Did you know women braided their hair and hid rice seeds as well as other grains in a style called cornrows? The braiding technique was very popular among the women.
During the horrifying Slave trade, Africans that were captured and forced onto ships to be sold into bondage in the Caribbean, parts of Europe and the United States of America experienced some of the worst treatments ever.
Mothers often braided the rice into their children’s hair to have something to survive on while on slave trips or escaping from raided communities in Africa.
Also hidden in hair were black eyed peas, small cassava cuttings, okra, maize and other grains depending on how thick the hair was.
Cornrows were also used as a medium for enslaved people to communicate escape strategies and other information.
The style of braids, patterns, and the placement of beads or other objects could subtly convey messages to other enslaved individuals, potentially facilitating escape or resistance.
