To Get Lost Is To Learn The Way

An African Proverb on Finding Yourself Through Exploration

Getting lost is just another way of saying going exploring. To get lost is to learn the way to find yourself in the end. You will learn to truly listen to your inner voice, your internal spirit and other people.

Getting lost is an uncommon opportunity to benefit from hands-on learning of practical real-world lessons. Being lost can teach you more than what you can learn in a classroom.

Getting lost is a good way to find yourself

Five Reasons Getting Lost Can Be a Good Thing

1. You will learn to trust a higher power as well as yourself and find what was lost inside you.

2. You will become more resourceful by letting people inside learning it is never too late to find your way out.

3. You will have a new perspective on your life and the lives of others.

4. You will learn to truly listen to your inner voice, your internal spirit and other people.

5. You will find a new adventure, a good story and learn an important lesson.

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Wander

Get Lost

Find Yourself in the end.

The path is calling. Will you wander? Will you dare to get lost? Your truest self is waiting to be found, in the end.

African Proverbs

Proverbs live inside ritual, respect, kinship & everyday guidance.

Explore African Proverbs →

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African Cuisine • African Folktales • African History

Facts about the Slave Trade in Africa

Nearly 40% of Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon were imprisoned Africans were enslaved on bights and were sold to the present day US State of Virginia. Many of these captives were Igbo, a people living in the area north what is now Nigeria.

The Slave Trade by Auguste-Francois Biard

Western Africa's Bight of Bonny African Slave Trade

The Bight of Bonny is a bay in the warm waters of the Gulf of Guinea. The Gulf of Guinea is the bay the northeastern most part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean off the Western African coast. Bight is an Old English word for the Modern English word bay or bends. The Bight of Biafra was renamed the Bight of Bonny after the Biafra War in 1972.

Between the 16th and the 19th century, nearly one fifth of the enslaved Africans brought to colonial America were from African regions based mainly on the ports of Brass, Bonny, Opobo and Calabar in Nigeria. 

The Slave Coast in the 18^th and 19^th century transatlantic slave trade was the section of the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, in Africa, in the present-day republics of Togo, Benin, and Nigeria.

Around 18% of Africans were sold to British colonies and the United States were captured from the Bight of Bonny. In the 1830’s Britain began enforcing the end of the slave trade on the bights. 

The slave trade was the main income of most of the residents however; by the 1850’s, Bonny had become a major exporter of palm oil and palm kernels. One hundred years later, around 1950, oil became the chief source of income for the area. ExxonMobil Qua Iboe crude oil is produced from numerous offshore fields in the Bight of Bonny in Nigeria's South Eastern region.

Bight of Biafra was renamed the Bight of Bonny
after the Biafran War in 1972

Dutch sea captain Willem Bosman in 1705 wrote a firsthand detailed account of how the middle passage slave trade was managed in West Africa. - Not a few in our country fondly imagine that parents here sell their children, men their wives, and one brother the other. But those who think so, do deceive themselves; for this never happens on any other account but that of necessity, or some great crime; but most of the slaves that are offered to us, are prisoners of war, which are sold by the victors as their booty. 

Those which are approved as good are set on one side; and the lame or faulty are set byas Invalides, which are here called Mackrons. These are such as are above five and thirty Years old, or are maimed in the Arms, Legs, Hands or Feet, have lost a Tooth, are grey haired, or have Films over their Eyes; as well as all those which are affected with any Veneral Distemper, or with several other Diseases. 

The Invalides and the Maimed being thrown out, as I have told you, the remainder are numbered, and it is entered who delivered them. In the mean while a burning Iron, with the Arms or Name of the Companies, lies in the Fire, with which ours are marked on the breast. 

This is done that we may distinguish them from the slaves of the English, French, or others (which are also marked with their mark), and to prevent the Negroes exchanging them for worse, at which they have a good hand. I doubt not but this trade seems very barbarous to you, but since it is followed by mere necessity, it must go on; but we yet take all possible care that they are not burned too hard, especially the women, who are more tender than the men.

 

When we have agreed with the owners of the slaves, they are returned to their prison; where, from that time forwards, they are kept at our charge, cost us two pence a day a slave; which serves to subsist them, like our criminals, on bread and water: so that to save charges, we send them on board our ships with the very first opportunity, before which their masters strip them of all they have on their backs; so that they come to us stark-naked, as well women as men: in which condition they are obliged to continue, if the master of the ship is not so charitable as to bestow something on them to cover their nakedness. 

The slaves are fed three times a day with indifferent good victuals, and much better than they eat in their own country. Their lodging place is divided into two parts; one of which is appointed for the men, the other for the women, each sex being kept apart. Here they lie as close together as it is possible for them to be crowded."

 

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Better to not try to make an ungrateful person happy

The African proverb, When a person is carrying someone on his back, the one being carried gets tired before he does teaches you can not make an ungrateful person happy because they don't care about all the good things you've done for them.

You Can't Make an Ungrateful Person Happy

Ungrateful People

You Can't Make an Ungrateful Person Happy

“When a person is carrying someone on his back, the one being carried gets tired before he does” – African Proverb



Five signs of an ungrateful person

Never feel satisfied

Nothing fills them up, even if they achieve a goal or get something they want. It seems like they have an insatiable appetite. They just never feel full.

Feel entitled

Ungrateful people expect to be given everything from everyone no matter how trivial or absurd. They feel a sense that the world owes them something. The person is likely to blame others for the disappointment, which reinforces their sense of entitlement.

Bitter

Anger is an emotion that ungrateful people easily draw upon. They are either holding grudges about something that happened in the past or finding fault with what is going on in the present.

Enjoy playing the victim role

There is no one so they think which has had it worse off than them. You will listen to their poor me scenarios in vein and try to help, you cannot.

Selfish

Ungrateful people are wrapped up in themselves there is no room for your feelings and needs. They are too busy thinking about themselves.

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Study about people, religion and Yoruba civil wars of Nigeria and the role in the slave trade for a well-round view of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.

Yoruba village communities, art, religion and Yoruba civil wars of Nigeria.

Who are the Yoruba?

The history of the peoples that constitute the present country of Nigeria dates back more than 2,000 years. The earliest archaeological finds were of the Nok, who inhabited the central Jos Plateau between the Niger and Benue rivers between 300 B.C. and 200 A.D. A number of states or kingdoms with which contemporary ethnic groups can be identified existed before 1500.

Long before the 1500s, much of present-day Nigeria was divided into states, which can be identified with the modern ethnic groups that trace their history to the origins of these states. These early states included the Yoruba kingdoms, the Edo kingdom of Benin, the Hausa cities, and Nupe.

The most populous country in Africa and the largest in area of the West African states, Nigeria was an early twentieth century colony that became an independent nation in 1960. A country of great diversity because of the many ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups that live within its borders, Nigeria is also a country with a long past.

Of these, the three dominant regional groups were the Hausa in the northern kingdoms of the savanna, the Yoruba in the southwest, and the Igbo in the southeast all internally subdivided along with the Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv, and Ijaw.

The Yoruba were organized in male-headed groups that occupied village communities, but from about the eleventh century A.D., village compounds began to merge into a number of territorial city-states creating large well-connected independent states.

The kola nut is culturally very important for West and Central tribes in traditional ceremonies, special events and welcoming visitors. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.


Yoruba Art and Artists

This transition produced an urbanized political and social environment that was accompanied by a high level of artistic achievement, particularly in wood, terra-cotta, and ivory sculpture and in the sophisticated metal casting produced at Ife.

The brass and bronze used by Yoruba artisans was a significant item of trade, made from copper, tin, and zinc imported either from North Africa or from mines in the Sahara and northern Nigeria.

Eastern Yorubaland in Nigeria Africa bore the most important African sculptor of the 20th century, Olowe of Ise. Born around 1875 Olowe of Ise made Yorubaland one of the most important centers of Yoruba wood art carving.

Olowe of Ise descendants claim he was self-taught, but it is likely that he learned the Yoruba canon and perfected his carving skills during an apprenticeship. Eventually, he became a master artist at the King's palace, and as his fame grew, other Yoruba kings and wealthy families commissioned him to carve architectural sculptures, masks, drums and other objects for their palaces.

Among the Yoruba such elaborately carved and decorated bowls were prestige objects used to offer kola nuts to guests or to deities during religious worship. Olowe was an innovative and virtuosic, even daring, the artist as demonstrated in this sculpture. The image of four dancing girls on the lid, for example, is the first such representation in Yoruba art.

Olowe's choice of dancers raises questions about his inspiration. Olowe also depicted nude males, one of whom is kneeling, on this bowl. Such renderings are exceptional and challenge the Yoruba canon.

Yoruba African Sculptor Olówè of Isè

Yoruba Religion

The Yoruba appeal to a god, and includes lesser deities, some of them formerly mortal, who performed a variety of cosmic and practical tasks. One of them, Oduduwa, was regarded as the creator of the earth and the ancestor of the Yoruba kings. According to a creation myth, Oduduwa founded the city of Ife and dispatched his sons to establish other cities, where they reigned as priest-kings and presided over rituals in Yorubaland.

Ife also lay at the center of a trading network with the north. One of Ife's greatest legacies to modern Nigeria is its beautiful sculpture associated with this tradition. Respect for the priestly functions of the oni of Ife and recognition of the common tradition of origin were crucial factors in the evolution of Yoruba ethnicity.

The oni of Ife was recognized as the senior political official not only among the Yoruba but also at Benin, and he invested Benin's rulers with the symbols of temporal power. Aladura is a religious movement among the Yoruba peoples of western Nigeria, embracing some of the independent prophet-healing churches of West Africa. Nevertheless, despite this movement, Ife remains the religious center of Yoruba people.

Nationalists were critical of colonialism for its failure to appreciate the antiquity of indigenous cultures. They wanted self-government, charging that only colonial rule prevented the unshackling of progressive forces in Africa. Out of reverence for traditional kingship, for instance, the oni of Ife, whose office was closely identified with Yoruba religion, was accepted as the sponsor of a Yoruba political movement.

If the waters of the Atlantic Ocean could only speak

Yoruba People and Civil War effects on the Slave Trade

Slightly more slaves came from the Nigerian coast than from Angola in the eighteenth century, whereas in the nineteenth century perhaps 30 percent of all slaves sent across the Atlantic came from Nigeria. Over the period of the whole trade, more than 3.5 million slaves were shipped from Nigeria to the Americas.

Most of these slaves were Igbo and Yoruba, with significant concentrations of Hausa, Ibibio, and other ethnic groups. In the eighteenth century, two organizations, Oyo and the Aro federation was responsible for most of the slaves exported from Nigeria. The Aro federation continued to export slaves through the 1830s, but most slaves in the nineteenth century were a product of the Yoruba civil wars that followed the collapse of Oyo in the 1820s.

Although the transatlantic slave trade did not end until the 1860s, other commodities, especially palm oil, gradually replaced it; the shift in trade had serious economic and political consequences in the interior, which led to increasing British intervention in the affairs of Yorubaland.

The rise of the Sokoto Caliphate and the economic and political adjustment in the south strongly shaped the course of the colonial conquest at the end of the nineteenth century. The Sokoto Caliphate was a West African Empire that became a part of northern Nigeria.

In regions of Zambia, the peanut plays an important role both as income and food crop.

Making African Food Vegetable Spicy Peanut Sauce

Making African Food Vegetable Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients
3 cups broccoli florets
1 thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 chopped hot pepper (optional)
¼ cup vegetable stock
¼ cup water
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic cloves

Directions
Whisk water, peanut butter, and garlic cloves together in bowl. Add broccoli, red bell pepper, and vegetable stock in large pot covered, over high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add sauce to pot and simmer over medium-high heat until thickened, about 30 seconds. Return vegetables to pot and cook until well coated, about 30 seconds. Serve warm over rice.

About Peanuts in Africa

Cooking in Zambia Africa

Despite its beauty, the poverty rate in Zambia is around 27 percent, most people living off $1.25 per day. Zambia is home to seventy various ethnic groups. Small family farms and subsistence farming accounts for around 80 percent of Zambia's agricultural areas.

Pumpkins and peanuts grow abundantly in the African country of Zambia and are an economical source of nutrient-dense food. What is nutrient density? It is a measure of the nutrients provided per calorie of food or the ratio of nutrients to calories.

Foods that supply generous amounts of one or more nutrients compared to the number of calories they supply are called nutrient-dense. Peanuts have a high nutrient density because they provide protein and many vitamins and minerals in a proportion of their calories.

Nutrient-dense foods are full of the nutrients that a body needs to thrive. In Zambia, peanuts are worth more than peanuts in rural farmlands the peanut is an ideal crop to grow, especially for women. Women are increasingly farming fallow lands with drought-tolerant peanut varieties in order to produce products to sell, such as cakes, oils and peanut butter in local markets.

Over half of the peanuts harvested worldwide are crushed for oil; peanuts produced in developing regions of Zambia are sold in local markets to earn a living for their families. Peanuts are a vital income-producing crop to Zambian African women.. Earning higher profits from the nutrient-dense peanut means stronger families for Zambia and ultimately Africa as a whole.

Recipe Alert

Easy peanut butter coconut milk rice porridge recipe deliciously uses healthy peanuts.

African food recipes are easy to make at home.

Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 10 Total time: 15 min

Ingredients

1 cup cooked rice
¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 cup of coconut milk

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add milk, honey, and peanut butter mixing well. Stir in rice and peanuts, top with your favorite fruit and serve warm.

Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia has a population of about 13.5 million people and is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Zambia is located in Eastern Africa and its capital is Lusaka. Zambia and Zimbabwe borders meet at one of the natural wonders of the world, the Victoria Falls, and one of the largest man-made lakes, Lake Kariba.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

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5. Highest Temperature and Lowest Temperature in Africa
6. About African Night Running

Learn how to quickly and easily crack open a coconut and enjoy freshly made Madagascar organic baked coconut chips.

Coconuts are not indigenous to Africa but have found the perfect home to grow in Africa’s Madagascar and coastal countries of east Africa.

Organic Coconut Chips Recipe

Madagascar Organic Coconut Chips Recipe

Ingredients

1 coconut

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

½ teaspoon paprika (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then use a corkscrew or screwdriver and a hammer to pierce the eyes. Strain water through a fine sieve into a glass or bowl to allow the coconut water to drain out.

Place the coconut in a sturdy plastic bag and smash it on a hard surface like a floor or concrete driveway.

Separate coconut flesh from shell, rinse and dry coconut. Using a vegetable peeler, remove strips from edges.

Place the coconut strips on a baking sheet in a single layers, season with salt and paprika and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and enjoy!

Did you know?

Coconut water is a clear liquid in the fruit's center that is inside young coconuts. Coconut water is low in calories, fat and cholesterol free and full of potassium, more potassium than bananas in fact. 

More economical easy lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again.

1. Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe
2. Yedoro Stir Fried Ethiopian Chicken Dinner
3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
4. Caldo Verde Portuguese Kale Soup
5. Air Fryer Black Eyed Pea Dumpling Stew

Chicken Wings with Ghana Shito Ghanaian pepper sauce recipe is 1-2-3 to make. Shito is Ghana’s much-loved hot sauce and everyone in Ghana has a unique recipe for this classic hot pepper sauce.

Make Chicken Wings with Ghana Shito Hot Sauce

Ingredients
2 pounds chicken wings
2 cups tomato puree
10 dried hot chilies
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Season chicken wings with black pepper and salt, place in a large resealable plastic bag. Add remaining ingredients into a food processor and mix well. Add sauce into the bag with the chicken wings, seal and coat. Marinate at least 3 hours. In a large fry pan saute wings on medium-low 30 minutes. Serve with a side salad or grilled vegetables. 

 

Sautéed Chicken Wings with Shito

African Hero Poet.
Fumo Liyongo was an African Swahili supernatural mythological hero, the son of African royalty. The mighty African hero Liyongo was an invincible poet a standing over eight feet tall. The mystical powers and supernatural abilities of the African hero Liyongo are told in many African Swahili poems.

Fumo Liyongo African Swahili Hero Poet.

Fumo Liyongo means strong spear.

At the heart of many of the world's most enduring myths and legends is a bigger than life hero who triumphs over obstacles. Fumo Liyongo was famous throughout the land. He was a strong young man, beautiful and tall, he was so special he could not be compared to any other human. Apart from the exaggerated physical features, Liyongo is also described as humble, respectful and obedient. Liyongo is similar to the tales told of the USA’s Paul Bunyan and John Henry. Liyongo and Paul Bunyan are larger than life mythical folk heroes who symbolize strength. Swahili hero Liyongo is perhaps the most famous character in Swahili classical poetry.

Fumo Liyongo was an invincible African hero poet a standing over eight feet tall. The mystical powers and supernatural abilities of the African hero poet Liyongo are told in many Swahili poems. Swahili poetry or ushairi for centuries has played a central role in Swahili society. Fumo Liyongo or Liongo Swahili poetry has a long and rich history among the Swahili people of the East African coast with traditional African hero poetry and stories.

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African Fathers Deserve Recognition Every Day

Challenging the “Absent Father” Narrative

Every day, global media repeats the story that African fathers are absent from family life. This tired stereotype is harmful and untrue. Many African dads are deeply present, loving, and invested in raising strong children.

To understand more about how African households transmit values, read about African proverbs that shape family identity.

African Fathers Guide, Protect, and Inspire

Across the continent and throughout the diaspora, African fathers help shape the character, confidence, and values of their children. They teach honesty, resilience, generosity, and faith. They provide, protect, and support their families in ways that deserve applause — not judgment.

They are coaches on dusty soccer fields, storytellers at night, teachers of language and spirituality, and anchors during hardship.

Rejecting the “Absent Father” Myth

The idea that Black fathers are uninterested or uninvolved is not supported by lived experience. In many African households, fathers are hands-on — cooking meals, braiding hair, checking homework, or walking children to school.

African fathers are also cultural protectors, passing down recipes, language, and music — cornerstones of family identity. Explore how food connects African families through traditional food heritage and memory.

African Fathers Wear Many Crowns

In many homes, fathers are:

• Providers
• Protectors
• Culture-keepers
• Mentors
• Spiritual guides

Fathers help their children navigate the world while honoring family history and ancestral wisdom.

Why We Must Celebrate Fathers All Year Long

Father’s Day is a meaningful celebration, but gratitude should not be limited to a single Sunday in June. African fathers deserve steady recognition — at the dinner table, at school ceremonies, in daily conversation, and in memory.

Honoring fatherhood builds strong families. Strong families build strong nations.

Fatherhood Quotes from Around the World

“He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” — Clarence Budington Kelland

“A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.”

“Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.” — Ruth Renkel

“The greatest gift I ever had came from God; I call him Dad!” — Unknown

“There are three stages of a man’s life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus.” — Unknown

Did you know South holds three of the top five most visited cities in Africa?

It is not easy to identify the five most visited cities in the whole of Africa but here are our top picks. Africa top five visited cities are South Africa’s' Johannesburg, Cape Town South Africa, Cairo Egypt, Casablanca Morocco and Durban South Africa.

Africa's Most Visited Cities

South Africa’s' Johannesburg is Africa’s Most Visited City in 2015 according to MasterCard’s global destination power rankings.

Many of Africa’s cities are changing so rapidly that they are barely recognizable when compared to what they were a decade ago. Below, in order are the top five of Africa's Most Visited Cities.

Africa's Most Visited Cities

Johannesburg South Africa

Johannesburg or Joburg the City of Gold has over 40 art galleries and is the hub of the fashion industry and winemaking in South Africa. The largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg is also the wealthiest.

Johannesburg also has a reputation for crime. The city was established in 1886 following the discovery of gold. A separate city from the late 1970s until 1994, Soweto is now part of Johannesburg.

Cape Town South Africa

South Africa is world famous for producing some of the world’s most delectable wines. Cape vineyards, where cultivation of grapes dates back to the 1600’s today this is the largest winemaking region in South Africa, and organized wine tourism has become big business. 

However, an El Nino-triggered drought two years ago hit agricultural production and economic growth throughout South Africa. Cape Town was particularly hard hit, and lack of good subsequent rains around the city has made its water shortage worse. 

The Vaal Dam is a major supply source for Gauteng, the province that includes Johannesburg, Pretoria and much of South Africa’s industry. South Africa’s drought-stricken Cape Town “Day Zero,” when taps in the city run dry and people start queuing for water will be in August 2019.

Cairo Egypt

Cairo Egypt was once known as the Paris of the Middle East. Cairo’s priceless pyramids of Giza, Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur should be on everyone’s bucket list of must-see places to visits before you die. 

Also on the list are the Egyptian museum, Coptic Cairo, City of the Dead, Saladino's citadel and the Marble Mosque. With a population of over 9 million spread over 3,085 square kilometers or 1,191 sq mi, Cairo is the largest city in Egypt. Cairo's Tahrir Square was the focal point of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution against former president Hosni Mubarak.

Casablanca Morocco

Chefchaouen, Casablanca Morocco

Casablanca Morocco has beautiful buildings in shades of blue in the city of Chefchaouen, the Atlas Mountains, Sahara Desert and camel trekking in the Erg Chebbi sand dunes. Casablanca is located in the central western part of Morocco bordering the Atlantic Ocean, is the largest city in Morocco. 

It is also the largest city in the Maghreb, as well as one of the largest and most important cities in Africa, both economically and demographically. The area that is Casablanca today was founded and settled by Berbers around the seventh century BC. It was used as a port by the Phoenicians and later the Romans. 

Leo Africanus in his book Description of Africa, Casablanca as Anfa, a great city founded in the Berber kingdom of Barghawata. He believed Anfa was the most prosperous city on the Atlantic Coast because of its fertile land. Following the defeat of the Barghawata around the 12th century, Arabs of Hilal and Sulaym descent settled in the region. 

Durban South Africa

Durban also known as eThekweni in the Zulu language has one of the world’s largest aquariums, uShaka Sea World. uShaka Sea World is the fifth largest aquarium in the world where you can swim with the dolphins and watch penguins swim and play. 

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third most populous in South Africa after Johannesburg and Cape Town. 

It is also the second most important manufacturing hub in South Africa after Johannesburg. Located on the east coast of South Africa, Durban is famous for being the second busiest port in the country, after Wetty Station.

A smile is a universal language

Did you Know?

The meeting and greeting etiquette in South Africa and Cairo may be different from what you are used to. When dealing with foreigners, most people shake hands while maintaining friendly eye contact and smiling. 

Some women do not shake hands and merely nod their head, so it is best to wait for a woman to extend her hand first. Men may kiss a woman they know well on the cheek instead of giving a handshake. 

Traveling to Africa maybe different than your hometown customs, for example greetings are leisurely and include time for exchanging pleasantries and social discussion.

Learn more about Africa.

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The promotion of terms like "good hair" and "kinky hair" has perpetuated the colonial system into neocolonialism, with black hair being a key factor in this survival.

Neocolonialism is control through indirect means of a perceived powerless homogeneous group of people by a larger or stronger one. To date, practically every aspect of the ex-colonized society still harbors colonial influences. Hair on the surface may seem unrelated but it has indeed continued survival of the colonial system by continuing to promote the terms good hair and kinky hair.

 

Kids plats hairstyle.

It's worth noting that the desire for weave and wigs in Africa is just as prevalent as it is in the USA, despite the geographical distance and cultural differences. The love for hair extensions transcends borders.

Neocolonialism refers to a form of control exerted by a dominant or stronger group over a perceived powerless group, typically in a post-colonial context. Unlike direct colonization, neocolonialism operates through indirect means, allowing the dominant group to maintain influence and control over the perceived weaker group. Even today, many aspects of formerly colonized societies bear the lingering effects of colonialism. It is important to recognize that these influences extend beyond political and economic spheres and permeate various aspects of daily life, including seemingly unrelated areas such as hair.

While hair may appear to be an unrelated topic, it has played a significant role in perpetuating the colonial system. The concept of "good hair" versus "kinky hair" is deeply rooted in Eurocentric beauty standards imposed during colonial times. This dichotomy creates a hierarchy where certain hair textures, often resembling European hair, are deemed more desirable and acceptable, while other natural hair textures are devalued and stigmatized. This perpetuates the notion that conforming to Eurocentric beauty norms is the ideal, reinforcing the dominance of Western culture and ideals over the ex-colonized societies.

The promotion of these hair standards serves to maintain the power dynamics of the colonial system. By valuing and privileging European hair textures, it perpetuates a sense of inferiority and self-doubt among those with natural or non-conforming hair types. This psychological impact, coupled with societal pressures, can lead individuals to invest time, money, and effort into conforming to Eurocentric standards, such as through the use of chemical straightening treatments or extensions. Consequently, industries catering to these beauty ideals thrive, further entrenching the economic influence of neocolonialism.

Understanding the influence of seemingly unrelated aspects like hair within the context of neocolonialism is crucial for recognizing and challenging these power dynamics. By questioning and rejecting Eurocentric beauty standards, individuals can reclaim their cultural identity and challenge the norms imposed by the colonial past. Embracing the diversity and beauty of natural hair textures, irrespective of their conformity to Western ideals, can contribute to dismantling the neocolonial system and promoting self-acceptance, cultural pride, and the celebration of diverse identities.

Moms, daughters, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, cousins, and friends, all may have different opinions on the accepted way to style hair. The decision to wear natural hair, whether it is Afros, dreadlocks, Nubian twists, or braids, means that you are outside of the norm. It seems that the styling of black women's hair has never been such a topic of national conversation. However, some feel the elitist feeling that is growing with the natural hair movement is just another way to divide women of color.

The decision to wear natural hair, whether dreadlocks, Nubian twists, or braids, means that you are outside the norm. Natural hair supporters go one step further to say natural hair is a nod to being a real African. Black hair has strong negative political implications because of the historic devaluation of kinky hair and the association of hairstyles such as Afros and dreadlocks with revolutionary thinking and militancy. 

Nubian twists hairstyle.

The historic devaluation of natural hair.

Black African women have been discriminated against for centuries because of skin color and nappy hair. Therefore, white characteristics such as bone-straight hair are seen as superior. When a black woman in mainstream media is shown in movies or on TV, she usually wears either a weave or has bone-straight, relaxed hair. Happily, hair acceptance is changing slowly.

On the continent itself, Africa is a prime market for Indian hair. Its market for weaves, wigs, and extensions is currently estimated to be worth $6 billion a year and growing fast. 

The hair market is so big that global giants such as Unilever and L’Oreal invest heavily in African hair care products. Many African Americans believe wearing natural hair means getting in touch with African roots; however, due to the influence of China, Africa’s cravings for weave and wigs are just as strong as it is in the USA.

The natural hair movement is a celebration of Black women’s beauty. Some choose to focus on individual expression and argue that whether a Black woman’s hair is worn kinky, curly, or straight, or with wigs or weaves, the hairstyle does not automatically determine if the wearer is self-loving or self-loathing. 

However, people such as Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says, "Relaxing your hair is like being in prison," she wrote. "You're caged in. Your hair rules you." "You're always battling to make your hair do what it wasn't meant to do."

Clutch magazine writer, Shahida Muhammad, asserts, “Instead of debating on what’s better, let’s applaud the fact that we now have options in hair care that will inspire the next generations of Black girls to embrace their hair in ways that suit their preferences, and not imposed social ideals.” Playing into the neocolonial agenda by dividing women culturally hurts us all. 

Weave hair or natural hairstyle helps you achieve a beautiful inner and outer style. Or is it both weave hair and natural hair protective styles. It is true that hair weave is a style for women who want to lengthen their hair or add volume to their natural hair or is weave a way to erase being black. 

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