The History of Our Hair: Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)

I love looking at pictures from the past. Especially pictures of black women from the past. It gives me a brief glimpse into their lives--what they wore, how their hair was styled, etc.

Tuesday marked the beginning of Black History Month. I know this sounds cliche but, I don't celebrate Black History one month a year. I celebrate it year round. To start off my celebration of notable Blacks in History I will begin with the great Harriet Tubman.

I am sure most people have heard about Harriet Tubman. She was one of the key leaders of the Underground Railroad, which was a network that helped many African-Americans gain their freedom. Harriet Tubman is known for saying that she "never lost a passenger". Not only was Harriet Tubman a key figure in the Underground Railroad, she also took up other causes such as women's suffrage. She was truly a great woman.

Most photos of Harriet Tubman show her wearing one of two styles. She was either wearing a head scarf--which we women sometimes wear to this day. Or she would wear her natural hair in a signature center part. Even in the photo of her in her last years she still had her center part in her beautiful head of natural fully gray hair. Simply marvelous.

Interesting Fact: As an adolescent she was hit in her head with a 2 pound weight in her head. She feels that the reason she lived through it was because of her hair, which "had never been combed...".