Dreadlocks, Dreads, Locs, or Knatty and Racial Stereotyping

You wouldn't believe some of the arguments that folks have had regarding terms for their hair. I personally do not care what folks refer to my hair as, as long as they're not being insulting about it. But I personally call them locs because I really like the way that it sounds. My family is from Jamaica, so we tend to refer to them as dreads. Some people who have this hair may find it insulting because historically, this hair was called "dreadful" by the English and was then referred to as those "dreadful locks" or "dreadlocks"... I guess nowadays, we no longer appreciate the association (and I'm sure that we didn't appreciate it then either) and we want to get as far away from it as possible.

I don't refer to my hair as "locs" trying to be politically correct. Rather, I just love my hair and when I think of locs. I think of beautiful hair. I think of Samson whose locs of hair were his strength. I think positive, so that term works for me. When I say dreads, I pick up on a more negative assocationl; not from an old british perception, but rather from a current stigma attached to Rastafarians.

I am Jamaican and I have dreadlocks, but I do not smoke sesimillia/ganja/marijuana/weed, nor do I sing praises to Haile Selassie or view him as any kind of prophet. I do love Bob Marley and I constantly listen to reggae, and I can be somewhat conservative especially from a religious/ moral standpoint, but my hair does not by default define who am I.

But it is kind of interesting that others think it does.

I look at some of the terms for locked natural hair and I am really amazed that there are so many innocuous terms for it, but people still find some offensive nevertheless.. Then again, I suppose I can understand it much easier when I apply racial terms..

For example, descendants from the African diaspora can be referred to as blacks, negroes, niggers, african-american, caribbean-american, niggas, sistas, brothas, blackies, etc. However, different groups find the different appellations offensive. For example, I am Jamaican and would be offended if someone called me African-American, but that is because I do not see myself as being a part of that group, nor do I have their particular mindset or set of experiences. A history of slavery is both a reason and excuse for today's perceived inequalities and inability to advance. But does it explain single-mother homes? high school drop-out rates? gang-related crimes? "thug love", etc? That's a whole other discussion right there. And I am getting way off topic, but my initial point was that such a term would be offensive to someone of my ilk. However, we see nothing wrong with using the term "blackie" to refer to a dark-skinned person, or calling someone who is mixed "red" or a light-skinned black person as "fair" or "yellow".... it's a colour and colour is very important to us on the island- a product of the slave mentality; one that has not yet been overcome in its entirety. But regardless, even though the terms may have been somewhat offensive in their inception, they are no longer used in order to be disparaging.

But then, take the words "nigger" and "nigga". A non-black uses either term and it's insulting and automatically puts this person into the category of being a racist. But a black person uses either term and it can be all right. But then again, it depends on the kind of black person using the term. A "brotha" or a "sista" can use either term and get away with it. But have a scholarly-never-raised-amidst-poverty-poindexter-type of black male say either term and the entire black community would be up in arms. Conversely, have a roughneck-devo-type "brotha" call this poindexter-type of black man a "nigga" and every educated professionally advanced black man would be up in arms. Crazy isn't it?

Where am I going with all of this rambling? Well, it relates back to what I said before about the different terms for hair. Many people find the different terms offensive, but it isn't just because of the origin of a particular term. It also plays into ones perception of self, ones social standing, ones ethnic background, ones educational background, etc. There are so many factors that play into it, that it becomes so much more complicated than one could anticipate.

I'm a Jamaican-born, American-raised, young black female with dreadlocks that I refer to as locs. I drink on occasion. I've smoked a few times. I love natural hair and currently wear mine down at just below shoulder length. I'm in a long-term relationship, but fiercely independant. I love exercising and I'm a firefighter. I listen to Tracy Chapman, Ella Fitzgerald, Buju Banton, Coldplay, Floetry, Jill Scott, WuTang Clan, Cypress Hill, U2, Elvis Presley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Jones, The Ataris, System of A Down, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Natacha Atlas, Punjabi MC, Paulina Rubio, Maria Callas, Yoyo Ma, Sara Brightman, Lucy Pearl, Me'shell Ndegeocello, Cecilia Bartolli, Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Elvis Crespo, La Banda Gorda, Fulanito, Cesaria Evora, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, System of A Down, Marilyn Manson, The Corrs, Moby, David Gray, The Black Keys, Abbey Lincoln, David Sylvian, Cassandra Wilson, Morcheeba, Jamiroquai, and so many many many others... What does that say about me? I have a multitude of piercings and tattoos hidden beneath my clothing that only my partner gets to see. What does that say about me?

I've completely lost the focus of this entire rant. Now what does that say about me?

Damn Near One Year Later

SO.. it's been quite a long time since my last post.. As a matter of fact, I'd forgotten all about this blog, until I decided to join MySpace today, and it occurred to me that I could add this blog to that page. I haven't even been on LJ in a long time.. wow.. it's amazing how time flies.. When I wrote the last blog, my gramma was none too appreciative of my lifestyle change. Everyone in the family kept asking me when I was going to cut my hair and let my beautiful straight natural hair grow back.. do I even need to breakdown that statement? I suppose I do, since you can't picture me right now.

Well for starters, my natural hair is quite curly and kinky.. guess what? I'm a black female. Therefore, my hair is not naturally straight.

My family loves long hair.. every single one of them.. BUt finally, miracle of all miracles, i'm not getting much flack over my hair anymore.. Now, they're just wondering how long it's going to take for the length of it to be down to my backside.. I don't think I'll let it grow that long. But that's besides the point. THey've stopped asking me to cut my hair.. They do still wonder if I'm going to take it out or not, but I've long since stopped answering such questions..

Now I can truly enjoy the excitement of my locks.. I suppose at this stage, they're like teen locks.. they're not mature, nor are they baby locks.. my hair is about 5-6 inches long, with auburn tips and dark brown roots, and it's looking lovely.. i visit a naturalist who takes care of my dreds once a month.. and I love it..

Over the last several months, i've learned to find REAL naturalists.. For example, I stay away from so-called "naturalists" who have a perm, or don't use natural products in my hair. I also avoid going to locticians after having some of the most negative experiences with 3 of them.. And I will not get my hair done by anyone who has not had locs before, or who does not currently have locs.. Think about it. HOw can someone who doesn't know what an itchy scalp from having locs feels like truly appreciate your complaint, or even know what to do about it? How can someone who never had locs understand how annoying and detrimental to your hair it can be when a few of your locs start to merge together at the root? How can someone who's never had locs understand why you don't want to start your locs off way too small, even though they might look cuter? How can someone who's never had to maintain their own locs appreciate the issues you may have when you have too fresh roots, or way too much new growth? or patchy hair?

DREADLOCKS ARE NOT EASY TO MAINTAIN!!!! They are not maintenance-free unless you are into free-formed locs. Many of us are not. Ignore my profile name, my locs are not free-formed. I don't have huge clumps of locs interspersed with a couple small ones, or any variation of that.. My locs are uniform and mostly-neat. Even though i love to go for that disheveled look.

Oh, and DREADLOCS ARE NOT PERMANENT!!! Many people still think they are, but they can be removed with a special blend of conditioners, and through a very long detangling process, where you may or may not lose a considerable portion of your hair. But that doesn't mean that you should decide to get locs because you believe that if you change your mind, you can just get your hair detangled.

Locs are unlike any other style out there. You can get a new hair cut or any other style put in your hair, and you realize that your hair at some point will revert to it's natural state. But when you put locs in your hair, it's in its natural state, but twisted into a style that one prefers for manageability (free-form locs aside).

If you decide to get locs, you should get them with a mindset of this is it for me. This is the way I'm choosing to wear my hair from now on. I've heard many people say that it's really not this serious. But it is. And it comes with a whole host of lifestyle changes, and changes in your own perception. You start to be more conscious of things, yourself first and foremost. And then you start to see a whole new side of the people you interract with on a daily base. Some positive, some very negative. It's interesting to see how people react to locs. Especially if they perceived you in quite a different fashion, initially.

I've actually gotta go now, but I really just wanted to give a quite update. And a bit of rant. Why not? It's my space. I can do it..

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by dreadlocked hair. I'd go to Jamaica around Christmas-time each year, and often during the summers as well, and I'd see men of all shapes and sizes proudly letting their hair grow as God intended. It was awesome to see people take such pride in their hair where I had always seen mine as a burden.

I'm a black woman. My mother's family is Jamaican, and my father's family is Native American (seminole in particular) and African-American. And my hair, is just natty.. lol.. I grew up hearing that my hair had a nice texture because it was thick, yet manageable. I could always use a Light or Regular perm, no super perms for me, no sir. But I hated perms. And I hated my hair. And it seems to me that all I ever wanted to have was "wash and wear" hair that I wouldn't have to bother with.

As much as I hated perms, I will admit that I loved the look of my hair after a fresh perm. My hair would be soft and bouncy, and would just flow so wonderfully that I felt so proud of my hair for the entire two weeks that it would actually behave like this. But then, I hated having to wrap my hair every night. I, being a devoted athlete, also hated having to worry about my hair every time I would sweat. I hated being afraid of getting my hair wet every time it would rain. Or afraid that if there was too much humidity, my hair would go back to its kink, and lose my lovely flowing locs. I hated washing my hair after a perm and feeling the gradual, yet distinctly noticeable, change back to its regular texture. I no longer felt attractive or proud of my locs. And I hated not being able to run my hands through my hair every time I got frustrated with something or nervous, because I was too afraid of messing my hair up.

Until i decided to change my hair, I didn't realize how much my hair had really taken over my life.

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My grandmother lived by the creed "your hair is your beauty" and if your hair isn't gorgeous long and flowing, you are no longer beautiful. But then again, she's also the woman who hated it anytime i was in the sun too long, because I would get dark. She even disliked my boyfriend initially because he was too dark and not anglo enough. But that's neither here nor there; i'm straying from the point of this section.

My grandmother instilled in me a sense of my hair being the most important part about me. It's what people will notice first. To her, you could be ugly as sin, but if you had gorgeous straight long hair, that more than made up for it. I'd like to call this a classic old school Jamaican mentality. But I do believe that that would be unfair based on my limited anecdotal evidence. So I don't know where she gets that mentality from. But something I heard today reminded me that maybe it's a black culture thing.

Today, I was walking around the city, when I heard a woman standing next to me call out to her friend across the street.. Then she looked to me and said "can you believe that she just cut all her hair off and went bald? she used to have hair all the way down to her butt." And I merely smiled and murmured what i hope were appropriate comments. But frankly, I don't even remember what I said. I do remember however that I was looking at her wondering why, if her hair was so long and beautiful, would she cut it all off? And then, I had to pause and wonder at my thoughts. Have I become my grandmother? Have I become one of those people that absolutely annoy me, tying hair into self-worth?

And I tried to reassure myself because after all, I did the same thing. I had long straight hair which I eventually got sick of, because frankly, I couldn't take care of it anymore, and I cut my hair into a short bob ending just below my jaw. Then a year later, I cut my hair to just above my ears and I kept the hair at the back of my head very low, but not shaved. But I found that I encountered the same problems as before. I hate managing processed hair. And I found that I only liked my hair for two weeks at a time, and then I'd spend the remaining six weeks absolutely hating certain aspects of myself.

Doesn't sound too healthy does it?

Finally, when I got into college and away from home, I shaved my hair low enough to make the military proud. And I LOVED IT!! I'd wake up in the morning, rub my hand across my scalp, smile and go about my day. I could wash my hair as often as I wanted. I could dye my hair any colour I wanted and if I didn't like it, I could just shave my hair off again. It was absolutely liberating and I felt so free. But then I began to miss certain other things; such as the role that hair played in my sex life.

Having long hair meant that I could throw my hair around during sex and just go and look absolutely wild. My hair could run down my partner's body trailing after each of my kisses. It could tickle when appropriate, tease, strategically hide my delights, and to put it bluntly, it made me feel so freakin sexy!! Shaving my hair helped me realize that I've got pretty nice bone structure. My dome looks pretty cool low-cut, and my eyes are even more expressive. But now, I felt like I too closely resembled a boy, even though i'm sure no one would make the mistake of seeing me that way.

Texture and opposites are very important to me, in terms of a partner. For example, my skin is smooth and hairless (thanks to my relentless devotion to my razor and waxing parlors). My boyfriend's skin is hairy and much less smooth.. My face is smooth, where his is bearded. My nails are long enough to tear flesh, whereas his are painfully short. My boyfriend is tall, and I'm several inches shorter. I'm talkative, yet I opt for silence, whereas he's the quite type who tries to act as though he is talkative. We think completely differently, yet we work.

Then came the hair. My hair had been long and smooth, whereas his hair had been cut very short and his hair was rough and kinky. It worked for us then because we were opposites. But then, once I cut my hair, it just didn't feel the same. And my perceptions of myself changed as well. Some for the better, and some for the worse.

I spent four years of college trying to find some kind of middle ground. I regrew my hair by the start of my Junior year to just below shoulder length, and it was great for a few months. But I found that i didn't have the time or the inclination to grow it further. So I shaved it off again and enjoyed a carefree summer. Then I found the ideal middle ground. I grew a poofy afro and dyed it a burnt sienna.. it felt great and i began to notice something interesting: my hair was locking on its own, and i was actually getting complimented on it.

I won't say that the compliments were the most important part, but it was finally great to hear people complimenting me on a decision i made regarding my hair instead of the insults and pleading I would hear from some members of my family.

Out of respect for my family, during my senior year, I went home to discuss the possibility of locking my hair. It didn't go to well. My mother was supportive of any decision I would make regarding my hair because she'd seen me struggle with it and she knew that i wasn't going to enter into any decision regarding my hair lightly. My grandmother however gave me this ultimatum

"if you love me, you will not put that nastiness in your hair"

uh huh... you read that correctly. I couldn't believe it either when she told me that. but she was very serious.. and she still tells me that now... but I don' t believe that this is a matter of love. Nor do i believe that one should ever make that kind of request of someone for something that frankly doesn't concern you and can't harm you or anyone else, that person included.

Anywho, i'm sure that you have long since become thoroughly disinterested in this exceedingly long monologue, but maybe simple curiousity has kept you reading.

It is not my intention to bore you, or to make this a journal of my life. But when I began my journey to get my hair locked, I consulted several sites across the web to help me make my decision and found that I got so much conflicting advice because these sites were geared towards particular races and hair types, or some people were misinformed. Whatever the reason, I had such a difficult time that I made some poor decisions.

This blog is here to chronicle my journey of locking my hair, and to also provide valuable advice for individuals with african-american hair types. I have to put my personal story in so that you can have some background and maybe a bit more understanding of some of the issues one will face when one decides to make such a drastic change.

Because I would like this to be an informative site, I would love it if anyone remotely knowledgeable on teh subject matter could post links to articles or anything dreadlock related that could potentially help.

Regardless of whether anyone even sees this, I will continue to post dreadlock related informative entries because this is important to me. Stick with me for a bit, and I hope you'll learn something. Maybe even become a bit more informed and open-minded. Or maybe you'll love your own hair more than you already do. Or maybe you'll want to become Natty yourself.

I call myself KnottyBongoDread because I'm a NattyBongoHead. I'll explain that later.

Until then, Peace and Love, Mes Amies.

Hennessy <3