Wanjiru Wakaba Interview of a Native of Kenya

                                                       

 

Hey, my name is Wanjiru Wakaba. A student in the UK, but born and raised in Kenya. I became

interested with dreads in 2009, so I decided to do them in 2010 June. At first my parents thought I was joking because I was about to join university.

 

So they thought the career I had decided to focus on, engineering, with such a hair style no one would take me seriously. 2009, while still doing my foundation year so as to join university abroad, I discovered I was more artistic and decided to change my career and do mass communication.

 

So I joined university. I remember my mum was against me having dreads because the few people she came across she thought their hair was dirty all the time. To reasons best known to her.. so she was advising me people will never take me serious.

 

But now I am happy she has come to accept that I have dreadlocks because I made her realize it's not all about someone being lazy and that they don't like washing their hair that was making them go for dreadlocks. Its all about the passion and loyalty of loving the hairstyle.

I am quite pleased about how having dreadlocks has made me change a few people's perspective when judging those with dreadlocks. A few times I have been stereotyped by my former students in the university I go to. Pin pointing me saying I do weed, I listen to roots and reggae music (which is not bad), and I am violent...such annoying things. 

 

I met my boyfriend just after putting in dreads, his are longer too. I am so sure if I didn't change my mum's perspective of dreadlocks she would be against my relationship, but now I am happy because even my older siblings (a brother and a sister) have started growing dreads and my mum hasn't said a word to them. Even when she is going shopping she gets the three of us deadlock hair products.

For my boyfriend, which I can't say much about him being stereotyped, but I can pin point a few scenerios when we have been together. He is called Sergi John. He is Kenyan like me, currently residing in Kenya. He has grown his dreadlocks since December 2007. At one point we were club hopping on a Saturday night out when this police officer stopped us and started checking his pockets asking if he did drugs just because he had dreadlocks. They thought he was carrying marijuana. Then later after searching and getting him carrying my phone and his phone in his pockets they started questioning him how come he has two phones.

Here is clear pics of my boyfriend 

Monica's dread journey.

Marie Oldenburg-Crans

This is how it all began



Their is always maintenance


Cool in shades of blue

I am a Dutch woman from Amsterdam. I decided to get dreads at the age of 46. My hair was grey already coz I stopped dyeing it at age 40. I met the love of my life at age 43 (Jan Ronald) he introduced me to the world of gothic and fantasy festivals, where you see a lot of people with dreads. Suddenly I felt the hippie in me well up. I wanted dreads. My hair has always been shoulder length, it somehow never got much longer. I figured that having dreads would finally make my hair grow longer.

I did a lot of research online about the different ways of making them, about maintenance. I had them made in Belgium by a girl who had learned it in Bangkok. I liked that thick firm type of dreads. She made them by just crocheting, no backcombing. My dreads were ultra short and I looked like a hedgehog. But I didn't care. I loved having dreads. I have always felt like the odd one out and having an alternative type of hairstyle made me feel that my inner self and my appearance were more in sync.

I have had dreads for 2,5 years now.  I got married with dreads, my husband loves them too. My mother is 83 and she doesn't understand them. But she is too old and vague to really complain. :-)I am self employed so I don't need to worry about bosses and colleagues. I am not the kind of person who feels good in an office anyway, so getting dreads was never something that would hurt my 'career'. My in laws and friends like my hair too. They think it goes well with my quirky, weird personality.

And I am happy with my dreads too.

Testimonies: Why I decided to loc my hair/go natural

Gizelle L Mitchell: I went natural because I felt it was time I embraced who I am (a young dark-skin black girl with kinky hair). My hair was relaxed since I was 10-yrs old and I've always felt uncomfortable with the weave, braids and the long hours spent waiting to get my hair relaxed. Plus I hated that I always had to run from the rain or that I couldn't really enjoy the beach because I didn't want to get my hair wet! I love that I can relax now that my hair isn't relaxed! My natural hair has given me the confidence I never had when my hair was straight.

Tonita Lawson: I went natural because I was tired of the weaves and braids. This is the best hair decision I ever made! www.locaccents.blogspot.com

Tricia Farquharson: Honestly I went natural kind of by accident lol. I was trying to give my hair a break from that"cream crack" and had so much natural growth I said why not. I always thought locs and natural hair brought out the True beauty in a woman and I wanted to be a part of that. It's been a little over 4yrs and it has been the BEST decision I have ever mad when it comes to my hair. I would never go back to having a perm even if I decided to stop locing my hair. It's what makes me,me :)

Tamara Scott: I went natural because it was hurting my student budget to get my hair done every 2 weeks at the salon. I started getting my hair braided and my sisters who were already natural convinced me to keep cutting off the perm on my ends. Once I did that and started twisting my own hair I never looked back. In the fall of 2008, I decided to loc my hair. Its the best decision I ever made for my hair!

Robin Morgan: I went natural because every year around the same time my hair would break off really bad, so I would cut it short. Well one yr I cut it short and everytime I went to the salon I cut it shorter and shorter till it was nothing but a brush cut. I wore that for 6 yrs. Loved it.. started loc'ing 6 yrs ago, best decision I ever made. My hair is the longest its ever been and healthy. This past summer my baby daughter did the big cut off and she loves it.

Ladyshan Mitchell: I've tried perm, braids, weave about twice....My favourite was duh natural looking braids but it only lasted for so long...I've permed a few times but it never worked out well for me cuz I guess I couldn't manage it on my own...I've always loved locks but my family had a misconception of people who wore dreadlocks...I can still hear my dad saying "not as long as you are living under this roof,when you living in your own place and working for your own money you can grow dreadz" but its funny though how ppl always refered to me as a Rasta especially when I wore the natural looking braids...so after battling with natural hair ..having to wash it and sit and braid it for hours....which I can tell you it's no walk in the park...my sister Gizelle L Mitchell can testify to the that....I Finally decided in the year 09 to go after my dream of growing dreadlocks...and the more it grows the more I fall in love with it...I must say it's not an ez road especially in the beginning stage there were times I felt like chopping it off but you just have to leave and let it take it's course and stop worrying about it getting long or anticipating the arrival of long hair cuz trust me it can send you crazy...The most enjoyable time with dreadlocks is when it's short...and what I love about it the most is that you can do anything with it and not having to worrying about it breaking up or so...you dont have to worry about any special shampoo........cuz its DREADLOCKS...

Mo Tucker: I went natural bc after I gave birth 2 my daughter my body changed... When I tried 2 relax it it felt like my hair was literally on fire and then it would fall out till I had spotty bald spots so I was like either I'm going 2 continue this way and hope it gets better or stop with relaxer all 2gether.... That was 9 years ago and I'm so glad and I'm never going back.. Even had a few friends go natural bc of me

Alces Terry: I decided to go natural after being tired of paying for wigs and weaves...my journey was better than I expected. I am so happy I went natural.

Lawrence Blamo: I went natural because I wanted to try something new. My locs tell a story about pain and suffering...but also about great life experiences and happiness. I really like the process of seeing my hair grow from lil some twist to nice lovely locs

Jaleon TheAlien Jones: I went natural cuz after getting perms since the age of 8, it gets old. plus my hair was breaking off and thinning from weaves. So after doing my research for a couple months I walked in a Walmart salon lol and told this girl to cut off my hair even all around at the new growth...she was like, HUH? lol but she did it and I felt good about it. Ain't went back since and that was in july 2007. bow!

Tashyra Steed: I did it because I hated my perm and knew it was time for a change. I love my natural and will never go back to chemicals

Lisa Jay: I went natural because I was tired of my hair growing then breaking off with relaxers. I got tired of putting relaxers in my hair and wanted a change.

Two Dreadlock Pictures I love

R.I.P. Baby locs by Quanviciouss

I feel kinda bad because in a natural hair sense, I had an abortion. I killed my baby locs before they matured. When I first got my hair twisted, it was done at a salon called Locs N’ Chops in Brooklyn, NY. I had no knowledge on locs, their history, how to maintain them, how NOT to take of them…nothing…but I went as if I knew I was completely ready.

My hair was done by a woman named Emenze (actually pronounced Eme-se) -_- if I even did that right. Emenze if you’re reading this, please forgive spelling, pronunciation and things of that nature lol. The shop was very appealing to the eye, I mean it had beautiful bright walls with masks. I remember that the two masks were of a man and woman. The male mask was directly in front if my chair, so for the 2 or so hours I’d have little conversations in my head with him. “So how are you sir?” & he’d respond “hanging in there brother” :). I met Damian, with an accent so strong it’s alcoholic because whenever he spoke, I indulged. I also met a gorgeous woman whose name I don’t wanna butcher. Her skin was very clear and her smile…oh her smile. Let’s just say that people like her should never frown. She also had the kind of personality that was full of life…vibrant in it’s colors and at the shop they talked about how Rihanna is a freak and how she must be a Virgo. The woman then turned at me with widened eyes and asked “Are YOU a Virgo?”….idk why but I was so shy, either because I had a crush on her or because it would take at least another visit to feel completely okay with being myself around them.

Emenze is actually a behind the desk employee at a shop in Manhattan but she wants to start doing hair. I was her hair model. Apart of her training required her to do different heads each time for practicing purposes. For some reason, I just knew who Emenze was the minute that I came into the shop and the other woman that I told you about mentioned that I have great body language. She asked “how’d you know that she was the one doing your hair?” and I said “because she smiled first :)”…

Now to the reasons why I decided to wash my baby locks out. Emenze and I clicked; she made me feel very comfortable. She spoke about how she wants to be the one to help a public figure, like an entertainer maintain a healthy image socially and visually, which I found interesting because I want to be a public figure - more so in the entertainment industry. If I were a singer, she’d be my stylist and my confidant. I thought…Perfect!

After I saw my new self in the mirror for the first time, I felt an instant bond between my hair and I. I honestly thought that I looked so handsome and wanted to cry but that’s a bit too much for your first visit. At that point, I knew that locs were right for me.

Just for the record, 3 weeks later when I wanted to set up another appointment, the shop didn’t let Emenze do my hair again because she’s a trainee and doing the same head of hair wouldn’t be considered practice. I think it’s dumb. I’m afraid because I don’t want random people digging all up in my hair each visit. Basically they’re telling me that it’s not guaranteed that I’ll be able to keep the same loctician and that the way the shop functions is whoever is available for you would do your hair for that visit. I thought that the whole part of a loc journey is to keep a person as a loctician so that the two of you can develop a mutual relationship over the years. I don’t care if she’s a trainee, I lost my loc-ginity to her…::awkward laugh::: seriously though. We discussed this like 3 weeks ago and at that point I couldn’t really tell if my hair was on the right track or not.

Then I lost my mind…

So out of frustration, I went to the store, got my own products, and retwisted my own hair.
I got Jamaican Mango & Lime Creme Wax, Organic Root Stimulator Dry Shampoo and metal clips (I researched all 3 as well as how to retwist). I felt liberated & invincible because it looked official. It turned into an addiction. I’d retwist my hair every night after that and learned that doing so could result to your locks falling out. I couldn’t resist the urge & continued.

The hardest part about doing my own hair were the parts of my head that I couldn’t see, which is why going to salon is okay for the first few months. I’ve learned that my hair is very curly & if not retwisted carefully you might mistake two roots for one and mess the whole thing up. I remember washing myself, dipping my head in water & thinking “oh water, how I’ve missed you” & before I knew it, my locs unraveled. I retwisted them again & thought “I’m going to be bald by next month if I keep this up”. The thought of having my own products in my house to do my hair excited me & resulted to my downfall. I’ve learned so much from my mistakes and just want to start my journey over the right way, you know? God willing, I’ll meet people that I can call my loc kin.

I had this fantasy playing in my head where I’d never have to go to a salon again & 10 years from now. That fantasy died. Maybe after my hair fully locs, I’ll be able to do it myself but
right now, I need to go back to the shop as if it’s my first time (fo’real, fo’real)

However R.I.P. to my baby locs
June 10, 2011-June 19th, 2011.

Things I wish I knew before I started locing.... by Kosdetermination

I occasionally go through the #locs tag and read all the apprehension of loc wearers from 2 days to four months in. I mean, I’m still sort of a newbie too (20 months in), but I’ve made so many mistakes since I started. So… if I had to do it all again, here’s some things I wish I knew 20 months ago.

1) I wish I listened to everyone when they said your locs will end up being thinner than you think. When you start, you should determine what size you want, part it and then double the initial part and that’s about how you’ll want it to look a year or two later. Your hair goes through all these changes in size in the beginning from small baby locs, to puffy budding locs, to thinner real locs. If you’re up to seven or so months in, it is so easy for you to combine. Just twist them together and in no time they’ll merge. But for me, now I have to twist it at the root and live with the dreaded double-headed dragon.

2) Your roots do not have to be super-perfect clean and parted all the time. In fact, that is no bueno because each time you twist, you’re pulling the hair from your scalp. Eventually, your hair will thin out and the parts will get wider and wider or your hairline could recede. Once a month is good enough.

3) I wish I didn’t stress about the curly, open ends in the beginning that just wouldn’t seem to loc. Especially since they never fucking loc’d. At about 10-11 months in, I said, “fuck it,” and cut them all off. And they never unraveled again.

4) I wish I didn’t waste so much time researching about the perfect product, oil, head scarf or whatever. It really doesn’t matter that much.  A few rules I live by are 1) no wax 2) no detanglers and 3) no creamy moisturizers like shea butter. After that, do you.The longer I stay on this journey, the less products I use.

5) The biggest enemy is build-up. Not neat parts. Not unraveling. Not even frizz. Because eventually that’ll all take care of itself or you just won’t care that much anymore. But build-up is a mother. That’s why I stress 1) no wax and 3) no creamy moisturizers. Stick with gel, oil and really good cleansers. And DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT listen to people who tell you not to wash your hair for the first few months. Wash. your. hair. Rinse it with baking soda if you’re worried about unraveling. But please, wash it.

6) Last, and most importantly, I wish I was more patient. I wasted too much energy comparing my hair progress with others on the internets, I should’ve realized, it will loc eventually at it’s own pace. It will also grow, at it’s own pace. And there’s no amount of product or wishful thinking that will speed this process along. I should’ve enjoyed my hair at each stage and length instead of obsessing over how I wanted it to be.
That’s all I got. Any veteran loc-wearers have other tips?

**received permission to use in book March 22, 2012**

Need your help to identify this beautiful woman

It is the hardest thing to try to track down the people you find in pictures you love. But I am going to try to do everything I can to find out who this gorgeous woman is and beg her to let me use her picture in my book. Calling on the public if you know this lady PLEASE let me know who she is and how I can get in cotact with her. Posted by Ebony at Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Stacia in Toronto // Natural Hair Style Icon

This interview came straight from a site named Black Girl With Long Hair
http://blackgirllonghair.com/2012/03/stacia-in-toronto-natural-hair-style-icon/#more-43339 

I found the story to be the essense of what I want to convey in my book **I do not have permission at this time to use the interview and photo in my book, but I am requesting permission. Until I I receive an answer enjoy
*Prepared for BGLH by Meosha Tall of 1MeNaturally

Introduce yourself!
S: My name is Stacia, pronounced “Stay see yah”. I am from the Tdot ;)…born and raised in Toronto, Canada but my parents are from Jamaica. I love my city. There is always something going on here in the Tdot. So much to learn and many opportunities. Lots of love.
I work in the Financial Industry. I seek and share knowledge :) I live a work:life balance. Both personally and at work, I love to connect great ideas and great people to the public using all kinds of activities and methods to increase awareness for acceptance and understanding through the power of collaborative action.
What is the natural hair scene like in Toronto?
S: The Tdot is blossoming. I am seeing all kinds of locs, kinky hairstyles and afro fuzz all over town. From the time I started my loc journey 7 years ago until now the natural hair influence has been developing. (I hope it’s a trend that lasts forever)
Why did you make the decision to go natural?
S: I have had my hair natural most of my life. I went through a relaxed period during my preteens for about 2 years then went back to natural because my hair was breaking. I hated how the perm burned my scalp and the smelly creams. I decided to chop it off, get my hair back, grow out my kinks. Then I promised never to go back. (I honestly never liked combing my hair. lol I would just wake up and go) So I loc it to keep my natural going strong and long. I started my locs at age 20 and been growing ever since.
When and how did you transition into natural hair?
S: I went back to my natural hair at age of 15. How? I chopped off the relaxed hair, which was long down my back. Did it in front of my mirror with my moms cutting sheers. My hair was uneven, but I was soooo excited. I could see my curl pattern again and twirl it around my finger.
I made my mom start my locs. I just told her I wanted to twist my hair. She parted it and used a tail comb to do a comb twist with my hair, which is twirling my hair to the right with the comb so it forms a shape of a loc. (Hope that makes sense). Then I just left it and continued to palm roll it. My mom caught on to what I was doing when she told me I needed to comb out my hair and that it was looking a mess. I said NEVERR!…I’m loc’ing it and she laughed and thought I was crazy. lol

In what ways (if any) has going natural affected you?
S: Doing the big chop didn’t affect me in any way. I had a lot of support. Loc’ing my hair was a different process; only my close friends supported me. I’ve learned to lead by example. I didn’t get much support from my family, but now they see my hair and my journey and they love it :) I get compliments all the time and it helped me believe I can handle any obstacle if I stay dedicated and keep positive.
How would you describe your hair?
S: My hair texture is frizzy and curly. More like two different hair textures. In the back my curls are tighter, a bit more coarse, and at the top of my head my hair towards the front is more loose. Exactly like Free’s hair from 106nPark.
What is your regimen?
S: I wash my hair once a week using Live Clean shampoo and conditioner and palm roll it myself. To twist my hair I use Hair Stimulator Loc n Twist Gel. For moisture I use leave in conditioner by Live Clean and coconut oil by Organix. I style my locs by doing my infamous bantu knots, which I love doing. J’adore the curl results.
Here’s my youtube link to my bantu knot process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu_lDJGSD8o. A new style I did last summer was shaved the left side of my head using my own clippers. I touch it up weekly too.
How do you retain length and moisture in your hair?
S: My hair just grows and it’s getting longer, but I am trimming the front part in layers to keep it lightweight. With the size of my locs it can get heavy, so I want to keep the weight off a bit. For moisture I use daily coconut oil and spritz as my leave in. Dats it, I don’t like using much products in my hair at all.
What mistakes have you made with your hair that you’ve learned from?
S: Besides the PERM. Bleaching it. Oh lord, seeing strands breaking off and falling out made me smdh. Never again.
What’s the best/most effective thing you do for your hair?
S: Besides bantu knots lol, I do hot oil treatments. Even hot conditioning treatments. I mix part olive oil and my Live Clean conditioner in a bowl, warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds and pour it over my damp hair after my wash. I leave it in and go under a hood dryer for 20 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Conclusion, my hair is on N popping. Softest locs Ever!
What would you like to see in Toronto in terms of hair care?
S: I would like to see women and mostly black women taking care of their hair period! Putting more effort into treating their tresses like jewels. It’s cool if you are rocking the weave, wigs and extensions, but for whatever reason do not neglect your own hair, especially when it’s crying out for help.
Is there a blog/webpage where we can find you?
S: You can check me out at the following…
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/mizzstac?feature=watch
Tumblr: http://rawbeaute.tumblr.com/
Facebook: mongroup
Anything else you want to add?
S: For those rocking them CRUDE tresses! Continue to be dazzling and shine brightly. Make it sexy. Keep it Raw. Hugz* N Kisses XOXOX XOXOX

The backstory of African American hairstyles

Origins of Dreads Part 3

To love dreads is to understand dreads. Discovering the origins of the hairstyle is complex. Just as the once new religion of Christianity spread by small groups holding on to the belief in Jesus, holding this faith close to their hearts even when under threat, slaves held on to their tie to their unique culture through their grooming practices.
No matter where they were taken, in what was a new and scary world to them, daily grooming practices were implemented once they reached their final destination of servitude. They were not given classes in European etiquette. Base tools were used to make what was once considered standards of beauty: large noses, dark shiny skin, maticulously and often times elaborate hair, acceptable to the new society in which they now lived. Slave owners had no interest in the African being attractive; only productive. Being viewed as beasts of burdens caused alot of African hair grooming skills to be lost. Bare fundamentals of braiding and twisting hair remained, but fell far short from being a source of the pride in which they were once veiwed and cared for.

So where in the world could the African techniques of grooming the kinky coarse hair be seen? There are numerous countries where the African brought with him his skills in the maintainance and care of his hair. There were eight principal areas used by Europeans to buy and ship slaves to the Western Hemisphere. The number of slaves sold to the new world varied throughout the slave trade. As for the distribution of slaves from regions of activity, certain areas produced far more slaves than others.
Between 1650 and 1900, 10.24 million African slaves arrived in the Americas from the following regions in the following proportions: Senegambia (Senegal and The Gambia):

 4.8% Upper Guinea (Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone): 4.1% Windward Coast (Liberia and Cote d’ Ivoire): 1.8% Gold Coast (Ghana): 10.4% Bight of Benin (Togo, Benin and Nigeria west of the Niger Delta): 20.2% Bight of Biafra (Nigeria east of the Niger Delta, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon): 14.6% West Central Africa (Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola): 39.4% Southeastern Africa (Mozambique and Madagascar): 4.7%

Below are 29 nation states by country that actively or passively participated in the Atlantic Slave Trade: There have been a number of African Empires of varying size and influence throughout recorded history. … Senegal: Denanke Kingdom, Kingdom of Fouta Tooro, Jolof Empire, Kingdom of Khasso and Kingdom of Saalum Guinea-Bissau: Kaabu Empire Guinea: Kingdom of Fouta Djallon Sierra Leone: Koya Temne Cote d’Ivoire: Kong Empire and Gyaaman Kingdom Ghana: Asante Confederacy and Mankessim Kingdom Benin: Kingdom of Dahomey Nigeria: Oyo Empire, Benin Empire and Aro Confederacy Cameroon: Bamun and Mandara Kingdom Gabon: Kingdom of Orungu Republic of Congo: Kingdom of Loango and Kingdom of Tio Angola: Kingdom of Kongo, Kingdom of Ndongo and Matamba.

The different ethnic groups brought to the Americas closely corresponds to the regions of heaviest activity in the slave trade. Over 45 distinct ethnic groups were taken to the Americas during the trade. Of the 45, the ten most prominent according to slave documentation of the era are listed below.

1. The Gbe speakers of Togo, Ghana and Benin (Adja, Mina, Ewe, Fon) 2. The Akan of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire 3. The Mbundu of Angola (includes Ovimbundu) 4. The BaKongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola 5. The Igbo of Nigeria 6. The Yoruba of Nigeria 7. The Mandé speakers of Upper Guinea 8. The Wolof of Senegal 9. The Chamba of Cameroon 10. The Makua of Mozambique DISTRIBUTION OF SLAVES (1450-1900) Destination Percentage Brazil 35.4% Spanish Empire 22.1% British West Indies 17.7% French West Indies 14.1% British North America and future United States 4.4% Dutch West Indies 4.4% Danish West Indies 0.2%(www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Atlantic-slave-trade)accessed 01/17/2010.

 Slave traders had to cut off the hair of the African so that their scalps would not become infected from the unsanitary conditions aboard the slave ship. The slave’s head would become matted and caked with vomit, urine and feces creating sores and a breeding ground for lice and other pests. Slavery lasted from the 16th -19th century with slaves shipped from West Africa and Central Africa.

The first slaves brought to Portugal came in 1444 from Northern Mauritania. Countries involved with slave trade and receipiants of slaves were Scotland, Holland, France, Spain, England, Denmark, Brazil, Haiti (1502), Cuba 1513), Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Guatemala (1526), South Carolina (1526), El Savador, Costa Rica, Florida (1541, 1563, 1581), and Belize (1655). Brazil has the largest population of people of African descent outside of Africa. The African American populatuion in the United States is only second to Brazil.


 

Deise Nunes, first black Miss Brazil 1986 Prized slaves came from the Gold Coast (Modern Ghana) and Whydah (modern Oidah in Benin). Most of the African who were captured and enslaved came from the West African coastal region that stretches from modern Senegal in the North to Angola in the south:Wolof, Sierra Leone, Assante Dahomey, Elmina, Oyo, Benin and Luanda (Slavery in America, Dorothy Schneider & Carl J. Schneider, 2001,p. 8). It is clear to see that dreads traveled far and wide throughout the world as the African slave was sold to various countries. The hairstyle’s original significance to the wearer lost at sea and in fields of labor.


Vanessa Williams, Miss USA, 1984 In the next installment on the origins of dreads we will meet some of the tribes and look at their hair styles to truely uncover the origins of dreads.

KatLocs Picture/Interview

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

my new tam

I'm not really feeling the colors. I occasionally like to wear bright colors but this is too much yellow. I do like that it can hold all my hair. I wasn't expecting that. 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Knowing

v

January 14, 2012 was my lockaversy. I've had locks for 6 years! Wow. This is the post where I ramble about dreads and my journey and blah, blah. blah.

I knew I wanted dreads when I first saw them on TV. I can't remember who I first saw with dreads. It was just something I just KNEW. There are only 3 things I knew for sure I wanted in life. Dreadlocks was one and going away to college was the other. I did both of those. I still have one thing left to do. I can't reveal it until it happens. :)

I was too young to think about hair discrimination and all that. I had already made my mind up. Once I know what I want, I go after it. (The problem is knowing what I want...) I know this may sound corny or whatever but I'm still proud of myself for getting dreads and yes, going away to college. I have one more semi-major thing to do.

/end ramble

I washed my hair this weekend. Because I haven't done any maintenance since June, my dreads are starting to fuse together. I think I'm going to stock up on hair gel and hair pins and do maintenance the next time I wash my hair. It will take forever to separate my dreads. Blah.
**Permission pending to use in book*** Permission given by Katlocs Blog March 18, 2012 YEAH!!!

Natural Hair Discrimination: Words/Pictures are Power

By Marques Travae of BlackWomenofBrazil.com
The secretary of state of the northeastern state of Maranhão is investigating an alleged crime of racism against a 19-year old woman. Ana Carolina Bastos (pictured above), a student of the Unidade Integrada Estado do Pará, on the outskirts of the capital city of São Luís, reported that she was barred from class by the director of the school on the first day of class.
According to Bastos, on February 23rd, the director, Socorro Bohatem, stopped her at the entrance of the school and told her that she was dressed in an “inadequate” way. Following an objection by Ana Carolina, who defended herself by saying that another young, (white) girl, wore a more low-cut dress than hers and was not barred, to which the director explained that she could not get into school because of the “black power” hairstyle. According to the student, the director was astonished by her choice of hairstyle, asked why she wore her hair “in that way” and told her leave the building. “The other student wore a top and a very low-cut dress. It was my style that didn’t please her. It was a case of racism. Later I found out that this was not the first time something like this happened”, said the student.

The local media get details about the incident from Ana Carolina Bastos

The student who continues to attend classes at the school where the incident occurred, filed a complaint with the police and now intends to enter a complaint against the director in the State Public Ministry of the State (MPE). The teacher also continued performing her duties as normal.

Ana Carolina Bastos speaks to the press about the incident and protest

In an official statement, the government replied that it “will hear the parties involved and take appropriate action.” On Friday of last week, dozens of students and members of the Movimento Negro held a protest carrying banners and signs against the action of the director in front of the school. To the students, the director said that she had not behaved in a racist manner. The local press tried to talk to the teacher, but the Secretary of Education reported that she could not give interviews in order to preserve the investigation process.

Racism is a crime

The young Ana Carolina is part of a group that plays African-oriented music in São Luís. Her dream is to be a sociologist so that she can fight for minorities in the capital city of Maranhão. “When I was barred, my sister cried and I was horrified. A lot of people were looking at me. It was a massacre. I wasn’t start anything. I go to school to be someone in life”, said the student. “I have a black identity and I will not change it,” she added.

Ana Carolina (in black top) with her sister

This is the second episode involving actions of racism in Maranhão in less than a year. In July, the rectory of the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA) opened an administrative procedure to investigate a complaint that a teacher, José Cloves Verde Saraiva, had humiliated a student enrolled in the Chemical Engineering course, Nuhu Ayuba. So far, the investigation has not been completed.

Participants of public rally

According to Claudicea Durans of the group Raça e Classe do Maranhão (Race and Class of Maranhão):“black men and women have experienced situations of humiliation and racial slurs on a daily basis in different public spaces and these acts are often expressed in different ways: racist jokes, police beatings, moral and physical aggressions, that often go unreported because of the embarrassment, humiliation, sadness and frustration that its causes the people that denounce them”, but, Durans continues, “they must be reported in order to serve as examples and may in fact be punished because racism, according to Brazilian law, is a non-bailable and imprescriptible crime.”

Education without racism

“Racism has different facets. The use of negative stereotypes and ridicule of physical characteristics and traits is another aspect of racism, which is in our analysis, at the same time silent, cruel and violent, it acts to deny the black identity, destroys cultural, historical, and physical values of this population, destroying their self-esteem.
“The fact that this discriminatory attitude occurred in school leads us to reflect that this situation is common in the school environment and that the school has historically been an instrument of reproduction of dominant ideologies, and racism, one more element to ensure the oppression and exploitation of blacks.”
It’s crazy that discrimination against natural hair is so blatant and common in Brazil. Ladies, what are your thoughts?
http://blkgirlsrock.tumblr.com/post/19343068451/brazilian-student-barred-entry-to-university-for

An Atlanta Dreadlock Expert Gives Her Support

Dreadlock Expert Atl

@mcreations

Blessed

What's Up With Your Hair?

Hipster Hair Gets Even Wackier

What does it mean? Even the stylists aren't sure

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

 

Posted Aug 13, 2009 1:15 PM CDT

(Newser) – More and more men are traipsing to salons to achieve what one adherent calls “non-normative hair.” From Afros to dreads, Mohawks to pompadours, stylists are helping hipsters express themselves. One hairdresser even offers intentionally imperfect cuts, “so it looks like they cut it themselves in their bathroom,” she tells the New York Times. “All of a sudden, a big wave of guys just want to experiment.”

Unlike past generations—whose group affiliations you could easily deduce from their mane—“You can never tell what they’re into from their hair,” a stylist says of the new crop. The one commonality? They’re interpreting all sorts of historic styles. “There’s a little bit of everything,” says one costume designer. “Maybe it’s a little Flock of Seagulls, maybe a little Backstreet Boys. It’s all mixed up so beautifully.”

http://www.newser.com/story/66812/hipster-hair-gets-even-wackier.html

                                                        

The above article is true. Whenever I am looking for pictures or interviews for my book, the majority of replies and pictures I receive are from a wide range of ethnicities, but mostly Caucasians who seem to love dreadlocks. And the colors of their tresses are vivid. There are several websites teaching how white, Asian, and other non nappy hair textures various ways to lock their hair.

It seems the hairstyle, dreadlocks is not a passing fad and goes beyond stereotypes. But, it is a hairstyle that seems to be one of those you 'love' it or you 'hate' it things.

**I contacted the writer of this article and hope to have permission to include this excerpt in my book.**

Breathtaking Locs Just Follow Me

I stumbled upon this place called tumblr in an effort to collect more material for my Dreads book and I struck gold!!!

The pictures and people are just pure works of Art. I would love to have all of the pictures and the stories behind the hair. Wishfull thinking on my part. I have been blessed with the amount of responses I have received this far and I am working hard to make sure I produce a product the Dreadlock community can be proud of.

If you want a peek of what I have had the pleasure of seeing go to http://dorothyguyton.tumblr.com/ and enjoy.

MunecaLocs Interview: Finally Able To Relax

I love being an Afro-Latina

Me @ 4 yrs old

Growing up in a Dominican household was not easy, especially being a first generation Dominican American (Afro Latina). At the tender age of 6, my mother decided to start relaxing my hair to reduce all of the screaming and hollering that went on while she tried to comb it.

I believe this was after my first relaxer

So I ended up going from screaming because she was yanking my hair from the roots to crying every single time I saw a perm box knowing that my scalp was about to be ON FIRE! (scabs included).

My mother's favorite saying was..."El que quiere mono bueno aguanta halones" which means if you want good hair you have to stand the pain. Her definition of "good hair" would be long, flowing RELAXED hair and if your perm didn't take i.e. bone straight, then they would blow dry it straight to make sure you had no curl pattern whatsoever in your hair. I've been traumatized and was brainwashed to believe that if you don't have long pretty hair, you were considered ugly.

I grew up on an all Puerto Rican block in the Bronx (NY) and all of the kids (including my own cousins) would tease me and tell me that I was too dark skinned and that my mother left me in the oven too long. The girls on my block even had a female Menudo group (famous hispanic boy band from the 80's who I was in love with) and they had the nerve to tell me, you can't be a part of the group because you're too dark. My nickname became Crispy on my block (my cousins still call me that to this day). Imagine the hurt I experienced between the ages of 6-18...doesn't hurt as much as it used to but I still have a sore spot in my heart about it. 

Girl Scouts performance 5th grade my hair was pulled back into a ponytail (relaxed)

In Junior High School I.S. 167 a friend of mine by the name of Renee introduced me to braids with extensions. I was finally able to let my hair rest from the relaxers from time to time...until I got to High School Jane Addams Vocational (which taught Business, Cosmetology and Nursing). I told my mother that I wanted to take the cosmetology course but she refused and told me I HAD to take the Business classes because I wouldn't make any money doing hair.....ARE YOU SERIOUS????

I was so intrigued by the cosmetology department that I spent most of my free time there and was letting some of my friends practice applying relaxers and my favorite high school style...finger waves and curls. 

Freshman year in High School before I was introduced to the finger waves and curls

My 16th b'day finger waves and curls

As I went off to college, I decided to cut my hair really short...I mean...really short

I asked a friend to shave the back for me but he didn't have any guards so I was bald in the back and Halle Berry short in the front. 

I loved how my hair looked short but I was still using relaxers to help it "lay down" when my natural curls grew back. It wasn't until after I had my two beautiful children that I decided to go natural and loc my hair. 

July 2001

But then my mother would tell me that my hair looked like Mojones (sh*t balls) and that I needed to cut them out. I loved my hair but unfortunately I was also suffering from massive migraines to the point where I couldn't close my eyes. As my mother cut the last loc out of my hair...my headaches were gone (TRUE STORY). 

So 6 years went by before I decided to leave the creamy crack alone for good this time and I decided to start my own locs. I made them much smaller and more uniformed this time around so that my short cut would be "accepted" in Corporate America.

January 2008 with 1 month into my loc journey

My hair is thanking me for not applying that creamy crack (relaxers) to my hair anymore and it started to grow longer and healthier than I've seen it in years...but yet again...my mom would say to me...Porque no te cortas el pelo y te lo deriza para que se te vea bonito (why don't you cut your hair and get a relaxer so that you're hair would look pretty)...so I told mom...Sorry mom, not this time! I LOVE MY LOCS and they're here to stay!! :) My aunties and cousins (male and female) tried to convince me to relax my hair because it looks more natural...SMH natural TO WHO??? NOT ME!!! 

I'm proud of my hair and all of the styles that I have been able to achieve with my locs with a lot more to come. I've been documenting my journey with photos and treatment recipes that I've come across...even used a deep conditioner that my mom taught me when I was younger (cholesterol, mayo, egg and spiritu de canela [essence of cinnamon] with a plastic cap and a scarf over it to help contain the heat so I didn't have to sit under a hot dryer). 

I would love to convince my mom to go natural but I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future...she's still attached to her relaxers and attachable ponytails (I wish I had the picture of my mom back in the 70's rocking an afro...it looked so beautiful on her).

So as I continue to document my wonderful loc journey via blogs and pics I welcome any comments or suggestions as well as your stories about dealing with family and your natural hair. Us Afro-Latinas need to stick together and give each other encouragement when you feel you have no where or anyone to turn to.