Kashmirlucy submission

Thank you Christincatalyst for permission to use her photo

Thanks Carribean Persiared for the submission

Hal's Dreads and Tats Free to be Free

Thank you Hal for permission to use your pictures in my #DreadlockProject
                       

Three little Poodles gets double exsposure

Thank you for the submission and words of encouragement

Ryann and brother Andrew

My name is Ryann and been growing my dreads for 2 years and 9 months. My brother Andrew 1 year and don't change. I started growing dreads because I thought they were beautiful and I felt like they were made for me.

Freckles and Locs from batmy

The all time favorite; the hoodie had to make an appearance in this dreadlock project, but it is those eyes, hair color, and freckles that steal the show in this photo.
Thanks for the submission

ohsopolished shares her long locs

Thank you so much for participating in my project by submitting your pictures. Lovely

Life with locs a day at the beach with Zoe Blaq

Thank you for allowing me to use your wonderful photo in my project

Photographer: Sabri

YOUR NAPPY HAIR SAYS IT ALL

I have two relationships with the outside world: One is with my hair, and the other is with the rest of me. Sure, I have concerns and points of pride with my body. I like the curve of my butt but dislike my powerhouse thighs. My breasts, once considered too small, have been proclaimed perfect so often that not only am I starting to believe the hype, but also am booking my next vacation to a topless resort in Greece. But my hair. Oh, my hair.

I have reddish brown dreadlocks that fall just below shoulder length. Eventually, they will cover my aforementioned breasts, at which time I will give serious thought to nude modeling at my local art school. I like my hair—a lot. But over the last eight years my dreadlocks have conferred upon me the following roles: rebel child, Rasta mama, Nubian princess, drug dealer, unemployed artist, rock star, world-famous comedienne, and nature chick. None of which is true. It has occurred to me more than once that my hair is a whole lot more interesting than I am.

Because I am a black woman, I have always had a complicated relationship with my hair. Here's a quick primer on the politics of hair and beauty aesthetics in the black community vis-à-vis race and class in the late 20th century: "Good" hair is straight and, preferably, long. Think Naomi Campbell. Diana Ross. For that matter, think RuPaul. "Bad" hair is thick and coarse, aka "nappy," and, often, short. Think Buckwheat in The Little Rascals. Not the more recent version, but the old one in which Buckwheat looked like Don King's grandson.

Understand that these are stereotypes: broad and imprecise. Some will say that the idea of "good" hair and "bad" hair is outdated. And it is less prevalent than in the '70s when I was growing up. Sometimes I see little girls with their hair in braids and Senegalese twists sporting cute little T-shirts that say happy to be nappy and I get teary-eyed. I was born between the black power Afros of the '60s and the blue contact lenses and weaves of the '80s; in my childhood, no one seemed happy to be nappy at all.

I knew from the age of 4 that I had "bad" hair because my relatives and family friends discussed it as they might discuss a rare blood disease. "Something must be done," they would cluck sadly. "I think I know someone," an aunt would murmur, referring to a hairdresser as if she were a medical specialist. Some of my earliest memories are of Brooklyn apartments where women did hair for extra money. These makeshift beauty parlors were lively and loud, the air thick with the smell of lye from harsh relaxer, the smell of hair burning as the hot straightening comb did its job.

When did I first begin to desire hair that bounced? Was it because black Barbie wasn't, and still isn't, happy to be nappy? Was it Brenda, the redhead, my best friend in second grade? Every time she flicked her hair to the side, she seemed beyond sophistication. My hair bounced the first day back from the hairdresser's, but not much longer. "Don't sweat out that perm," my mother would call. But I found it impossible to sit still. Hairdressers despaired like cowardly lion tamers at the thought of training my kinky hair. "This is some hard hair," they would say. I knew that I was not beautiful and I blamed it on my hair.

by Veronica Chambers, from Body September-October 1999 

inShare

“White folk wearin’ dreadlocks irks the shit out of me.”

 
“Does anyone else get annoyed when they see white folk sportin’ dreadlocks, tribal tattoos, and stretched out earlobes with plastic circles in them? What the hell is goin’ on? It irks the shit out of me. ”
I am overhearing a conversation as I wait for my order at a café in Oakland, CA. The woman next to me is black and about 55 years old, wearing dreadlocks that are about 2 feet long with a plethora of glass beads flossed through them. She is speaking to her friend, a woman probably in her 50s as well with a shaven head and wearing yoga pants and a blue tank top. She has mocha colored skin tone and seems to be of East Asian descent.
I know what this black woman is referring to: a group of three white 30 something year olds sitting at a table about 8 feet away from the two women. Two men and one woman. They all have punk style dread lock hairdos. They have shaven the sides of their heads and there are interesting black tattoos on their scalps. They have piercings through numerous parts of their faces: a bull ring, a nose ring, a stud through the bridge of a nose.
I wanted to say something to the two ladies, but wasn’t sure what to say. After all, it wasn’t my conversation and I guess I had no business saying something… but I wanted to say something to this black woman. I had heard the conversation plenty of times, amongst black people, how it irks the shit out of them that white people try to ‘go tribal’ by locking their hair.
“Drives me nuts too,” I hear her yoga pant wearing friend say. “It reminds me of all the white people who jumped on the ‘I’m a Buddhist’ wagon in the Bay area, but don’t want to be all deep and reflective about their nauseating white elite privilege.”
Ouch. Did she just say that? And really loudly? Nauseating…. ?
Are white people not allowed to practice yoga, Buddhism, get tribal bands, or wear locs since it’s not ‘white culture’ (and what is ‘white cultures’ anyway)? If that is the case, does that mean I’m not allowed to continue with my beginner Zen Buddhism practice? After all, I’m not of East Asian descent; I’m a Black woman. Should my friend Heather, a Chicana yogi who studied in India, stop teaching yoga at a community center in NYC since she is not from India? Or, does our non-white identity make us exempt from “appropriation?”
Shortly after leaving the café, I passed by a Black heterosexual couple on the street, holding hands. The woman was wearing a punkish Mohawk style and ear plugs through her lobes. Was she appropriating by wearing that hairdo?
I had a friend, “Nicole”, who is Filipina and African-American whose take was, “Well, I think what pisses me off about dreadlock wearing white people is that they can wear our black hairstyles, listen to our black music, and be all hip but still they will always benefit from being white. They can just shave that shit off and that’s the end of the story. Yea, I used to wear dreadlocks, but I shaved it yet I still have to deal with the bullshit of what my brown skin means in a society obsessed with white European phenotypes.” But, at the same time, I wasn’t sure if I could completely agree with “Nicole.” When I first met her, she had the biggest afro I had ever seen. Two weeks later, she had it professionally locked and ended up interviewing for jobs in the finance industry and landed a phat gig at Morgan Stanley… but she also seemed to navigate through life rather well with her Dartmouth Tuck School of Business degree making six figures at some investment banking company while wearing her dreadlocks the first five years working there, and then finally cut it all off into a short afro.
…my close from “T” is a white Jewish woman who now practices Zen Buddhism for the past decade. She mentioned to me last year that she’s getting uncomfortable with a lot of what she is doing because she believes it is a form of appropriation for most of her white Buddhist fellowship to wear the robes, use the names, and do the practices of Zen Buddhism. She is deeply questioning if she is appropriating, without being mindful of what it means to be able to do something that is not associated with ‘the white race’, but not be at a ‘disadvantage’ because of her own white racial privilege trumping the non-white roots of Zen Buddhism….but I wasn’t sure if I agreed either, as her practice of Zen Buddhism over the 5 years I have known her, have made her practice a type of mindfulness towards structural racism and systemic whiteness that may not have been possible, had she not become a Zen lay nun. She seemed to understand that mindfulness should include awareness of race and white privilege. She and I have noticed the overwhelmingly whiteness of Green Gulch Zen Center and the Berkeley Zen Center that we frequent. The other month, I began reading Race and Religion in American Buddhism: White Surpremacy and Immigration Adaptation by Joseph Cheah. He quoted from bell hooks’s provocative essay “Waking up to Racism”, who reflects on how whiteness and racism operate even in Buddhist communities that are largely white:

Often white people share the assumption that simply following a spiritual path means that they [white Buddhists] have let go of racism: coming out of radical movements- civil rights, war resistance- in the sixties and seventies and going on to form Buddhist communities, they often see themselves as liberal and marginalized, proudly identifying with the oprreeseed. They are so attached to the image of themselves as nonracists that they refuse to see their own racism or the ways in which Buddhist communities may reflect racial hierarchies (hooks in Cheah 2011, 4)

According to hooks, many white Buddhists have failed to realize the extent to which African Americans feel marginalized and out of place within their religious communities. For some African Americans, choosing to belong to a Buddhist community “has been synonymous with choosing whiteness, with remaining silent about racism for fear of bringing in issues that are not really important” (Hooks in Cheah 5, 2011). Hooks contends that white supremacy operates as an invisible regime of normatily for white Buddhists of all political orientations. Furthermore, hooks mainstains that the ideology of white supremacy informas the individual interacations that determine the shape and direction of convert Buddhist communities (Cheah 5, 2011).

Leave it to bell to break it down like that…. But still, I can’t say I totally agree. Yes, I’ve encountered plenty of annoying white Buddhists who deny that their whiteness means anything and love collecting and wearing anything that looks Zen or Buddhist… but I’ve also met a lot who, like “T”, became Buddhist to become a better human being and make sure they are not being complicit to structural racism.
What is it all about? Are us people of color collectively annoyed when we see white folk doing things that we deem “non-white” because of the reasons that Nicole and hooks mentioned? Or because of what the Asian lady at the café mentioned in terms of certain white Buddhists being clueless about white privilege?
What do you out there think? I mean, I practice so many food, herbal, healing, music, etc stuff that isn’t “black” or “African”… does that drive people who nuts if I’m using their music, foods, etc? Can I use Chinese herbalism or am I offending Chinese people? Or is it okay since my great-great grandmother is actually Chinese? Not that I’m looking for permission…
Works Cited
Cheah, Joseph. Race and Religion in American Buddhism : White Supremacy and Immigrant Adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.
**permission pending to use this article**  Posted by Dr. A. Breeze Harper in Race, Class, Gender Issues

What are some stereotypes about people with dreadlocks?

In no particular order…
Joey Flores

1. That we got our hair this way by putting eggs, honey, wax or some other product in our hair that would obviously be a disgusting mess that day, let alone years later.  Certainly some people do use products to get their dreads started, but they’re not food products that are going to go bad, and I didn’t have to use a single product in my hair.

2. That people with dreads, or dreads themselves, stink.  Dreads don’t stink.  Dreads are just hair.  They alone do not stink.  Hardcore hippies stink.  People who sleep on couches, don’t shower enough, and otherwise get their dreads dirty without washing them stink.

3. That we don’t wash our hair, or can’t.  I wash my hair.  It’s a longer process than I care to admit, and I don’t do it everyday.  I wash my hair just like anybody else, except there is a lot more wringing soap in, and wringing soap out.  The washing mostly sucks because, fully wet, my hair probably weighs 10-15 lbs.  But what really sucks is drying it.  It takes me over an hour to dry my hair and, if I don’t do it well enough, it will ultimately smell like mildew later.

4. That everyone who has dreads is, or should be, Rastafarian.  Certainly that’s one reason people grow dreads, but I grew my dreads because I hated my hair styles before, like the way dreads look, and now they’re a unique part of my identity.  Sadly, I get Rastas who think I shouldn’t have dreads.  One rode by me on a bike once and yelled, “You ain’t no fucking Rasta, man!”

5. That everyone who has dreads likes, or should like, reggae.  I like reggae, but not nearly as much as I like metalcore, funk, 80’s and 90’s rock, and psytrance.  Once on Venice Boardwalk a guy tried to sell me his reggae CD.  When I told him I wasn’t interested he barked at me: “You should cut them fucking dreads off!”

6. That we have some deadline or goal for our dreads that, when reached, will allow us to cut them off.  “When are you going to cut them?”  Truth is, I don’t know, but after 11 years they’re kind of like appendages.  I have a favorite dread, and the idea of cutting any of them is quite different than getting a few inches trimmed off of a regular hairstyle.

7. That it’s okay to tug on my hair, or feel it without my permission.  Frankly, though, I don’t mind this.  It’s a good conversation starter and most people do it kindly, not to be rude or anything.  Others might, though.

8. That we are going to remember everybody the way they remember us.  Unfortunately, remembering every guy with a standard haircut is just not going to happen, but damn near everybody who meets me remembers me, and it makes me feel terrible when they come up to me somewhere and say hello, when for the life of me I can’t remember who they are.  I know that happens to everybody sometimes, but it happens to me all the damn time.

9. That dreads are a lot of work.  I don’t find them to be so.  I get them touched up every so often by having someone crochet the loose hairs in.  Most of the hair just grows into the dreadlocks.  I think a lot of people think you have to keep twisting them constantly.  Others might, but I haven’t had to do that.

Edit: 9b!  Damn, I totally forgot this one!  That we always have weed!  And sell it!  I have people stop in cars when I’m walking down the street who ask me where to get weed.  Or, people who just assume I smoke all day every day.  People also get a weird look on their face when they offer me a hit off a joint and I don’t take them up on it, like I’m a cop or something.  No clue what’s going through their head.

10. That I’m going to save you when you are locked in some really tall tower.  Please, fool.  I barely know you!
***permission to use this article pending******

Why i love my dreadlocks….and hate those dread thieves

By Ange Ngu Thomas
 Like most people who have patiently grown their hair into locks, I was shocked when I read this story about people who ambush and steal dreadlocks from “growers”. This is happening in South Africa where the stolen locks are sold to people who don’t want to go through the long years of growing locks.

It has taken me three long years to patiently grow my locks and I must say I am proud about the way I look.

 It beggars belief that the police in South Africa can only charge the hair thieves for assault  but there is no charge for “hair theft”. The rule books have not written one.
I will be completed appalled and gutted if my dreadlocks were involuntarily shaved because it takes years and patience to grow them.

When I conceived the idea to grow deadlocks, my wife opposed it outright arguing that only “ruffians” wear dreadlocks.  My battle to grow dreadlocks started right at home with my wife, but did not end there.

My Dreadlocks
she eventually accepted my “new look”  when she saw how neat and tidy and the amount of grooming needed to grow locks.  I know a couple of people who tried to grow locks and abandoned the mission halfway because of the difficulties of getting to the end.
The fact that I still have my locks today is great. I love them more than my…(don’t want to head for the divorce court if I finish this sentence!)
As far as I am concerned, growing locks has not been difficult;  getting people to understand why someone wants to grow locks has been more challenging. There is still a lot of stigma and misconception attached to dreadlocks. A lot of people think anyone wearing locks is dirty, is a Rastafarian and loves reggae music. I am not a Rastafarian, I like reggae but not so much and I am definitely not dirty or an unruly rascal.
I must admit the fact that “hair thieves”  going the extra mile to steal locks to sell to feed a rapidly growing market is an indication of its’ rising popularity.
I used to read about people who were denied jobs or could not get married because they had dreadlocks.  Those days are gradually dying out now.
“What is that on your head” a man I have never  seen before asked me on beach in Kribi,   (some 200 Km from the capital Yaounde)  - a popular holiday resort in Southern Cameroon.  “It is dreadlocks”, I retorted with a straight face.
He then asked how I managed to “plant” that on my head.  All attempts to convince him that I did nothing apart from washing my hair daily, applying an assortment of oils to it and not using a comb in three years, ended in my rasta hair do. He thought I probably was mad. I just walked away.

Bob Marley
I have been stopped countless times by two categories of people; the first being those who find it sexy and the others who think dreadlocks are disgusting. While others use dreadlock to express their deep religious or spiritual convictions, others use it as a fashion statement.

I grow dreads because I am who I am; a true son of African. Dreadlocks are my signature, my way of telling the world who I really am. Love it or hate it, my dreadlocks are mine, I am responsible for them and I hate anyone who will think of stealing them off me.
Dreadlocks have a strange history. We first learn about them in ancient Egyptian history where they appeared on Egyptian artifacts.

Interestingly, the Old Testament also narrates the tale of Samson and Delilah in which a man’s potency is directly linked to “the seven locks on his head”.

In effect, modern day dreadlocks or Rasta has its origins from  Ras Tafari, the  real name of Haile Selassie Haile I, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-1974.  When the emperor was forced into exile during following an invasion by Italy, his supporters  swore never to cut their hair until the emperor was re-instated.

Jamaican reggae superstar Bob Marley must be the most famous dreadlocked musician on earth and he helped popularize Rastafarianism. Dreadlocked hair is the defining look of all Rastafarians.
With his dreadlocks, Bob Marley helped revive an international interest in the style, and the anti western philosophy of Rastafarian culture.

So to all those dread thieves out there, you need more than a knife and broken glasses to get my dreadlocks. I will go down fighting to keep my hair.
****permission pending*** 

Posted On 10 Mar 2013

By : Ange Ngu

Tag: African dtreadlocks, Ange Ngu Thomas, Dreadlocks, south Africa, stolen dreadlocaks

Dreadlocks vs. Corporate America: Real-Life Stories of Making the Choice Two professionals stood by their hairstyles --- with no regrets

by Gerren Keith Gaynor    Posted: August 27, 2012 *permission to use article pending**

Brian Terrell, a Morehouse College graduate, was urged to cut his dreadlocks as a student and refused. He went on to intern at the White House. (Image: Terrell)

For many African Americans with dreadlocks, the pressures of cutting your hair to fit the mold of Corporate America can be commandeering. More often than not, black professionals are encouraged to do so for greater chances of employment, where African Americans remain a small minority in the workforce. But making the choice to cut or not to cut may not always be an easy decision.
For male students with dreadlocks who enroll in Hampton University’s MBA program, which currently bans ‘locks and cornrows in the classroom, that choice could not be more perplexing. The ban, which has been set in place for 11 years, recently made headlines after the school’s dean Sid Credle defended the prohibition, arguing that the hairstyles are not businesslike and will not land students employment in Corporate America. The dean cited a 99% success rate of students who found employment after completing the program.
But for Tyler Bailey, a former student in Hampton’s MBA program, the decision to cut his ‘locks was difficult.
“It was ridiculous,” says Bailey, 23. “I thought, ‘There’s no reason I should not [be allowed in the class] because I [have dreadlocks.]‘”
Bailey set up a meeting with Credle to express his reservations with the policy, which would prevent him from completing his requirements for the program. “He told me I should cut my hair, and that I wouldn’t regret the decision,” Bailey says.
Rather than giving in to the dean’s policy, which only applies to those in the MBA program, Bailey decided to change his major to business management. A year after leaving the MBA program Bailey says he ended up cutting his hair, however, the decision was a personal one and was not influenced by the his previous experience at the university.
Brian Terrell, a graduate of Morehouse College who works at a legal and civil rights firm in Chicago said he too was faced with the dilemma of cutting his ‘locks, but ultimately decided against it.
Terrell, who locked his hair for spiritual reasons, said he was once pressured to cut his hair by a Morehouse administrator at the college’s career services office. “It’s my hair. It grows from the scalp of my head. Why does it bother you?” he recalls.
Terrell says contrary to the universal idea that dreadlocks are career killers for African Americans, his ‘locks have never prevented him from landing a job. Since graduating, Terrell has interned at the White House’s Office of Presidential Correspondence and has worked for Jen Mason, who serves as the deputy chief of staff for the Office of Personnel Management.
Terrell also argues that when it comes to Corporate America’s acceptance of ‘locks and natural hair, African Americans have to begin to speak up and set their own standard. Ultimately, he says, your job should come down to your professional assets and not what’s on your head—though he admits the only people to ever express contempt for his hair has been other African Americans. His boss, who is white, compliments him on his locs, which are often styled up. “White people are fascinated,” he says.
Bailey, who entered law school at Southern University in Louisiana, says he doesn’t regret leaving Hampton’s MBA program despite later cutting his hair. “The business school is great. I respect everything Dean Credle is doing there, but having dreadlocks does not mean that anybody is less qualified or less professional.”

My Natural Dreadlocked Hair Makes People Uncomfortable And I Couldn't Care Less About It

Every trip out the front door is a new encounter with some someone that has a problem with my hair.

For the last 3 years I have been wearing my hair in dreads. Many people adore them; needless to say, though, many people absolutely dread them! I'm not sure if its just that they are dreads or the fact that I choose not to style them a certain way, but everyone has a reaction and most of them are not positive.

 

From rude comments at the supermarket to people staring at me in horror, these past few years have been very bittersweet. Let's talk a walk down memory lane.

 

Rewind to the winter of 2009, I was pregnant with my son Dante and sporting a very socially acceptable head of long micro braids. Any black girl will tell you micro braids and braids in general the go to style for african american women everywhere as they are easy to style, always in fashion, economical and, more often than not, the cheapest style to get and maintain. I actually wore braids for most of my life, living out my dream of being the fabulous teenager that Brandy always wished she was. 

 

There were never many times I didn't have my faithful braids with me, except the brief moment of experimentation with sew-in weaves that I went though once I was finally fed up with spending hours upon hours taking those things out, and then another 4 to 6 hours usually in the same day getting them put right back in. I'll be honest my sew-ins were pretty amazing they were undetectable and I was always complimented for having such “good hair”. 

 

The thing about having those awesome undetectable sew-ins is that if you are like me you have very thick, tightly coiled hair and that doesn't look so glamorous and undetectable when it's blended with bone straight mongolian tracks or extensions. In fact, it looks -- and please forgive me for using the word, but it looks RATCHET! So in order for a West Indian girl like me to pull off those weaves I would have to first relax my hair so that it was straight and able to blend in with the person who's hair I was actually wearing.

 

Now, I know the term "creamy crackheads" is used for women who are supposedly addicted to relaxing their otherwise textured curly hair, however as a woman who has relaxed my hair many times I can honestly say there's nothing about the process that I found addictive. Maybe the results are addictive to some, but in all seriousness it burns like hell.

 

Like I said, in 2009 I was pregnant with my son and one thing all my mother-to-be books taught me is that putting any type of chemicals on my head while I was with child was potentially dangerous to the baby, hence my decision to go back to the braids I'd worn all my life. I loved my braids and they made my pregnancy much easier without having to worry about what I would be doing with my hair everyday.

 

Once my son arrived I was ready to go back to sew-ins, but a phone conversation with my best friend Chenelle lead me to consider something different. 

 

Chenelle had been natural for almost a year at the time and loving it all the way. She was looking at a hair product and wasn't sold on the reviews so I suggested that she check out some videos on it and see what people were saying. Of course that lead to me also looking and watching countless hours of natural hair videos.

 

I was impressed. All the women looked amazing and seemed to have major self-esteem boosts from being their natural selves. I was suddenly seriously considering the whole natural hair thing.

 

That July, Chenelle came up NJ to visit as she always does, but this time she was rocking a head of the most beautiful bouncy curls I've ever seen. I remember I could not take my eyes off of her hair or keep my hands out of it! That night I went home and watched even more hair journeys and started the path to my own.

 

After about 9 months of “transitioning,” which consisted of an endless slew of twist-outs, braid-outs, yarn braids and even wigs to get me though that awkward super short hair stage after I finally cut my hair, I stumbled upon a collection of “tag” videos. It was basically a bunch of videos by different people narrating their experiences throughout their loc journey.

 

One video in particular caught my eye: it was of a beautiful girl by the name of Moecah99. She had luscious, thick dreads and made it undeniable that women could have dreadlocks and look beautiful, graceful and elegant. Her video testimony was just the push I needed.

 

Finally on Mother's Day 2010, once again on the phone with Chenelle, while installing yet another set of twists, I mentioned the possibility of not taking this set out and allowing my hair to dread. She was all for it! An hour later my decision was final and my dreadlock journey began.

 

The first 8 months with my dreads I did everything I was “supposed” to. I washed, retwisted and oiled my hair on a regular basis. However, because my hair was still short, I got the looks! I can't deny that I was treated like a grotesque mythological creature by almost everyone including the father of my children. People just weren't here for it! If I was Beyonce, my dreads were MY ugly short bob haircut.

 

It seemed like almost 2 years before my longtime boyfriend would even look at me, let alone touch or acknowledge my hair, and I loved every minute of it. I more than expected a less than favorable reaction to my hair so I wasn't bothered, actually I get off on making people uncomfortable by being myself and not doing anything particularly offensive.

 

During my 9th month of being locked I started to take an even more apparently offensive approach to my dreads and stopped manipulating my hair! Some call it freeform, others call it not loving myself enough to take care of my hair. I stopped retwisting it and started to just wash it and let it grow.

 

This seems to blow minds and send people just running in fear. I am constantly being asked “So when are you going to do your hair?” “When is the last time you did a retwist?'' or  being compared to Bob Marley which is actually my favorite and most appreciated compliment, even when its not meant to be.

 

Every trip out the front door is a new encounter with some someone that has a problem with my hair. The stares aren't an issue. I understand that people sometimes (or most times) act like children when they are faced with something new, so I take my lumps when it comes to that, but it never seems to end.

 

One night I was in the supermarket, standing in line, minding my own business, when I hear someone say “That's disgusting.” When I looked up it was a woman standing two customers ahead of me staring directly at my hair while talking to an old man who I assumed was her father. When he started to look to see what she was talking about, I then heard her say, “Don't look, don't look,” but it was too late he was looking and I could tell he wasn't liking. 

 

What confused me was that they were with a boy who looked to be about 15 and he had dreads (manicured of course) but even more shocking was that the boy looked embarrassed for his less informed elders.

 

In situations like this I never have an emotional response, mostly because they don't really get to me enough to garner one, if anything I just give the much deserved blank stare that has “Are you kidding me?'' written all over it and go about my way.

 

Here is the thing, when I made the decision 3 years ago to loc my hair, I expected more negative reactions than I actually get. I knew that many people would not understand it or find the look appealing, and when I decided to freeform and allow my hair to simply grow naturally I knew that even some of my fellow loc wearers would have an opinion but I made the decision for myself and will continue to wear my hair this way because I am happy.

 

I tell people that deciding to wear dreads was the most selfish decision I've ever made, and it is also one of the best. I've never been or felt more like myself and being that I am happy with my choice; there is nothing anyone can do or say that will ever change it. We all have to do what makes us happy, that's what makes us different and unique.

 

So regardless of If you wear dreads, are a loose natural, wear braids, weave or a relaxer remember that it's your choice and you have to own it because people are going to judge you regardless of your decisions, at the very least make sure that the decisions are yours.
Pam Cakes Aug 14, 2013 at 6:00pm           

**permission to use in my project pending  http://www.xojane.com/beauty/my-natural-dreadlocked-hair-makes-people-uncomfortable

The Dreadlocks Myth by Zuzeeuko

Dreadlocks refer to interlocked coils of hair which may form naturally or through manipulation. It is a symbol of a religious movement, notably the Rastafari movement, although an increasing number of people from different religions and cultures wear dreadlocks nowadays. Is it just another hairstyle?

Today, unfortunately, this unique hairstyle - with a long tradition of spirituality, is closely associated with defiance, guns, crime, irresponsibility, insubordination, untidiness, you name it. Even in the U.S, where there's a lot of talk about freedom and the dream of not judging people from appearances, dreadlocked folks have constantly come under attack! I was appalled when a judge in a New Orleans court ordered a teenager wearing dreadlocks to cut them. What happened to freedom? Do ideas about personal appearance cloud your judgement? Why do you think dreadlocks is constantly being associated with negative connotations? Is the dreadlocks myth a reality?

I have been wearing dreadlocks since 2003 - one year after I was admitted to study law in the University of Buea, Cameroon. Initially, people were surprised to see a law student with dreadlocks, but after sometime, it kind of became my "trademark". People described me as the "guy with dreadlocks" and I managed to literally get myself some fans and followers (I still have some today). Fortunately or unfortunately, many people became aware of the fact that it's okay to wear dreadlocks, provided you don't compromise your values and don't show up for a high-profile job interview (at least for now).

At home, I encountered some initial resistance from my mom. I remember she always told me that lawyers don't wear deadlocks. Her fear, which I understood, was that I was going to "change" and compromise the values tirelessly instilled in my siblings and I. However, she let me get away with wearing dreadlocks when she realised it was really what I wanted. It is worth mentioning that her worry was genuine, but I knew better, and never indulged in the things commonly associated with dreadlocks; I never smoked a cigarette ( not in my lifetime!), never dropped out of school, never became a criminal and neither did I negate my christian values or join the rastafari movement. As a matter of fact, I can look you in the face and reaffirm the fact that I've never confirmed any of the dreadlocks myths.

Do you know anyone whose behaviour or goals plummeted, when s/he started wearing dreadlocks? (I don't know any!)

Do you know anyone who has been profiled because s/he wears dreadlocks? (I know a few)

More importantly, have you ever regarded someone who wears dreadlocks as a "loser"? These are tough questions that should be answered in an effort to dispel the dreadlocks myth.

When I started wearing locks, I promised myself that I'd cut them after my Masters degree. As the day draws near, I can't help, but look back with nostalgia at the high and low moments of my 7-year dreadlocks experience. There were moments when, because of my dreadlocks, I was regarded as a local icon. Some friends and acquaintances called me "Icon for Town" - a slang we used at the university, to refer to a trailblazer or someone who stands out from the crowd.

Like I said, there were low moments too - when people MISTAKENLY thought I was just another uneducated, low-life criminal with dreadlocks. I always like the look on their faces when I "blow my cover", though.

Regardless, I've never regretted my decision to wear dreadlocks. I'm happy to have represented the many responsible folks out there who wear dreadlocks, and to have "busted" the dreadlocks myth.

From this day on, before you prejudge someone who wears dreadlocks, bear in mind that you might be going in for another big surprise because s/he might just be more educated, more successful, more cultured and generally a more dedicated citizen of the world, than you're! Get to know the dreadlocks carrier before you jump into hasty conclusions.

I'll leave you with the words of the legendary dreadlocked Bob Marley One Love
article written in 2010 ***pending permission from author http://www.zuzeeko.com/p/contact-zuzeeko.html

What would you do if your partner made themselves ugly?

I hate dreadlocks. I don’t think they should be banned, I don’t mean it in some racial stereotype way, I just don’t like them. Hate really isn’t too strong a word. Fair enough you may say - it’s just an opinion, nobody is about to make me have dreadlocks (although, nearly 20 years ago, I had them for about a year), so why does it matter? Because my wife wants dreadlocks. In fact, she’s getting them right now, whilst I sit at work trying not to think about it.

It feels as if I’ve gone out to work, to avoid seeing my partner violated.

I’ve struggled to make this clear to myself, and to my wife so I’m trying to frame things on the page. I don’t know if it will work any better.

I don’t need to justify hating dreadlocks. Some people hate the Mona Lisa. Some people hate the color purple. Some people really hate The Beatles. That’s ok, that’s their opinion. It’s a product of their upbringing, their culture, the books they read, the films they watch & the company they keep. It doesn’t matter what people like in the realm of the aesthetic because it’s just an opinion.

I still hate dreadlocks.

My wife didn’t have dreadlocks until today. I find her incredibly attractive. I always have. Since way, way before we were together.

I’ll always love her. I’d love her if she had no hair, if she shaved the left side of her head and painted it green, if she had a mohican (I did, for 6 months, I’ve had many foolish hair cuts).

When I get home tonight I’ll find her appearance less attractive.

When I walk in the door I’ll find her appearance uglier.

We’ve talked and argued about this back and forth for months now. When she said to me - “I’m thinking about getting dreadlocks” the comments included:
“I will find you less attractive”
“I won’t want to touch you”

Color me judged but true, every one. You, dear reader, can’t scoff and say this wouldn’t happen to you. You can’t tell me that no part of the attraction you feel for your partner is based on aesthetics. It almost certainly was a significant factor in you starting a relationship, it may be less important as that relationship matures, but it’s still there, it’s still important. It still *matters*.

There will be something, something within the realms of possibility, that could, possibly, make you feel as strongly as I do.

I also said:
“I don’t want you to change your mind on something you really want, based on my opinions. Your hair, is *your* hair. It’s nothing to do with me, I get no say in it, do what you want.”
It’s true. The conflict between the two voices is causing immense torment in my head.
What would happen if my wife felt as strongly about a proposed haircut of mine? Would I “back down” (the very phrase shows the animosity) or would I say “It upsets you so much, I won’t have it done, even though I don’t agree”.

If my wife said she wouldn’t kiss me if I grew a beard, I wouldn’t grow a beard.

I’ve been unable to rationalise her decision into my world view. I’m still angry and upset about it now, as much as I ever have been. Maybe this is a phobia of some sort, maybe that’s why I’m so anti dreadlocks.

I feel my wife has deliberately spoiled her beauty. I feel sad. I’m not sure what to do about it.
****authorization to use this commentary by author still pending*** by http://www.tetsugaku.info/blog/399

CAN MUSLIMS WEAR DREADLOCKS?

 I ran across this article on internet and wanted to share this with my audience
 A Fatwa is

1. a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority.

 
Question:  

I am looking for a fatwa on women having dreadlocks. Dreadlocks can be neat and clean. They can be wet daily for wudu and lathered with shampoo for ghusl, the parts are neat so that water can reach the scalp at all times. The only difference is that each lock cannot be combed out although they can be washed like unlocked strands of hair, so in essence each lock functions as a strait of hair. I am asking what the Islamic ruling on having them is, is it okay since I can wash them with water and shampoo after my menses or janaba, and what about at the time of my janaza (funeral) they can be washed then also, even though each lock is taken out and the locks can be braided into three braids.

Answer
In a situation of Wudu there is no need to unlock the dreads and blocks of hair. All that is required is that you wipe over the hairs of the dread locks. But in the case of Ghusul (process of purifying the entire body via a bath) from Janabah and Menses, the hairs need to be done and washed so that all of the hairs are completely wet and the water reached your skull. The same goes for Ghusl of Janaza (funeral). If these conditions can be met, then having dread
 http://qahiri.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/can-muslims-wear-dreadlocks/

Profiling People With Dreadlocks Must Stop Now

       I will not beat around the bush on this post. Not too long ago white people use to look at people with locs as though they were a criminal just released from jail. Someone to be feared because of a hairstyle. No longer will the profiling of the black man or woman by their hair. Dreadlocks have gone mainstream from CE'O, professors, nurses, to every other type of profession you can think of.

            Little did I know when I began this project actually how many people would embrace dreadlocks. it has been amazing. I believe this fascination with nappy locs will continue and my #DreadlockProject will have a lasting impact also for those who wear locs and for those who don't.

             I am continually thankful to all that are participating and saying encouraging words as I try to complete my ‪#‎dreadlockproject‬ before January 2015. This I must admit is a labor of love because I love my loc wearers and ‪#‎dreadlocks‬ I am slowly but surely getting pictures from all around the world. I decided to share how many different parts of the world have participated already. I have several pictures from the same (duplicate representation) state/country; which I will still use. There are certain states I am still waiting to hear from. Come on and show your loc love.

London -                        New York -                           California
Canada -                        Georgia -                               Philadelphia
Japan -                           Oregon -                                Florida
Kenya -                         Mississippi -                          Missouri
Amsterdam -                 Louisiana -                            New Jersey
Haiti -                           Pennsylvania -                       Wyoming
Sweden -                      Washington, DC -                  Illinois
Argentina -                   Ohio
Palestine -                    Michigan
Australia -                    Maryland
Italy -                           South Carolina
Bahamas -                  Massachusetts

sterlingdesign is on top of his game

Thank you so much for giving me permission to use your photo.
sterling khassan sterling design  (at Fashion Institute of Technology)

Thedaughtersofeve submission

Thank you for the cute picture


I especially like the title of your tumblr page because I wrote a book on the subject of Eve trying to dispel all of the negative that is attributed to being a woman and being female the book is titled "When Will Eve Be Forgiven?" It is a good read and I believe all women should read this book and it should be passed down from generation to generation in a family from grandmother to mother to daughter to empower them to face the world proud of their womanhood. The book is available on amazon.com and makes for great dialogue among the masses. Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/When-Will-Eve-Be-Forgiven/dp/074146134X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410278536&sr=1-3&keywords=dorothy+guyton

White People Aren't Racist For Wanting Dreads OMFG

I ran across this article and I wanted to share it because I want all points of view about dreadlocks and people who wear them. Makala Beker is the author of the article and has given me permission to use it in my dreadlock project. A big thanks to her and thank you for expressing your point of view. As you read the article please understand the importance of people freely expressing themselves which is at the core of this dreadlock project. The hairstyle as we say, is more than just a hairstyle. It carries an historical significance that can not be erased with time. In this twenty first century of awareness, the debate has hit the table over a hairstyle to some and a spiritual way of life for others.

I applaud the author's willingness to just put it out there on the table. I appreciate her freedom of expression and how it will contribute to the dialogue on why people love dreadlocks and the view on who can and cannot wear dreadlocks. Once again, a big thank you to the author.

Did u know. that human beings. are entitled to have whatever goddamn hairstyle they fucking please? Because they are!!

In no fucking way is a white person wanting dreads racist. It is a form of self expression. When people see clothes they like, they buy them. When people want a tattoo, they pay someone to have a needle with ink on it stabbed into them. When people want a hairstyle, by golly, they go and get it.

Yes, dreads have African roots historically. Fucking duh. It is also how a black person’s hair naturally ends up. Wow. I'm aware, in no way am I saying that this in unimportant. I'm saying it's stupid to say a white person cannot have a hairstyle because it has African roots. That’s like saying black people can't use a fucking light bulb because a white guy invented it. More relatively, thats like saying black people can't get weave to make their hair look naturally curly or straight or whatever the fuck because white people’s hair is naturally like that.

All u bitches tryin to say “Oh do whatever makes you happy it's your body don't let what others say.” Then a white person who has been wanting this hairstyle for a hot minute now finally gets the courage to go out and do it and you hypocritical cunts turn around like “NO! BAD! U CANT HAVE DREADS, THEY BELONG TO BLACK PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!”

WELL BOY DO I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU. Not only is it not your fucking business what kind of hair a person has, it - is- hair. I'ts a fucking fad. Get over it. In no way is it affecting you.

ALSO DID U KNOW not everything is some fucking stupid social justice issue. I know that may come as a shock. Some of you are probably staring at your computer screen, jaw dropped and eyes bulging out of your sockets, but its true. Not everything a social justice issue. Repeat after me: NOT. EVERYTHING IS -A - SOCIAL - JUSTICE. ISSUE. A white person wanting dreads does not make them racist nor is it fucking close to a racial issue. Stop sucking the fun out of every fucking thing because you gotta nit pick to find something offensive.

Jeleine Toussaint is Feeling It

I’ve always been a fan of women playing in my hair. But with dreads it feels so much better, as if you are touching my soul. Maybe because this is the most connected I’ve felt to my hair in awhile and a girl touching that feels like she’s connecting with me on a deeper level. Keep playing with my hair, beautiful , and relieving all my stress.

This is so sensual I had to ask permission to use it in my project. Many dreadlock wearers complain about strangers wanting to touch their hair. If we flip what Jeleine just expressed, it may be just as stimulating for those who get the chance to run their fingers through your locks. Thanks for giving us all something to think about Jeleine.

lo-ficognition shows off yarn dread locs

I have been asked several times during my loc journey whether my locs were yarn or my own hair. I was always baffled why I was asked that question. Well, after seeing this picture I can understand the confusion. These brown locs look like the real deal. It is a great look for those not totally ready to commit to dreadlocks. Thank you so much for allowing me to use this photo in my dreadlock project.
The yarn look:

An Interview With Wesley Blair from Wyoming

Thank you so much Wesley for giving me permission to use you loc story. We each have our very own personal reasons for loving dreadlocks.

My name is Wesley Blair and I seen your post to dreadlocks on Facebook. My hair had been dreaded for the last 7 months and I live in wyoming. The reason I decided to dread my hair was when I finally got tired of my really thick hair making so many knots after I washed it every time. I would spend a good 2 hours combing it out no matter what conditioner I put it in. Now when I wash my hair the knots are welcomed! 

 Dreading my hair has changing my life in the sense that it has taught me to be more patient as my hair is ever changing and continuing to lock. It's helped me embrace who I am even more so by accepting my flaws. Before I dreaded my hair everything had to perfect. Now I realize my dreadlocks, with them always changing, won't look good some day and some days they will. It's helped me accept that everything doesn't need to be perfect. Life goes on.

Artwork by Terralu entitled EARTH

Thanks to one of our featured loc wearers for allowing me to use her art piece Earth in my dreadlock project. Her creative work spoke to me and fits perfectly in a chapter in my book about the genesis, or root of the hairstyle dreadlocks. The root system featured in the piece reflects the outward tendrils connecting us all tho a distant past. The oldest relics of humanity can be traced to it's roots in Africa to the first female in which we are all a part. It is through these roots we all can be visualized as one through a common thread of blood genetics.

I love this piece of artwork and I hope you can relate to it in your own special way.

Joey from the Bahamas

 I am always pleased to have submission from our men with dreadlocks so a special thanks to you Joey for your submission.

Technically I'm a PhD Student on break from the London School of Economics. I use to be a college professor and now I own a restaurant. I'm a Bahamian and a little Bohemian. Also a Fashion, Design and Nightlife enthusiast with a love for the beautiful.

Karisa Pope cool and crisp from head to toe

Thank you so much to Karisa for giving me permission to use her lovely photo. She is a lover of fashion and a wonderful dreadlock wearer

Antonio Allen curly mane

 Thank you so much for permission to use your photos. There is a fierceness yet approachability captured in your pictures.
My name is Antonio Allen and ART IS MY HEART! Photographer | Dancer | Philosopher | Jamaican Boy meets Brazilian Girl and then I was Born in Newark,NJ Raised in MIAMI FL

The Young Will Be Heard Also

Thank you for giving me permission to use your photo in my dreadlock project Ineedmauiwowie

Sennia a 20 year old photographer from Chicago, IL.

I've had locs since Nov 2013. I decided to get dreads when I was 18 but took them down and decided to do them again later on but free form. I don't go to the shop and I'm the only one that takes care of my hair. After wearing protective styles for a while I knew that I didn't want to get perms anymore and that having my natural hair was the best decision I've made for my hair.

Until then I've always had perms and my hair never grew as much till I stopped relaxing it. I wanted to wear an afro, which
I did for a couple of weeks but I didn't like all the maintenance since I have 4c hair. After doing research about my hair I learned that 4c hair makes greats locs. The second time around (Nov '13) there was no perm in my hair so it loc'd pretty quickly within 3 months.

Growing locs has made me appreciate my hair texture because growing up it was considered "too nappy". Others around me that don't know me ask things like "what's wrong with your hair?" "why don't you get it retwisted?" "why don't you just go to the shop?, they'll make it longer", or get stared at. Some people love it and some people don't understand it.

Growing locs has made me stronger to brush off others opinions that don't matter and to continue to do what makes me happy. And now I LOVE dreadlocks. And a person that waits and goes through the struggle phase of locs is a person that deserves locs. I was really insecure about my locs at one point, but to one starting off locs, you can do it, time will fly and it doesn't look as bad as you think :) - Sennia

SAY IT LOUD "MY NAPPY IS HAPPY"

I can't believe this wonderful submission.

I have seen this t-shirt so many times and said to myself "This is what it is all about." My nappy is happy, but their are a lot of people, a generation, who can not believe we are embracing our natural hair. To them it seems savage in a way. A step backward in history. This is the reason for this project; to let people know nappy is no longer an ugly word. Nappy is not attached to being inferior anymore. Nappy IS the essence of being and being just fine with yourself.

A big thank you to Tavares Dean and Bienke Estimond from South Florida for submitting this photo for my project. I hope to see everyone in their t-shirt saying to the world "From my head to my toe, I am just fine."

Please stop by their website and support the loc'd living and laughing loving their locs mynappyishappy.bigcartel.com

The Amazing Length of Tarra Lu from Silver Spring MD but originally from Boston.

Finally did a full head retwist after a year or two. Growing 5 years and some change.

Do I need to say more???

The only thing left to say is thank you so much for giving me permission to use your photo in my dreadlock project. I do believe you have the longest locs of all of the participants.

Beautiful smile comes easily to SydniMichael

Thank you for giving me permission to use your picture. I love the smile

Gorgeous in Red Miss Samuelsson from Sweden

Ellen Lovisa Samuelsson submission
Swedish pierced dreadhead. Thank you so much Lovisa for sharing your awesome photograph with us in my dreadlock project. In case anyone is unaware I love redheads and especially red dreadlocks

Throw Back Thursday Still A Winner

Thank you to queensoulsista for giving permission to use this wonderful in action photo.

Throw it back the right way for #TBT 2011-12 Philly. Shot by photog Greg Johnson. I would probably hurt my neck if I did this with my hair length now.
 
Toronto, Ont., Ca. 2012

Meet Darryl From Florida

As always I am thankful when men step up and share their love for dreadlocks with us. Thanks for giving permission for your photo be used for my project.

Hips and heartache photos no name needed for sunshine

This beautiful woman looks nothing like heartache. On the contrary her radiant smile can really turn a bad day into a day filled with sunshine. I thank her so much for sharing her delightful photos with us. This is living life loving locs. 26 years old Born in Maryland and has been dreaded for almost two years (2014)

Anthony Brown Living Life Loving Locs

A big thank you goes out to this handsome man sporting some killer locs. No matter how many times you see dreadlocks you never see them how a particular individual rocks them. In Anthony's photo,  one can sense a fierceness and gentleness all at once. This is how men with dreads get down.

An Interview with Keelie Representing Missouri

Missouri has been in the news a lot lately, but Keelie is making news with her colorful locks. I send out a big thank you to her for participating in my dreadlock project.



I'm Keelie. I'm an overgrown kid living in Missouri and I honestly couldn't tell you how long I've had my dreads or when I started doing them.

I'd see these beautiful girls with long hair that reminded me of tree roots and I'd say to myself, "I want to look just like her!" I'd asked my aunty to put dreads in my hair, but she always denied me saying, "You'll regret it, they won't look right..." So on and so forth, so one day I just did them myself!

 

I must say, I have not a single regret!

I've changed colors, shortened them, even shaved the sides of my head, and I love all my hair and I love the way I feel just having these pretty locks on my head.

They make me feel beautiful!

You look beautiful in all shades of loc colors and I am thankful you shared your story and love for locs with me.