Private Label Atlanta Showroom, it’s celebrated by parades and family gatherings each year even before the legalization.

That’s where we met Tatyana in a hair show to tell us this amazing story.

Decoding Braids

Braids used to resemble the pathways to the underground railroads.

As slaves mapped out their way using hair coding.

That beautifully operated hair was a communication method to alert and guide slaves throughout their painful journeys.

Not just that but to store food as little seeds and crumbs within these little clusters of hair to aid them in those dark funnels.

These encrypted messages involved guides for water supply and other survival assets.

And storage of micro wealth hiding tiny gold fragments while mining.

That makes me remember Nina Simone's song ‘’Ain't Got No / I Got Life’’ when she talks about not having a home, shoes, money, class, or friends.

But she has her hair, head, brain, eyes, and ears.

In the darkest moment, she has nothing but her own body to survive with.

And what these brave slaves did with their hair might be the most inspiring example of this.

A Flourishing Culture

Hair is a cultural medium people can use to express their objection and their support.

It’s an extent to the body which is an extent to the soul.

Don’t be afraid to sculpt out your flaws and be proud of them.

Caging away your identity is a declaration of surrender.

Express yourself even with a short braid that has a history more significant than giant cities.

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