Chic African Culture Blog

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. African tech startups raise billions of dollars annually, seven African start-ups were included in the World Economic Forum 2021 cohort of 100 Technology Pioneers: 54gene, mPharma, Cambridge Industries, FlexFinTx, Kuda, Moringa School and Sokowatch.

African hair is treated as an artist’s canvas

For centuries, African hair is treated as an artist’s canvas. Unique African hairstyles were a fashion and status statement for women and men. Taking care of black hair is an iconic tradition from Africa to America. Take care of black coils and curls with conditioned scalp and drinking water.


Black hair care in Hamar, Ethiopia
Black hair care in Hamar, Ethiopia

Love Yourself and Your Gravity Defying Hair.

Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with images of beautiful women with long straight hair, selling us just about everything from makeup, cars, jewelry, music, movies and more.

Magazines and television sell us the latest fashion trends with beautifully constructed images in Adobe Photoshop, leaving little trace of the women whose photo is actually being taken.

What can you do to fall in love with your natural hair? It is important to understand that the images of women portrayed in the media do not correspond to reality.

This can help you accept yourself as you are and feel better about your own hair. Identify the social messages that wrongly associate physical appearance with health, happiness and success, and the strategies used by the media to communicate these messages.


The best Black African hairstyles that turns heads because life is too short to have boring hair.

Take Care of Black Hair with a Conditioned Scalp and Drinking Water

Two issues impeding the growth of natural black hair is taking care of the scalp and drinking plenty of water. Many black hair naturals ask questions on how to grow hair very long and quickly; well the normal rate of growth is actually 1/2 inch per month on average. Black hair tends to break more easily hence, the myth black hair does not grow.

Just know your hair scalp is the foundation of hair growth. The first step is to clarify your hair and condition your scalp, here why it is important. Your scalp is where your hair is growing out of so you want to make sure that you are giving the hair that is coming out of your scalp the best chance that it has to grow.

Collecting dirt, product build-up especially if you like to use hair butter like shea, otjize paste and oils are not only the clogging the pores on your scalp but also making it difficult for your follicles to come out healthy.

It also can become an irritant to your scalp and if your hair follicles or roots become irritated or the skin on your scalp becomes irritated you are susceptible to issues such as alopecia or dandruff from blocking sebum on your scalp.

So many things can happen when you do not wash your hair more than once a month. You have to clarify your scalp every week or two weeks. Natural hair it tends to be drier due to all those curls and coils make it hard for the sebum from your scalp to travel all the way down the hair because it has all these loops to go down.

You really have to make sure that you moisturize your hair inside and out so internally make sure you are drinking enough water. If you do not have enough water in your body you are really you are really messing your natural hair care routine up, your hair going to get dry brittle.

African Himba covers their skin and hair with a creamy mixture of fat and red clay
Himba Otjize Skin and Scalp Protectant

Himba Otjize Skin, Scalp and Hair Protectant

Hair in Africa is an iconic statement treated like an artist’s canvas. Himba women spend hours creating the iconic hairstyles. Himba women, as well as Himba men, are famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cream mixture of fat and ochre pigment clay.

Otjize is a paste of fat and red ochre sometimes mixed with scented oils. Himba women apply otjize each morning and afternoon to their skin and hair, giving them a distinctive red hue.

Otjize is used as a scalp and skin protectant to protect from sunburn; it forms a protective barrier to prevent irritation from the harsh sun and wind.

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

  1. Historical African country names
  2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
  3. How many countries does Africa have?
  4. Paying Money To Tour Slums in Africa
  5. What Is the Wettest Country in Africa
  6. African Kente Cloth Facts
  7. Where is Shashamane Ethiopia the African Rastafarian Promised Land

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Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

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Gold Olympic Medals Africa Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Cameroon, and Nigeria are the top ten African countries with the most Gold Olympic medals. 10 African countries with the most Gold Olympic medals How much do you know about Africa's history at the Summer Olympics Games? The 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad has been a part of Africa’s history since 1904. Also in Rio 2016, the first-ever Team Refugees will stand before the world and prove that you can succeed no matter where you're from. Top ten African countries with the most Gold Olympic medals African Country Gold Silver Bronze Total Kenya 24 33 29 86 South Africa 23 26 27
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Eastern coasts of Caribbean, United States, and South America, are in danger of being blasted by hurricanes wind and rain during hurricane season from June through November. But, why? The scientific reason why is because of Africa’s Sahara desert dust storms and the transition of thunderstorms off the west coast of Africa. The waters in the North Atlantic Ocean are typically at their warmest while the Sahara is at its hottest from July through October, so the chances of a hurricane are highest during these months. African legend, the paths hurricanes follow. Hurricanes are gigantic weather systems using convection, the movement of hot and cold air, to create dangerous storms. They are rotating heat engines powered by the warmth of tropical waters having three main parts, the eye, the eyewall, and rainbands. Hurricanes cannot form just anywhere in the world due to the need for hot and humid air. They normally form close to the equator and move west or northwest. Hurrica
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African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

Support African History and Culture

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet are dedicated to discovering, collecting and sharing African history and heritage celebrating 14 years of service in 2021. Share and support in the pride of being part of an important cultural and educational resource.


Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

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