Why Women of Color in the 1800s Were Banned From Wearing Their Hair in Public

by Cassandre – July 7, 2014

Portrait of a Creole. Note the tignon here that identifies her as such. Her gaze at the view is inviting and demands respect, although there is perhaps sexuality in her eyes and the light smile.  Really, a beautiful piece although it remains possible that her complexion was lightened for this painting. That could always be a factor in the appearances of wealthy Creoles who would not want to see their darker-hued selves.

“Did you know that in late 18th century Louisiana, black and multiracial women were ordered to cover their hair in public?” My sister asked me.

“WOW. Really?” I replied.

I’d probably heard of this in one of my black studies classes in undergrad, but who remembers everything they’ve been taught? Besides, this information felt instantly relevant and I was absolutely intrigued.

It wasn’t unusual for me to feel myself gaining brain cells while in conversation with my sisters, but by the time I caught my racing thoughts so I could ask her some questions, it was time to take care of my baby girl. I knew, however that this was a topic worth visiting again.

With a little digging I found that there was in fact a “law” of sorts that demanded women of color in Louisiana to cover their hair with a fabric cloth starting in 1789 as a part of what was called the Bando du buen gobierno (Edict for Good Government). What these rules were meant to do was try to curtail the growing influence of the free black population and keep the social order of the time. The edict included sections specifically about the changing of certain “unacceptable” behaviors of the free black women in the colony including putting an end to what he and others believed to be the overly ostentatious hairstyles of these ladies which drew the attention of white men, and the jealousy of white women. These rules are called the “Tignon Laws” A tignon (pronounced “tiyon”) is a headdress.

Code Noir

The Code Noir was a decree passed by Louis XIV of France in 1685, affecting all the French colonies, such as Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) and other French colonies in the Indian Ocean that were involved in the sugar trade.  It essentially codified slavery, eliminating slaves’ rights and defining them as property, eradicating all traces of African cultures by banning African drums and chants which the Mauritian slaves replaced with the Ravanne and the "Sega" was born.
Although there was some humanitarian intent, any benefit to slaves’ lives was minimal.  The decree remained in force until 1789 and the French Revolution.  The slaves of Haiti rebelled in 1791, gaining their freedom in 1804.

Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870), author of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, is connected to Haiti.  His father, a famous general, was born there in 1762 (to a French soldier and a Haitian slave woman).  Despite his success, Dumas was the victim of racism throughout his life.  He tackled the subject of colonialism only once, in a short novel Georges (1843), which he set in Mauritius. The cartoon below is titled: "The Quadroon Chef: Dumas concocting his bouillabaisse of romance."

The United States eventually created its own Code Noir: the One Drop Rule, which meant that anyone with "one drop" of African blood had to be considered Black. This unofficial rule was invented in the "free" northern states of the U.S. between 1830 and 1840, before spreading south. It had to be invented since inter-marriage had by this point eroded perceptible differences between White and Black.

However if we look at the "code noir" , in order of importance, some of these rules  includes the  following:
– All slaves to have Catholic religious instruction, a fine to be paid by the owner who defaults.
– Slaves can only be married with the consent of the owners.
– Children born to slaves belong to the owner of the mother.
– Slaves are considered as “movable property” and are included in any list of possessions to be bequeathed or shared.
– Slaves are forbidden to gather in any numbers—the punishment being either lashes with the whip or branding with the iron (known as the “fleur de lys”).
– The owner must continue to look after his elderly, infirm or sick slaves.
– Corporal punishment or even execution are the penalty for theft.
– No slave shall sell sugar cane, for any reason whatsoever, under penalty of a lashing.

It should not be forgotten that slavery was a worldwide economic system. Unesco has created its educational programme “The slave route” in order to shed light on this tragic phenomenon. The Sugar Adventure was determined to collaborate in this programme in order to bring our contribution of remembrance.