Ex-cons paved the way for natural hair and dreadlocks
Cornrows and Cons
- Cornrows and Dreads aren’t for Ex-Cons
- Ex-cons paved the way for natural hair and dreadlocks
I get what you’re saying but IMHO, it’s the “thugs” who have paved the way for dreads being more acceptable. Like most everything in African-American culture, our style, our music, our way of being began in neighborhoods and “hoods.” By the time it becomes pervasive in the “hood” so to speak, the mainstream is just taking notice.
Visit St. Louis, Jacksonville, Little Rock, New Orleans…or any city (in the south in particular) where there is a large Black population. Go to the economically and socially challenged areas and you’re bound to see more dreads and cornrows than you would at any HBCU, boardroom or anywhere that educated, Black professionals gather.
Where I agree with you that in the “hood,” bruhs aren’t always striving for the most neatly manicured dreadlocks, I think the sheer nature of many of their situations has enabled them to say “f-it” and wear their hair and clothes as they siee fit. So in a lot of ways, they were the first…we’re just borrowing their “I don’t give a fig” attitude and making it more mainstream.
Maybe it’s more about borrowing intraculturally? Those who have been lock’d down can learn from those who’ve risen up and vice versa.
Tags: cornrows, dreadlocks
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February 19th, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Wow. And I mean WOW! While we are all entitled to our perspectives, I must correct, first of all, the title of this posting. Ex-cons absolutely did not pave the way for dreads and cornrows! More specifically, dreads. Dreads have been present for centuries and have thrived throughout may cultures. Dreads are not limited to one race or class of people. And it breaks my heart every time I come across the negative attitudes that perpetuate the disempowerment of our afri-community. Do you know where I reside? OMAHA, NEBRASKA, where racism, segregation and self-hatred are very prevalent. But even in such conditions, my clients (some ex-felons and some very successful professionals) manage just fine in finding employment based upon their skills and resumes. Insisting that our people stop manifesting who they are in order to be more gainfully employed is just insane. Be more supportive!
February 20th, 2009 at 9:26 AM
DeAnna, did u read the original FGK post? of course dreadlocks didn’t start in the hood
howevah, 15-20 years ago you couldn’t say “dreadlocks” without a Black person turning up their nose in disgust.
my point was that we should applaud many of these young men for being willing to wear their hair as they see fit. where each of us may feel that we came into dreadlocks on our own, the reality is, we’re all inspired by somebody. isn’t it great that today, a lot of that inspiration comes from what folks see everyday vs. for me, a bob marley album?
and I agree with the original FGK Staff (Steph) post in this sense…for someone coming out of jail, they should be doing any and everything possible to reenter society and if that means getting a fade, cut yo’ hair! if it means wearing a dress shirt and tie, sambo your behind to penny’s, marshalls, aj wright, the thrift store… if it means “talking White,” then pronounce your T’s, S’s, K’s and tell everyone you meet how much you love mayonnaise for all i care. you can still stand on principle. the principle is getting a damn job. hair can grow back but you can’t be broke everyday.