Dreadlocks Represent Poverty?
watching Judge Alex today. a black couple (a middle aged woman and older man) who met over the internet were battling over an engagement ring after the older man called off the wedding.
pops broke up with sis because her credit wasn’t up to par. understandable. but this classy “man” with the good credit took the cowardly way out by breaking up with her over the phone. that was bad enough right?
well pops had to throw in another jibe. he doesn’t like her hair, which happens to be in dreadlocks. “why?” you ask.
DREADLOCKS REPRESENT POVERTY
now i wouldn’t have given this a second thought EXCEPT for the fact that i’d previously dated an asshole who had some preconceived notions about dreadlocks as well. he too felt that dreadlocks were for “homeless” people. and where he regarded mine as being “different” because they “smelled good,” i knew in dating him that if there were ever a moment where i had a bad hair day, he’d equate that to some “homeless” notion.
i doubt if i’d be able to find someone who visits this site who shares the notion that “dreadlocks represent poverty” but if you’re out there, or if you have some insight as to why people feel this way, can you splain it to me?
Tags: discrimination, dreadlocks, Hair
Got Beauty or Hair Care Questions or Tips? Learn more about your hair type/style. Join us in the
May 10th, 2009 at 4:46 AM
That’s bizarre. I grew up middle class and learned to associate locks with something that middle to upper-class black and white people do to look trendy. I’m not saying that’s the correct view! I realize that people from many different backgrounds choose to wear their hair this way. I am just rather taken aback that some would associate something so time consuming, work-intensive, and often quite expensive with poverty. My boyfriend is locking his hair right now and he has been paying forty dollars every two weeks. I don’t know if that’s the norm, but it sure doesn’t seem like an inherently poor man’s hairstyle to me.
March 29th, 2010 at 9:52 AM
I WOULD THINK THAT PEOPLE ASSOCIATE DREADS WITH POVERTY BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE NO MONEY TO KEEP YOUR HAIR DONE THEN U MIGHT DREAD IT OR WEAR AN AFRO I BEEN WANTING DREADS FOR A WHILE AND AFTER BEGINNING LOCS I RESEARCHED. A lot of people just don’t have a clue HOW DEEP THIS IS . I never really liked salons until braids came into the spotlight AND I GOT MICROBRAIDED FOR YEARS. But as i’m maturing in my thinking of how natural and less is better i love the locs.