What is an afro?
Q: What is an afro?
A: An afro is a type of hairstyle that is noted for its large size. The hair is curled out, forming a ball shape. For some people, this is how their hair grows because it is naturally curly. It got its name because most people who can grow an afro naturally have ancestors from Africa.
Q: When did the afro become popular?
A: The afro became popular among Civil Rights activists in the 1960s in the United States as a way to show that black people's hair and bodies could be beautiful even when white-majority cultures said it wasn't. It was less popular in the middle of the 1970s through late 1990s, but then came back with the natural hair movement in the 21st century.
Q: Who can wear an afro?
A: Anyone can wear an afro, regardless of race or ethnicity, although Europeans and Asians will tend to have wavier, looser curls so they usually cannot grow natural afros. Some Jewish people also can naturally grow them; these hairstyles are often called "Jewfros."
Q: How should someone care for their afro?
A: In order to keep an afro healthy and looking good, Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson of Pantene recommends washing it once a week instead of every day, air-drying instead of using a hairdryer, and moisturizing regularly.
Q: Is wearing an afro always seen as political choice?
A: Wearing an afro was seen as a political choice during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s but now it can also be just a style choice or simply not wanting to straighten one's hair with hot tools or chemicals.
Q: Is it considered bad manners for white people to call their hairstyle an "afro"?
A: Some people say it is in poor taste or bad manners for a white person to call their hairstyle an "afro" because that cuts off its history as a way black people showed their hair could be beautiful even when white-majority cultures said it wasn't.
