Afro-Colombian hair salons in Bogotá: the aesthetic, the political and the social

The article explores the history of the appearance and the main characteristics of Afro-Colombian hairdressers in Bogotá as vital meeting, socialization and solidarity spaces for Afro migrants who arrived in the capital from the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, and from the inter-Andean valleys. These spaces make it possible to confront the reality of the socio-racial difference that still exists in Colombian society, while exploiting the stereotype according to which the value of being Afro-descendant passes exclusively through corporality. On the other hand, the text presents these businesses as enterprises that offer empowerment and autonomy to their owners and workers, also offering an aesthetic sense loaded with cultural and political value, which seeks to contribute to the demolition of socio-racial stereotypes and prejudices.

Keywords:
Afro-Colombian hairdressers; afro aesthetic; afro hairstyles; Afro-Colombian migration