Fulani braids, commonly known as tribal braids, is a style that usually incorporates the following elements: a cornrow braided down the centre of the head; one or a few cornrows braided in the opposite direction toward your face just near the temples; a braid wrapped around the hairline; and oftentimes, accessories, such as beads.
Fulani Braids and Pop culture
Fulani braids and their descent into pop culture dates all the way back to the 1979 film 10. Bo Derek, a white woman, was seen sporting the tribal braids during the infamous beach scene. Later, in 2001, Alicia Keys was seen sporting Fulani Braids in her award winning song video Fallin’.
Due to this, many began to refer to the style as Alicia Keys braids. People of Fulani descent as well as many others from the black community took offence to this due to the fact the braids were being associated with someone/something other than the heritage it originated from. Fulani braids aren't the only hairstyle that was coined a different name once inherited by the mainstream. Additionally, Cornrows and Box braids (worn by Janet Jackson in the early 90's film Poetic Justice) can be traced back to the origin of Eembuvi braids worn by the Mbalantu women of Namibia in the 1900's. 16 years later in 2017, analogous with the natural hair movement ,Fulani braids and their variations became more popular in the mainstream than they ever were. It’s hard to say what triggered the resurgence of this look 16 years later, but if I were to take a guess, I’d say the growth of the natural hair movement made simple cornrow styles (i.e. Goddess braids, two French braids, etc.) popular among adults because they’re protective styles, and that has led to more elaborate plaited styles, like Fulani Braids, becoming popular.
Many still refer to the style as Alicia Keys Braids or Bo Derek Braids, which is very disrespectful to the Fulani people as it strips the style of its cultural and historical significance however their is a difference between calling them Alicia Keys braids, a black woman, and Bo Derek braids, a white woman. The issue is cultural appropriation! Many black individuals have fought for the right to wear braids in public, which is why it is infuriating to the black community for our hairstyles to be worn in that manner.
Origin
Contrary to the belief of the public, Fulani braids originated from the Fulani People, often referred to as the Fube. They are one of the biggest ethnic groups in west Africa. Ironically, though they are so populous, they are not the majority in any country they live. Many of the Fube’s neighbours refer to them as pule, Fula, Fulani or Felota and many more. The origin of most tribes in Africa are usually transmitted orally due to the erasure of documents and written journals during the colonization period however, according to Mau Salaam, the origin of the Fulani is from Egypt. His theory is that they found their way across eastern Egypt out of the Nile Valley across the Sahel to Senegal. However, this theory is often rejected by other historians who believed they simply originated from North Africa. Most Fube are Muslims and converted relatively early. Their traditional African religion is not really well known, however one pre-Islamic Fube belief system exists relating to a cow god. Practicing cow worship, the Fube believed that Geno, the supreme being, created the universe from a drop of milk.
Later in the 16th to 17th century, the Fulani became heads of state and leaders of northern Nigeria and Woodabe. This translated in the traditional Fulani hairstyle as it mimicked the likes of a crown. Just like in most other tribes, depending on the variation of the braids you wore, age, marital status as well as royal rank would be visible. For example, having coins or rings braided into the hair was often reserved for royals, as the coins or rings were meant to be passed on through generations of daughters. Overall, the Fube came a long way in achieving the status they currently hold in western Africa, and Fulani braids are meant to illustrate that.
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