Highlighting Black Women Hairstyles during the Harlem Renaissance and comparing them to our 21st century women hairstyles.

What is the Harlem Renaissance?

This dynamic era in the 20th century stands out as one of the most revitalizing movements, sparking a surge of creativity in African American music, literature, art, and of course, fashion.

During this era, women embraced a spirit of experimentation, venturing into unconventional hairstyles that defied the norms of the time.

Influential black jazz entertainers pioneered distinctive looks characterized by curls with layers, short cuts, and swooped edges.

Finger Waves

Featuring Josephine Baker & Jayda Wayda

Sleek Bob

Featuring Ethel Moses & Zendaya

Pixie Cut

Featuring Sarah Vaughan & Teyana Taylor

Hat Hairstyles

Featuring Zora Neale Hurston & Janelle Monáe

"The Harlem Renaissance instilled in African Americans across the country a new spirit of self-determination and pride, a new social consciousness, and a new commitment to political activism, all of which would provide a foundation for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s", as the National Museum of African American History and Culture put it. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of being made new and igniting a creative spirit.

Happy Black Hair-Story Month!