▁regularly ▁went ▁to ▁bar ber ▁sh ops ▁to ▁have ▁their ▁be ards ▁gro omed , ▁and ▁some ▁Black ▁bar bers ▁developed ▁exclus ively ▁White , ▁el ite ▁client ele , ▁sometimes ▁in ▁association ▁with ▁hot els ▁or ▁clubs . ▁Media ▁images ▁t ended ▁to ▁perpet uate ▁the ▁ide als ▁of ▁European ▁beauty ▁of ▁the ▁majority ▁culture , ▁even ▁when ▁featuring ▁African - Amer icans . ▁ ▁African - Amer icans ▁began ▁spons oring ▁their ▁own ▁beauty ▁events . ▁The ▁w inners , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁wore ▁straight ▁hair ▁styles ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁of ▁mixed ▁race , ▁ad orn ed ▁Black ▁mag az ines ▁and ▁product ▁advert is ements . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁media ▁port ray al ▁of ▁traditional ▁African ▁hair ▁styles , ▁such ▁as ▁bra ids ▁and ▁corn rows , ▁was ▁associated ▁with ▁African - Amer icans ▁who ▁were ▁poor ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁rural ▁areas . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁M igration , ▁when ▁millions ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁left ▁the ▁South ▁for ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁northern ▁and ▁mid western ▁industrial ▁cities , ▁many ▁African ▁Americans ▁wanted ▁to ▁leave ▁this ▁rural ▁association ▁behind . ▁ ▁Sch ol ars ▁debate ▁whether ▁hair - stra ight ening ▁practices ▁arose ▁out ▁of ▁Black ▁des ires ▁to ▁conform ▁to ▁a ▁Euro cent ric ▁standard ▁of ▁beauty , ▁or ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁individual ▁experiments ▁with ▁f ash ions ▁and ▁changing ▁styles . ▁Some ▁believe ▁that ▁slaves ▁and ▁later ▁African - Amer icans ▁absor bed ▁pre jud