What culture wore dreads first
Similarly, in Mexico, the Spanish recorded the fact that the Aztec priests had their hair untouched, long, and matted. Unfortunately, not only is this simply untrue, it is also dangerous. The societal advantage that her skin colour affords means that being told that a decision that she had made could be offensive to other people, seems outrageous to her.
It quickly became my most liked post and created quite a conversation in the comments section. For example, warriors of the Fula and Wolof people of West Africa and the Maasai and Kikuyu tribes of Kenya, are all known for locked hair. It minimises structural racism and ignores issues of under-representation of people of colour. Eventually the latter was dissolved and dreadlocks became the well known symbol of Rastafari that it is today.
Whatever their initial origin, it is without debate that dreadlocks in the modern-day are synonymous with Rastafarianism. Some even believe that the knotting or locking of hair keeps this power in the body, preventing it from escaping through the head.
The origin of dreadlocks within the Rastafari tradition is a topic of much debate. This was due to the success of Jamaican-born reggae artist Bob Marley following his conversion to Rastafarianism. They grew their hair into locks as an affront to Jamaican society and to mark their separation from the mainstream. In other cultures, locked hair is symbolic of a spiritual connection to a higher power.
In some cultures, especially in South Asia and the Middle East, allowing uncombed hair to form into matted locks is a symbol of the rejection of materialism and vanity. Her comments are consistent with what is known as colour-blind racism. They represent a connection to Africa and a rejection of the West, which they term Babylon.
Twisted Locks of Hair: The Complicated History of Dreadlocks - Esquire
This colour-blind, post-racial narrative attempts to erase the diversity and cultural legacy that my page is trying to highlight. Interestingly, in Nigeria, among both the Yoruba and Igbo people, locked hair is viewed with suspicion when worn by adults. The reasoning for using the word is related to both a dread or fear of God, as well as the feeling that the locks would scare off potential threats.
My page provides a springboard for people of colour to engage meaningfully with their history and reflect on its impact today. Last year I started the Instagram account in. In many parts of Africa, locks are associated with strength and only worn by warriors. Others say that Rastas were inspired by the locks worn by warriors of the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya during the Fifties.
They are celebrated as bringers of wealth and only their mothers are allowed to touch their hair. However for Rastas, dreadlocks are much more than just a hairstyle.
Where Do Dreadlocks Come From?
Dreadlocks represent a renewed sense of pride in African physical characteristics and Blackness, which ties in with their belief about keeping things natural. The comments made by this lady who goes on to report Italian, German, and Scottish ancestry reek of white privilege. The history of dreadlocks, understandably, is complex. This piece was originally published in October Hair is not just hair, it speaks to our personalities, our communities, and our histories.
Comments like those mentioned earlier are not isolated and further reinforce the role of education as a tool to dismantle racism at its base. Although Leonard Howell wore his hair short, it is said that his guardsmen at the Pinnacle Commune wore locks as a way to portray strength and instil fear. We have been written out of history, but in.
When I posted a photograph of a Native American man with dreadlocks, I was surprised to see the amount of attention it garnered. I started my page to provide a space for people of colour to celebrate who we were prior to colonisation and the cultural brainwashing that established euro-centric beauty as the standard. The earliest archaeological evidence of locks is found in the mummified remains of Ancient Egyptians as well as from the pre-Colombian Incan civilisation in Peru.
This ideology is based on the assertion that racial privilege does not exist.
In some societies hair can represent spiritual connections, whilst different styles can indicate specific rites of passage. Although dreadlocks have been worn continuously by people of colour in Africa, Asia, and the Americas from ancient times until now, their popularisation in the West only occurred in the Seventies. I receive dozens of messages a day from people expressing their love for the page and thanking me for creating it.
The response has been immense.