Which African-American stars have the most iconic hairstyles of all time?

Eunice Kathleen Waymon, better known by her stage name, Nina Simone, was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and civil rights activist. She is seen wearing a beehive updo in an iconic image from her career. (Photo: smileyandwest.ning.com)

Angela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Her blown out afro set the mood for an entire era of African-American empowerment in the ’70s. (Photo: jayepurplewolf.com)

Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and musician. He is seen here toying with his more untamed version of dreadlocks. (Photo: allposters.co.uk)

Singer, actress and model Grace Jones is beloved for her outlandish style, wild personality, and her sharply angled afros. (Photo: greenobles.com)

Salt, Spinderella and Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa are seen here showcasing classic asymmetrical bobs, an ultimate symbol of black ’80s style. (Photo: madamenoire.com)

R B singer Bobby Brown showed his prerogative by sporting the Gumby haircut in the late ’80s. (Photo: illseed.wordpress.com)

Jayne Kennedy was the the first woman to join the staff of CBS Sports’ “NFL Today” and the first black Miss Ohio. She is seen here wearing a robust curly hairstyle. (Photo: myspace.com)

Legendary pop star Michael Jackson made the ’80s hairstyle, the jheri curl, super-chic. (Photo: hairstyle-blog.com)

Christopher Reid, also known as Kid from Kid N’ Play, is an American actor, comedian and former rapper. He is seen here sporting a high top fade in a still from the 1990s flick, “House Party.” (Photo: egyptsaidso.com)

Hip Hop icon Big Daddy Kane helped make the high top fade a trend in hip-hop in the late ’80s. (Photo: hiphopchicz.net)

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is known for her varied hairstyles, and wore this braided look during an early period of her career. (Photo: IMdb.com)

Rapper Snoop Dogg is pictured here wearing a perm with curls. (Photo: gelo23mj.blogspot.com)

Rapper Busta Rhymes wore a more stylish form of modern dreadlocks before cutting them off and rocking a fade. (Photo: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect)

One-third the hip hop/R B trio TLC, T-Boz is an American singer-songwriter and dancer. In an interview with Essence magazine, she jokingly called this haircut her “Waterfalls sideburns.” (Photo: omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com)

Rev. Al Sharpton visits the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum in 2001 in Jerusalem sporting his traditional combed back perm. Black men used to wear straight styles more often in the ’40s through the ’60s, while Sharpton’s is an homage to his late mentor James Brown. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)

Aside from being known for displaying his toned body in his “How does it feel” video, soul singer D’Angelo was also famous for his cornrows. (Photo: s2smagazine.com)

Singer Janet Jackson wears Patra braids named after the famous, female reggae singer in this file photo. (Photo: Essence.com)

Oprah Winfrey is a cable TV proprietor, actress, philanthrapist and producer. Oprah has been the queen of various permed looks over the years, here wearing tousled curls. (Photo: people.zap2it.com)

Model Naomi Campbell’s iconic style is the long straight weave, a look she made famous before it was adopted by the masses. (Photo by Albert Ortega/Online USA, Inc.)

For men, the “baldie” is one of the most iconic black styles. Basketball legend Michael Jordan has showcased this look throughout his career. (Photo: Getty Images)

Legendary singer Diana Ross is famous for boosting her hair volume with vivacious weave extensions. She made big hair tres chic! (Photo: beeisthenewblog.com)

Susan Taylor is an American editor, writer and journalist. She served as editor-in-chief of Essence magazine from 1981 through 2000. Throughout her career, Taylor has been known for her braided cornrow hairstyle with long extensions. (Photo: thefabempire.com)

First lady Michelle Obama often wears a short bob, a look that is synonymous with the modern black professional woman. (Photo: sheknows.com)

Model Iman is pictured wearing thick finger waves, a popular black hairstyle dating back to the ’20s. (Photo: swingfashionista.com)

Pay no attention to actor Will Smith adjusting Tyler Perry’s wardrobe and focus on the S-curl Smith is sporting. The S-curl is one black hairstyle for men that has remained popular year after year. (Photo: blacksnob.blogspot.com)

Singer Usher has stepped up his black hairstyle game with a new iconic style, the frohawk. (Photo: sneakertalk.yuku.com)

RB singer Jaheim wears the popular cornrow style, but he takes his to another level with variety in the designs. (Photo: Madamnoire.com)

Neosoul singer Jill Scott has gone through many hair transformations, but her afro is one of many hairstyles that compliments her authentic and sultry sound. (Photo: charcoal-ink.com)

Stefan Gordy of the American electro-pop duo LMFAO is seen here with his trademark afro. Modern afros are often looser, as seen here. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Maxim)

Best Actress winner Halle Berry holds her Oscar statuette while sporting her signature pixie cut. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/GettyImages)

Rihanna’s short cropped style with pinky bangs ushered in a whole new take on the pixie. (Photo: coolhairstyles.info)

Cassie started a major trend — including numerous celebrity copycats — by shaving the side of her head. (Photo: lagaellou.blogspot.com)

Singer Ledisi is credited with making the modern take on female dreadlocks popular. Today, women will rock dreads in styles as versatile as looks previously only worn by women with relaxed hair. (Photo: blackhair.about.com)

Creator and star of the wildly popular web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” Issa Rae, sports what natural hair enthusiasts call a “TWA” — teeny weeny afro. (Photo: ChicagoDefender.com)

Shingai Shoniwa, lead singer of the British group the Noisettes, poses in a loose afro pompadour — a new look that has emerged as natural hair has become a hot trend. (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images)

Singer Janelle Monae seen has also made the afro pompadour famous. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Songbird Corinne Bailey Rae often wears a natural twist out. This popular chemical-free style is created by twisting and untwisting sections of hair to create a wavy curl pattern. (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Singer Beyonce holds her daughter Blue Ivy Carter while bringing back the old school box braids in a recent photo. (Photo: rolling out.com)

Black hairstyles are a unique aspect of African-American culture. African-American hair looks have summed up seminal political moments through powerful creative poofs, expressed the joy of a generation in colorful asymmetrical cuts, or been emblazoned in memory as the crowning adornment of our favorite celebrities. Whether we have worn our hair braided, curly, natural or straight, the iconic hairstyles listed above have made a bold impact beyond the realm of the black community, inspiring awe and sometimes mimicry in the mainstream. These looks may have come and gone with popularity — some have become timeless — but none will ever be forgotten. View our gallery of the most iconic black hairstyles of all time, and reminisce on some of your favorites. Pixie cuts, box braids, S-curls and pompadours — which black hairstyles have you loved and worn?

Follow Chivone Smith on Twitter @misswriteirinc

Article source: http://thegrio.com/2012/07/31/black-hairstyles-thegrio-celebrates-the-most-iconic-african-american-hair-looks-of-all-time/