The Tignon laws were established in the 1870s to balance the social order within Louisiana.

In the 1700s, the black women in Louisiana would wear beads, jewelry, feathers, & other adornments in their hair. This along with their skin —in “various shades of brown” and hair “which came in many different curl patterns”— was too distracting to the white men of Louisiana, & threatened the social order. The white women of Louisiana at the time were worried… How would people in the streets know who was the wife & who was the mistress? To mediate this, the governor required the women of color (free or not) to quite literally, cover themselves with headwraps. He asked them to cover themselves to remind them of their place within society. To make themselves smaller. Less alluring. To shrink so that others could seem big. To keep their heads down & covered so that others could stand tall. To shrink as not to be seen. To shrink, so they were easier to overlook. What did these black women do? They wrapped their heads… But did they shrink? No. They took their head wraps & adorned them. They fashioned them into intricate styles. They placed feathers, beads, & other jewelry into them. What was meant to make them more invisible became a way for them to stand out. This law didn’t dim their light, it just gave them an excuse to shine brighter. So, if anyone ever asks you to shrink, remember this piece of history. And stand tall.