Teyana Taylor has had quite the month—and we’re only one week in. Between receiving a Grammy nomination for Escape Room, to winning Ebony’s Power 100 Entertainer of the Year award, she’s been, rightfully so, all the rage this season.
Meanwhile, she’s continuously pulled aspirational beauty looks left and right. And, I’d argue, her latest hairstyle, Tigray braids—which she rocked to host this year’s CFDA Awards earlier this week—is her most powerful yet.
Taylor’s look made me think about Habesha women and their incredible beauty rituals. Specifically, Tigray braids—AKA Albaso braids, Tigray lines, or Ethiopian lines—are characterized by fine cornrows fanning out towards the back and sides into a voluminous, downward flowing coif at the back.
The style is just one variation of regional Ethiopian styles, like Asa Shuruba (asa meaning fish, and shuruba meaning braids directly on the scalp), worn by Ethiopian women for special occasions (like Ashenda), weddings, and rites of passages.
But beyond the beauty moment, it made me think further about the tens of thousands of women and girls in Tigray—the northernmost regional state of Ethiopia—who are currently being subject to horrific sexual violence and genocide. At a time when they should be celebrating the beauty rituals rooted in culture, they’re instead forced to endure one of the most violent human rights crises in the world.
With hybrid braids trending this season, like on Doechii, Tyla, and Keke Palmer, Taylor’s Albasso braids are another reminder that our beauty choices, as Black women, are more than just trends. Whether we’re aware or not, they can serve as a way to honor our cultures, history, and show solidarity.
Looks such as these offer an opportunity to learn more about the beauty traditions of the women within our diaspora, the issues they’ve faced, and how we can help. And, this time, for me, that means putting all eyes on Tigray.
To support the women in Tigray, donate to Tigray Action Committee, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Omna Tigray, and more.
