So apparently people want you to explain to them why you choose to have dreadlocks, (if you're white.) I say, it's none of your business, especially if you have no significance in my life. But that reason makes me a white privileged cultural appropriator. What's everyone's thoughts on this? When I started my dreads 11 years ago I didn't think to myself, oh look at that POC, I want to appropriate their culture. I don't even associate POC with dreadlocks. I know more white people that have dreadlocks than I do POC.
updated by @yuma: 01/22/20 09:33:16AM
cultural appropriation
well what is the culture of dreadlocks (originally) shamans, babas, gurus, "heyokas' sadhus pharoes you name it
most had come from a spiritual background, not a racial one.
when other cultures came to the land mass known as turtle island they found this:
native ameerican tribes with dreadlocks, who were never previously exposed to white nor black "culture"
but lets look at why "culture" in this case is in quotes, they are talking not about culture but racial identity. culture would be stuff like African dance (which they freely teach to anyone of any race) the wonderful djembe beats and the language of the drum, which they share freely and welcome others to celebrate. these are cultural things.
peoples have met throughout history and shared culture, styles of pottery or basket weaving right down to fishing techniques and ship building (or dugout canoes) cultures learned from each other and then grew from the experiences, became stronger. lets take this to an absurd level a moment. in Africa many villages to this day have to walk miles for muddy polluted water.. not that that's "culture" just a tragic fact of life.. is digging wells or filtering water cultural appropriation?
so, what is cultural appropriation then? imitating a culture in a way that's a mockery of that culture or otherwise defames its origin
now these people who said this to you... all had saloon dreads? never once had a rastaman say that only locticians and those who frequent them.
don't these same people look at natural dreads (cultural dreads) and say ewww and its only when you say theres nothing eww about them that they bring up cultural appropriation?
is it not cultural appropriation to buy a style that culturally often came from long years of meditation or devotion?
now does this look like culture to you?
or does this
how about this
you see how easy it is to spot someone who is honoring a culture (no matter the culture or race) and who is imitating and 'appropriating" it
lets also look at the fact that cultures and races are not the same thing at all! cultures exist within a race, inner city hip hop culture vastly differs from the omo people of Ethiopia (one of the most beautiful cultures)
you see just cause they share a race does not mean they share a culture
so, lets say for an instant that dreadlocks are strictly cultural and have no other meaning (you'd have to ignore the polish plait and the "fairy locks" from Shakespeare plays) then you can't ignore the fact that norse to celt to irish and Scottish etc etc all worse dreads throughout history..
but even though many dread for beautiful spiritual or religious reasons ...hair tangles..its what it does
is it appropriation everytime a breeze blows and puts a knot in your hair?
i met someone once who was the lone survivor of a small plane crash, at 13 and survived on her own in the mountains 3 years before being found.. was her dreads cultural appropriation (she was white) when they were the result of simple survival?
my own dreads were the result of weeks of silent meditation.. never once had race crossed my mind .. what did however was my culture of choice the rainbow nation
since this is getting long.. did you intentionally mimic another culture in a way that mocks it?
did you "buy into" a cultural expression that in any way cheapens it or makes it less meaningful?
were you trying to harm anyone in your own personal choices to dread?
if no don't worry about a thing they are just racists finding another reason for hating a race.
every last 1 who ever brought up cultural appropriation soon after used racist terms against white men and used the 'white devil' thing
are you a white devil? a cracker a honkey or are you simply a human being with dreads
--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
updated by @soaring-eagle: 08/29/17 07:27:38PM
back to the polish plait and fairy locks obviously Shakespeare was European and well polish plait originated in Poland (where a queen worse 1)
these were not cultural but more superstition .. 1 the result of illness and was thought to be death if you cut it the other was thought to happen magically in your sleep and again was doom to untangle it
these people would never cut their hair under any circumstances, even if it caused agonizing pain
the people who have cultural dreads would never ever do the things to them that the people who scream appropriation do regularly...
--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
