If you want to know how to braid cornrows into someone’s hair the best way to learn is to observe someone who is skilled at it. You can do this in a class, which will cost you money and force you to operate on someone else’s schedule. You could also hang out a beauty shop with someone who knows what they are doing and simply watch them at work. However, if you want to try to learn from home, you might find instructional online videos to be just as helpful.
Using online videos as learning tools is often much better than attending a formal class. For some things, you truly do not need constant supervision to learn the basics. By watching these videos, you can study on your time and on your own terms. Once you believe you understand the basics, you can simply try to apply what you have learned on a real person.
Being able to properly do this with your hands is very important, as this ancient tradition has always been done that way. It is actually a tradition that dates back to as early as 500 B.C. The roots have been traced to African regions such as Nigerian and Egyptian ancestry, the most obvious connection being that of the Sphinx. On the back of its head or patterns that resemble what are known today as cornrows.
These traditions were passed down from generation to generation, much like folklore. In fact, it was very common to see specific styles correspond to certain regions of land, or more specifically, the tribal communities of that region. For example, you could find beads or shells incorporated into the braid in some indigenous tribes and not others.
Obviously, these styles exist today in much more elaborate forms. This is largely due to the awakening of black identity after the Black Pride Movement of the 1960s. During this period, African Americans sought to get more in touch with their ancestral roots and as such wore their hair in ways that celebrated and embraced its natural qualities. Many salons and beauty shops came out of this period, as entrepreneurs recognized the need for establishments that capitalized on the art form.
In recent years, another awakening of sorts has occurred. As African American athletes and entertainers have taken the spotlight, they too have inspired a legion of younger generations to reach deep into the past to use these cultural hairstyles to express their own individuality.
