1955-1960 A few daring African American musicians, students, and activists let their hair grow into a soft halo of curls. The "Afro" is born, a rejection of decades of lye, close-cropped cuts, and other methods to control black hair. Critics call the new look militant (or, paradoxically, anti-military), but by 1966 it is mainstream enough to be worn by Howard University's homecoming queen -- and soon by such celebrities as Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, and the poet Gwendolyn Brooks. From America, the Afro travels to Africa and Brazil. It inspires the anti-establishment of all races to grow their hair long and free.