QuoteReplyTopic: Dreads - Can Anyone wear them? Posted: December 28 2000 at 9:14am
I am 24 and have been growing my hair for about 1 year. It is just past my shoulders. I decided to go ahead and do the dread look. Yesterday at work an African American told me that I was being disrespectful by wearing dreads because I am white. I blew him off but now I am wondering if that could be true or he is just being an ass about it? Comments? What would be the right thing to say to this in the future?
that is a hair DON'T
DaveDecker
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Senior Moderator
Joined: November 28 2000
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3247
The fact that you were surprised about your colleague`s charge proves that it isn`t true. It`s your hair, wear it as you like it. If you want dreads, wear dreads. If you want dreads but don`t due to comments such as those of your colleague, the ONLY person you`ll be disrespecting is yourself.
Anyone can wear them. That`s not to say anyone should wear them. On holiday in Finland I noticed an alarming tendecy for a few light-skinned Nordic types to wear blonde dreads, and they looked awful! Only do it if you think you`ll still like yourself afterward.
phil
Jennifer
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Member
Joined: November 30 2000
Status: Offline
Points: 748
>>Yesterday at work an African American told me that I was being disrespectful by wearing dreads because I am white.
I`d say he is being disrespectful to you by telling you what you should or shouldn`t do with your hair! And his comment is definitely racist. People like that feel that the world owes them a favor. I`d stay about as far away from people like that as I could!
>>What would be the right thing to say to this in the future?
A few suggestions:
1) Silence speaks volumes. You could stare him in the face, follow your eyes down his entire body and back up again almost in a confrontational manner. It`s a very strong and powerful statement. If he says something again, smile a little bit and **say nothing**. Your look will hit him harder than a slap across the face!
2) I had no idea you were so interested in Caucasian hair. I am, too!
3) Who are you? Then walk away.
4) Thank you kindly for your unsolicited comments.
5) Mange merde! (pronounced monj {rhymes with bones with a soft "g" at the end} mared {rhymes with "bared"}) [In French, it means, "eat excrement!" And of course these words need to be delivered with a smile as if you were saying, "Why, I don`t speak a word of English!"
I`m afraid you hit my hot spot. Yes, we all have opinions on hair, and this forum is a perfectly acceptable venue for expressing them, but offering unsolicited opinions about someone`s esthetical appearance to his face is EXTREMELY rude, in my opinion.
Jennifer
dianefromcanada
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Member
Joined: December 15 2000
Status: Offline
Points: 559
It totally surprises me how people react on certain things. For example over here it is not a big deal to wear dreads Tina. In fact many people find it refreshing and exciting especially when they come back from a trip and spents hours and money on having it done professional on their trips. I always found it an fascinating style.
quote:Tina originally wrote:
I am 24 and have been growing my hair for about 1 year. It is just past my shoulders. I decided to go ahead and do the dread look. Yesterday at work an African American told me that I was being disrespectful by wearing dreads because I am white. I blew him off but now I am wondering if that could be true or he is just being an ass about it? Comments? What would be the right thing to say to this in the future?
I am a hair stylest and i do alot of dreads. On caucasions they are harded to do than on an African American. I think that they can sute every kind of person as long as they feel confident with them. One point I`d like to make is that dreads origanated in jamaca. It has to do with Rastafarien, the religen that most of the population practaces. That and Ganja are the most comenly known things about rastafariens. So if this `friend` of yours at work is not jamacian -or Rastifarian because I know that there are rastafariens that are not jamacian- then he`d just be dumb to think that just because it`s easyer to dread his hair that he should own rights to dreads. On the other hand if he is rastafarien you should try and respect his opinion. I`m not suggesting that you should get rid of them but mabie you could learn the symbolisem that they represent and find your own meaning is yours....i hope you can understand this sorry about the spllin errors. Sue
It`s true, I have heard about this being offensive. It`s similar to those chinese bead bracelets that have been trendy lately. I have a couple of friends whose parents moved here from China, and who still celebrate the tradition, and they are offended by people wearing the beads, because they have a sacred meaning. So your friend reacting to your hair is a similar thing. But still, I think you could just rationally explain that you respect his religion and traditions, but you also feel that it is a beautiful style and in a way you are actually complimenting their religion from afar. It would be a different story if you went around mocking the style,b ut you are paying tribute to it.
wolfgang
Members Profile
Send Private Message
Find Members Posts
Add to Buddy List
Junior Member
Joined: January 04 2001
Status: Offline
Points: 97
>>Yesterday at work an African American told me that I was being disrespectful by wearing dreads because I am white.
I'd say he is being disrespectful to you by telling you what you should or shouldn't do with your hair! And his comment is definitely racist. People like that feel that the world owes them a favor. I'd stay about as far away from people like that as I could!
>>What would be the right thing to say to this in the future?
A few suggestions:
1) Silence speaks volumes. You could stare him in the face, follow your eyes down his entire body and back up again almost in a confrontational manner. It's a very strong and powerful statement. If he says something again, smile a little bit and **say nothing**. Your look will hit him harder than a slap across the face!
2) I had no idea you were so interested in Caucasian hair. I am, too!
3) Who are you? Then walk away.
4) Thank you kindly for your unsolicited comments.
5) Mange merde! (pronounced monj {rhymes with bones with a soft "g" at the end} mared {rhymes with "bared"}) [In French, it means, "eat excrement!" And of course these words need to be delivered with a smile as if you were saying, "Why, I don't speak a word of English!"
I'm afraid you hit my hot spot. Yes, we all have opinions on hair, and this forum is a perfectly acceptable venue for expressing them, but offering unsolicited opinions about someone's esthetical appearance to his face is EXTREMELY rude, in my opinion.
Jennifer
I don`t think what he said is racist. I do think what he said is stupid and that`s about it.
My fiance and I are both European and we`re both loc`d. Most people who get them get them for one of two reasons (1) to be trendy or (2) because they`ve decided it`s time to commit to SOMETHING. You can do the tem loc thing if you just admire the style or go bees wax if you want the commitment. Remember, the only surefire way (and not over priced like ironing it out) is by cutting them off.
The style did originate with Rastafarians. Not just in Jamaica but in Ethiopia as well. Long story, but you can read the history about this.
Anywho, do what you`re going to do and never mind the nay sayers.
Why did my we loc? Different reasons (before we met). He`s been loc`d for 7 years and I`ve been loc`d for 5. You guess the reason :).
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Topic Options
Post Options
Thanks(0)
