From box braids to dreadlocks and afro shape-ups, many of the most iconic Black hairstyles can be found in drawings, engravings and hieroglyphs from Ancient Egypt.

As of 2023, twenty-three states have passed the CROWN act —a law the prohibits race-based hair discrimination—to acknowledge that Black hairstyles hold equal value within American society. Many artists and designers in the NMAAHC collection consider this history by exploring the role that hair plays within their own Black identities.

For Black History Month, we looked at the last 100 years of black hair and discuss the most iconic Black hairstyles that made their mark.

The 1960s were a revolutionary time for black Americans and the hairstyles reflected that. Big hair was the move with beehives, teased hair and wigs, but the Black Power Movement gave people the confidence to wear their natural hair for the first time.

African Americans can trace their hair roots to the countries of West and West Central Africa including Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Nigeria. Among the societies of the Wolof, Mende, Mandingo, and Yoruba, hair was integrated into the fabric of the culture.