Why I Ditched the Dreads

      When I got my dreadlocks, I did it for many reasons. I had always loved how dreads looked, and to me, I thought it would help me outwardly identify with a subculture I had grown to admire: the hippies. I went to festivals and saw dreads on people young and old. And they were all white people. I didn't think about cultural appropriation*, I thought that this was my culture. I do recall that when I got them, I heard a lot of comments at my high school, but the only negative one was from a black student. At the time, I didn't know why he should care how I did my hair. I now understand. 

 

      The years passed and the only negativity I got towards my dreads were things like being labeled a pothead, being told I couldn't get work (which ended up not being true*), and being called a dirty hippie. These were all things I could scoff at, because I knew who I was, and I didn't mind having these labels on me. They sometimes worked for me. Finally though, I was discussing my mom's class with her. She was at St. Kate's University in St. Paul, she double majored in Women's Studies and Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity. I loved discussing her classwork with her and even went to a class with her once. She mentioned that one of her white classmates had dreads, but had cut them off because she realized that perhaps what she was doing was perpetuating racism. Ever since then I had that thought in the back of my mind. Was I, just by walking around with my hair in mats, perpetuating racism? I thought there could be no way, I was always open to understanding my privilege and trying to combat systemic racism in my daily life. I then had to find legitimate reasons for why I could keep sporting my dreads. I held onto these reasons for another couple years*. But eventually, I finally realized: As white person, maybe my reasoning is a result of my privilege*. (dingdingding) And so, finally, I asked the public (via Facebook) what they thought. I finally got the answers I was afraid to explore. My reasoning was definitely a result of my privilege.

 

      The reason I made this website to explain why I ditched the dreads is because this is something I did not see in my research. I'm sure it's out there, but one more definitely couldn't hurt. I could find justifications for the appropriations of dreadlocks, and I could find literature on why it is not okay for whites to sport dreadlocks, but ultimately, I still had my justifications, and I wanted my dreads. So I decided to list my justifications, and explain why they are not good enough for me anymore.

 

 

1. Dreadlocks are not exclusive to black culture or rastafarian movement, I could be appropriating from any number of cultures who sport(ed) the locks (some white).

 

 

           Okay, sure. But there are a couple things wrong with this. Sure, I could say I'm appropriating from ancient european warriors who had dreadlocks, but it's not really true or relevant. The truth is that white people with dreads are almost exclusively hippies. Hippies are taking this cue from Bob Marley. Part of Bob Marley's culture was raising up against white supremacy, and his dreads were a direct symbol of this struggle. When white people adopted this from him, they wanted to adopt the idea of peace, love, and a redefinition of beauty. What they ignored was the struggle against white supremacy, and they were able to ignore this because they don't have to think about it*. This is the context that is missing, and that's why it is still cultural appropriation.

 

2. Cultural appropriation is limited to the commercialization and exploitation of a culture, and doesn't really apply to individual style choice.

         

          Yeah, making money from a stolen culture is messed up, most would agree (i.e. using the Fighting Sioux or Redskins as a mascot). But more subtly, I mentioned above that using a symbol without it's original context is cultural appropriation. I thought that I was exempt from this because I did question my privilege, and I did understand systemic racism. But when I'm walking around on the street, this is not apparent. When someone sees me, they don't know who I am or what I fight for. They just see another white girl with dreads. And to many people, that's just a slap in the face. Here I am, one more white person stealing one more thing from an oppressed group. 

         That brings me to my second point, why is it stealing? Why can't it be an homage? Why can't it be just any other hairstyle? Because when a black person wears dreads, it's just a hairstyle. There's no doubt that it's part of their culture. When I wear dreadlocks, it's unique, it's exotic. This is another definition of cultural appropriation. By exoticizing a hairstyle, I'm furthering the gap between us, and treating the whole culture as exotic. That's dehumanizing.

 

3. It's just a hairstyle, people shouldn't get all up in arms about how people present themselves.

 

      This is a tempting argument for white folks. I agree with it mostly. To each their own, right? Yes. Almost always yes. Except when that action hurts other people. No, I'm not going to live my whole life trying not to offend people. People are offended that I don't wear a bra, but I don't give a shit about that because that's a different story. When we as white people are offended, it's for a specific reason, and then we can move on. But we live in a country/world that is catered toward white benefit. Not by choice, not by any one action, but by years and years of white power sculpting our world. So when I do something that offends an oppressed group, it's not just circumstancial. It brings up the fact that they are constantly being belittled, undervalued. It perpetuates the racist system we live in. And I just am not comfortable with that. Checking your privilege means being aware of the systems in place, recognizing situations that are caused by this system, and when possible, doing the right thing to combat what is so often overlooked. That's why I ditched the dreads. 

 

So there it is. With all the facts at hand, I couldn't ignore what I know. I now know that by wearing dreadlocks, I was offending people, perpetuating racism, and being ignorant of my surroundings. It's easy to say that it's not a big deal when you have no concept of the systems in place*. I am a thinker, I am a scientist, so I am always trying to see the bigger picture. That is how I check my privilege, it's an ongoing effort. As a white person, I need to take that time in order to see and combat the racism around me. For people of color, it's staring them in the face every day. That is my privilege. Check yours.

 

 

 

* denotes an instance of white privilege.