All Articles Tagged "dreadlocks"
Instagram Users Respond To Legal Dreadlock Ban With Empowering #Professionallocs
We told you yesterday that a federal appeals court, in a 3-0 decision, ruled that choosing not to employ someone over their choice to wear dreadlocks is not a form of racial discrimination. So an Alabama insurance claims processing company’s decision to rescind a young woman’s job offer due to her refusal to get rid of her locs was legal. However, I think we all know that just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right.
So, quite a few people took to social media to speak out against the decision by posting images of themselves, at work, wearing their locs. And trust me, there is nothing “messy” about them. Check out the best responses to the appeals court decision via the hashtag, #professionallocs. And be sure to follow one of my favorite Instagram pages, @LocLivin, as they encouraged people to share their images.
Appeals Court Rules That Employees Don’t Have Right To Wear Dreadlocks And Banning Them Isn’t Racial Discrimination
Shutterstock
It seems that if you’re trying to get a job in this day and age, you might really have to be concerned about your hair choices. A federal appeals court recently ruled in a 3-0 decision that refusing to hire someone because they wear locs is not a form of racial discrimination.
It all started when a woman named Chastity Jones was offered a job at an Alabama insurance claims processing company as a customer service representative. She was told that the job was hers under one condition: She would need to get rid of her dreadlocks. They reportedly stated that locs “tend to get messy.” When Jones chose not to alter her hair for the position, the company decided to withdraw their offer. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was made aware of the situation, saw it as racial discrimination, and chose to act on her behalf, starting in 2013.
The EEOC noted that “prohibition of dreadlocks in the workplace constitutes race discrimination because dreadlocks are a manner of wearing the hair that is physiologically and culturally associated with people of African descent.”
However, Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan, who wrote the appellate opinion, made it clear that the court wasn’t ready to change the definition of racial discrimination in terms of employment to be not just about bias due to biological factors, but also bias in terms of the treatment of certain cultural characteristics attributed to races.
“We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that, in the last several decades, there have been some calls for courts to interpret Title VII more expansively by eliminating the biological conception of ‘race’ and encompassing cultural characteristics associated with race,” he wrote. Title VII is of course a law that “prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion.”
Jordan continued: “As far as we can tell, every court to have considered the issue has rejected the argument that Title VII protects hairstyles culturally associated with race.”
Jordan would go on to say that a change in the definition of racial discrimination would need to take place “through the democratic process,” not through the courts. As pointed out by The Wall Street Journal, the appellate court’s judgment is in line with the ruling from U.S. District Judge Charles R. Butler Jr. in 2014, a decision that also sided against the EEOC.
A spokesman for the EEOC said that they believe both courts ruled wrong and are “reviewing our options.” However, Helgi Walker, one of the lawyers for the insurance claims processing company in question said this second ruling is a reaffirmation of the fact that employers “may establish and enforce race-neutral grooming policies.”
Marc Jacobs Offers An Explanation For His First Problematic Response
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Last week, we reported about the faux locs debacle at the Marc Jacobs show. We also mentioned that when folks called Jacobs out on his faux pas, the designer offered a response that seemed to make a bad situation worse.
You can read the full thing here; but basically he said that he doesn’t see color, love is the answer and funny how no one cries cultural appropriation when women of color straighten their hair.
Nah.
After that not-so-well-thought-out response, the internets, including this video:
I hope somebody called Marc Jacobs’ yesterday called him b/c his response to people’s concern about his comments has been shockingly bad.
— deray mckesson (@deray) September 19, 2016
Black Twitter, came for him.
Marc Jacobs really said “I don’t see color but if I diiiiid, WOC would be the real appropriators.” pic.twitter.com/HQpSg2hbaj
— TC Ivy (@BienSur_JeTaime) September 17, 2016
Marc Jacobs: “I don’t see color”
clearly. pic.twitter.com/xmBq0QEPGe
— MAKEUP ✨ (@MakeupIcon) September 17, 2016
I hope somebody called Marc Jacobs’ yesterday called him b/c his response to people’s concern about his comments has been shockingly bad.
— deray mckesson (@deray) September 19, 2016
I don’t believe Marc Jacobs had a malicious intent with the dreads, but his response was less than stellar, don’t police my hair, SIR
— bevysmith (@bevysmith) September 17, 2016
“Raggedy & Unkempt” until fashion designers like Marc Jacobs give it the OK. https://t.co/nnbJco42qb #ThatsTheIssue pic.twitter.com/gLn4AbMPCH
— JET magazine (@GetJETmag) September 17, 2016
Marc Jacobs: I don’t see color, BUT…what’s up Black women (that I don’t see of course) straightening their hair? pic.twitter.com/WG0JvhVs1e
— LEFT✍🏾 (@LeftSentThis) September 16, 2016
Once he realized he was alienating entirely too many people, Jacobs toned it all the way down and issued a less defensive response.
Obviously, he still doesn’t get the point. If I ever had the money to afford Marc Jacobs, the boycott would be on.
Veronica Wells is the culture editor for MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of “Bettah Days.”
Best Of Instagram: Free-Form Locs
Search for #freeformlocs on Instagram, and you’ll find a treasure trove of goodness – images and videos of carefree Black women and men documenting their hair growth, selfie posing, and everything in between. In any case, one thing is certain: from the way they’re shaped to the way they defy gravity, free-form locs are a thing of natural beauty. If you’re browsing through this slideshow, maybe you’ll get some ideas on how to style or maintain your own locs. Maybe you’ll simply appreciate the variety and diversity within the images. Here are some of our fave free-form loc Instagram pics.
Don’t Want To Cut Off Your Locs? Comb Them Out: 6 Things To Know Before You Do It
If you have locs, you’ve probably heard the all-too-familiar question: “So how long do you think you’re going to let them get before cutting them off?” After reaching down near your butt to signal when you will likely part ways with your locs, you probably start to wonder what life without them will be like. What styles are you going to wear again? More importantly, what will you look like with short hair if you’ve never really had a substantial haircut or big chop?
But the truth is, which I realized quite a few people didn’t know (via Instagram), is that cutting off your locs isn’t the only option available to you. It’s the easiest, of course, but if you’ve grown attached to that hair, there is a way to keep at least a large amount of it. Loc removal has grown in popularity over the years, but the truth is, it’s a tedious process. I realized this after watching my college roommate spend upwards of three weeks with her locs in a tub of deep conditioner, hacking away at them while covering what was loose and what was still matted with the biggest hat she could find to go to class. Still, the fro that was left behind after removing her locs was a pretty good size. Was it healthy? Not likely.
So after seeing people ask a wealth of questions on social media about loc removal, I reached out to gain some insight from Dr. Kari Williams, celebrity hairstylist, the creator of those goddess faux locs everyone from Meagan Good to Eva Marcille have been wearing lately, and the owner of Mahogany Hair Revolution, a natural hair salon in L.A. Here are a few things you need to be clear about before deciding to go the loc removal route.
Be prepared to do it on your own.
“It’s not really a service that is offered, Williams said. “There may be some salons, maybe specialty salons, that offer the service. But ultimately, locs are matted strands of hair that have been matting together, more times than not, for years.” With that being said, Williams noted that it’s an incredibly time-consuming process depending on how long your hair has been locking and how long your locs are.
“The reasons why salons I know of, because I know our salon doesn’t offer the service, just don’t offer it is because it can take up to a week to detangle the locs,” she said. “Again, this is matted hair we’re talking about.”
Don’t assume that your loose hair will be as long as your locked hair.
“Often times, people consider the option of combing out their locs because they’re under the impression that if they comb out the locs, their hair is going to be as long as the locs are,” Williams said. “And you know, unfortunately, in the Black community, we’re obsessed with length. So the reality is, people have to understand that locs are an accumulation–the reason they are able to get so long, is because it’s an accumulation of hair that has shed from the scalp.”
So, to be clear, she pointed out that when you comb out your locs, you will encounter a lot of hair that stayed in the loc shedding and breaking off because it’s no longer attached to the scalp. If you were hoping to drape with loose hair in the same way you had length with locs, think again.
“Combing out the locs, the length of your hair may be longer than you recalled. But, ultimately, to comb out the locs, the hair is not going to be as long as the locs.”
Be prepared for quite a few struggle strands.
Williams has had clients who’ve done loc removal on their own come in to get their hair done, and the results weren’t so pretty. Dry strands, frayed and frizzy, require a lot more work after loc removal.
“When you’re combing out the locs, the amount of friction, just from combing through that matted section, it pretty much wears and tears at the cuticle layer of the hair strand,” Williams said. “So the hair itself, after detangling this matted section, is not going to be in the greatest condition. It’s more than likely going to be extremely damaged. It’s going to require a lot of conditioning and more than likely, another cut. So again, you’re talking about cutting away length.”
She continued, “Yes, doing several conditioning treatments, a number of trims and maybe cuts, you’re able to get hair back together, but it’s really a process. It’s not like a magical, ‘Oh I combed out my locs. My hair is back in this awesome fro.’ It’s definitely a process that requires diligence and patience and like I said, a couple of conditioning treatments. You can’t completely repair that cuticle, but at least you can feel it and help it in a way where styling is easy.”
If retaining length really is that important to you, instead of loc removal, consider growing out your locs before cutting them.
As previously stated, a big reason people opt to comb out their locs is because they want to keep some of the length it took years to accrue. But there are ways to retain a good amount of it while still walking away with healthier strands.
“As you’re preparing to transition out of your locs, just allow the locs to grow out for a couple of months without retightening them,” Williams said. “Keep the hair clean, brush it back until you have a good amount of new growth–whatever you feel comfortable with. And then, just cut the loc at the point where the loc meets the loose hair. Then you’ll have length where you can transition into twists or braids or some other style that will allow you to continue to grow out your hair to a length that you feel comfortable. All that new growth is new hair, healthy hair in great condition, and you’re cutting away the matted locked hair.”
A photo posted by Allyson Nicole_Hair (@1girlabouthair) on
Be prepared to get some criticism for combing out your locs, but always do what works best for you.
Every now and then in forums about loc removal you will find someone criticizing people for going to such great lengths to retain their hair length. And while Williams isn’t crazy about people combing out their locs due to the lack of knowledge about the process and what comes after it, she isn’t here for the judgment.
“Everybody has a different face and head shape as well as dips, humps and bumps in their scalp. Short hair does not fit everyone,” she said. “It’s a matter of preference. I think we all have a right to how we prefer to wear our hair. Our hair is how we present ourselves in the world. If they don’t want to present themselves to the world with short hair, I don’t have a problem with that. But let’s talk about a plan on how you can retain some length and transition into a style you do feel comfortable with. At the end of the day, they have to feel comfortable and confident when they step out of the door. So for those passing judgment, they should hold the judgment. It’s our decision how we want to wear our hair. And it’s no one else’s business how I choose to wear my hair, or how someone else chooses to wear their hair. It’s just a matter of a process. What’s the healthiest way to transition out of locs back into loose hair if that’s what someone wants to do?”
At the end of the day, be realistic if you’re thinking about loc removal — and have good products on hand.
If you have already made up your mind that loc removal is the way you want to go instead of cutting your hair, Williams said it’s important to be prepared for the work, have the right products (for instance, the Ann Carol cleansing conditioner by Williams which “softens and helps to break down dirt and debris”) to help you do it and restore your hair, and to be realistic about what the outcome will be.
“I just want them to have the facts about the condition of the hair,” Williams said. “There are other ways they can transition out of the locs without the time-consuming, tedious process of spending up to a full week combing out their locs. And ultimately, I want them to see that they’re only able to retain half of the length of their locs and they then have to go through a month or two months of deep conditioning treatments to make sure the hair is healthy enough and just looks good.”
If you are ready for such a commitment, get to work…
Things People With Locs Are Tired Of Hearing
WENN
Locs have been around for centuries, but faux locs were a serious hair trend in 2015, continuing to make waves in 2016. Even people like Zendaya Coleman, who famously rocked them on a temporary basis, can attest to the stereotypes, misconceptions and straight up racist remarks that loc-wearers sometimes hear.
In response to Fashion Police co-host Giuliana Rancic’s comments that Coleman’s faux locs made her look like “she smells like patchouli oil or weed,” here’s what the wise-beyond-her-years starlet had to say:
“There is already harsh criticism of African-American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair. My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough.”
If you’re rocking locs on a more permanent basis, chances are you’re that much more subject to the politics of Black hair. Read on for a list of scenarios and comments that people with locs are tired of hearing.
Sanneta Myrie of Jamaica Brings Dreadlocks To The Miss World Pageant For The First Time Ever
No matter how diverse our world is, the images and standards of beauty we see in media is drastically skewed – especially at pageants.
However, this year, one contestant in the Miss World Pageant is breaking barriers and repping for the dreadlocks aficionados and naturalistas hailing from every corner and crevice of the world.
When the world saw the lineup included Sanneta Myrie, a 24-year-old doctor hailing from Jamaica, who proudly wears a crown of dreadlocks, the excitement began. For this pageant, this will be the first time someone has worn this hairstyle, with women of color usually opting for silk blowouts, voluminous weaves, or other manipulated styles.
Backstage at tonight’s Designer Award Show. Thanks UZURI International for this Red Hot creation.
A photo posted by Sanneta Myrie (@sanneta_myrie) on
Interestingly though, many ladies from Jamaica who have competed in such contests have all fiercely sported their dreadlocks to embrace their natural beauty and create a much needed conversation on why we only see one side of the spectrum when it comes to beauty. Zahra Redwood, who appeared in the Miss Universe competition in 2007, as Miss Jamaica wore the look, too. Redwood was also the first Miss Jamaica crowned of Rastafarian faith. So for her, wearing her dreadlocks was a way to break down barrier and stereotypes of her faith.
“People criticize what they don’t know or understand and develop preconceptions, and so given that, I have gone against what they’ve developed as a stereotyped,” Redwood explained. “My life has always been rooted in the arts and culture which has significantly impacted me own personal style. So even when I select glam, it has to have an ethnic twist to it,” she said to the Jamaica Observer.
Well, if anything, Redwood’s confidence has surely poured over onto Myrie and sparked something special for women of color to embrace our beauty. Last night (Dec. 19), Myrie walked away from the competition without the crown, but made the Top 5 out of more than 110 contestants.
Read Myrie’s full response to why she should be named Miss World below:
“My story is one of a little girl whose life was transformed with charity and love and my quest in life is to give that back to as many people as I can, and to inspire the world with my story, that no matter where you are from, your skin type your hair color, your situation — your dreams are valid. And I believe that beauty with a purpose embodies my quest and if I was blessed with the crown tonight, I would dedicate my essence to give back to the world in a purposeful and beautiful way with charity and love.”
Congratulations, Sanneta!
Did You Braid Your Hair Over The Weekend? How My Coworkers Reacted When They Saw My Locs For The First Time
Corbis
In my last article, I left off at the point where I had decided to no longer cover-up my locs with a wig at work. What I didn’t tell you about were the comments that I received from my coworkers (all of whom are not Black) when they saw my dreadlocks for the very first time. Here’s how it went down.
Monday Morning
I felt confident in my decision to forgo wearing a wig to work. I walked to the office with a renewed pep in my step, feeling the glow of the sun on my skin and the breeze in my hair. As the building elevator ascended to my department’s floor, I wondered what my coworkers would think of my hair. I was quickly about to find out. “Good morning,” I greeted my coworker.
Coworker 1: Ah! Oh my god!
Me: What? What happened?
Coworker 1: Your hair! It’s different!
Me: Oh… yeah, I changed it.
Coworker 1: Um… it’s cute. It’s cute.
Me: OK… thanks?
A few minutes later…
Coworker 2: Christine! You changed your hair?
Me: Yup.
Coworker 2: Did you braid your hair over the weekend to make it look like that?
Me: Mm… something like that.
A few hours later…
Coworker 3: Hey… (puzzled expression)
Me: Hey.
Coworker 3: What’s that?
Me: What?
Coworker 3: That thing in your hair.
Me: Oh that. Yeah, it’s called a hair-cuff.
Coworker 3: Hmm… I like it.
Me: Thanks.
A few minutes later…
Coworker 4: So how do you do it?
Me: Do what?
Coworker 4: Change your hair.
Me: Well, there are many ways to do it. Some people chemically straighten their hair, some clip in extensions…
Coworker 4: So was what you had last time sewn on?
Me (in my head): OMG, how does she remember all the stuff I told her last month about lace-front wigs and weaves. OMG, she’s about to expose me! Deflect – say anything!
Me: No… no.
Awkward silence.
Coworker 4: That’s really interesting. So how often do you change your hair?
Me: Whenever I get bored. You know, it’s nice to have options.
A few days later…
Coworker 5: Hey Christine, so about the… Wow! Your hair!
Me: Dude, my hair has been like this the whole week.
Coworker 5: No it hasn’t.
Me: Um, yes it has… I talked to you yesterday. Are you only noticing now that my hair is different?
Coworker 5: Really? I guess I didn’t notice. So, I see you changed it up to be more like your “homies”?
Me: Haha, what “homies” are you talking about? You’re silly.
The rest of my coworkers generally seemed to ignore the change even though I could plainly see the confusion on their faces. Thankfully, my worst fear wasn’t realized – no one tried to touch my hair.
One thing from this experience that caught me by surprise was my own reluctance to meaningfully answer my coworkers’ questions about my hair. I displayed cowardice by deflecting instead of taking the opportunity to educate my coworkers on Black hair. Although, on the other hand, I also feel that it’s unfair that the burden of educating should rest on my shoulders. Sometimes I wish that I could just pass out a copy of Chris Rock’s Good Hair documentary film whenever a non-Black person asks me about my hair.
In any case, the discomfort that I felt about not handling the questions better was soon outweighed by the comfort I gained by wearing my hair out. I’m no longer distracted by annoying wig combs and can focus better on doing my job. I feel like myself again. So overall, my big reveal went OK, although I still don’t know what to make of Coworker 1’s shriek of surprise – shade or no shade?
Surprising Life Lessons I Learned From Locking My Hair
Corbis
Beauty is, quite literally, pain as I discovered growing up as a Black female with natural 4B/4C hair. I’ve suffered the pain of sitting in salon chairs for countless hours getting my hair braided. I’ve gritted my teeth as I’ve gingerly laid my head of fresh micros onto my pillow, and anxiously awaited the painkillers to kick in. I’ve had super tight cornrows that pulled my face up so much that the mere act of blinking would shoot pain up my temples. I even once had an allergic reaction to the hair dye in my weave which incited an angry red rash and unrelenting itch all over my scalp.
Enough was enough! I finally took mercy on myself and shaved off my hair – all of it. But apparently, even a shaved head was too high maintenance for me. You see, I’m so lazy that a trip to the beauty shop every two weeks to get a trim was a far too burdensome task. So, in search of a long-term solution for low cost and low maintenance hair, I decided to lock my hair in August 2012. What I thought then was just another hairstyle I was trying out, turned out to be an amazing (and sometimes trying) journey full of unexpected life lessons. It’s only fair that I share some of these lessons with you.
Lesson #1: Patience is a Practice
Admittedly, I jumped into locking my hair without doing much research beforehand. I naively thought that I’d have mature locks after four months and that my hair would grow at an exponential rate. I hadn’t even heard about the budding stage which is arguably the worst stage of the journey because the buds are not particularly visually appealing. During this stage it wasn’t uncommon for non-dread-heads, especially, to give me unsolicited advice on how often I should re-twist my hair to “get rid of the bumps.” “No, the bumps are good!” I’d try to explain with no success. Those months were rough. Fortunately, my ignorance kept me on course because I was convinced that I was just a month or two away from mature locs.
By month six, my locs at the front still hadn’t completely locked and it was around that time that I resigned to the fact that there was no amount of salt water spray that was going to give me the quick result I’d been hoping for. I just had to wait. The act of surrendering myself to the process and patiently observing my hair transform over the subsequent months brought me to a new level of awareness in my everyday life. I became progressively in tune with my internal patience levels and how to check them.
I used to think that people were either innately patient or impatient, but I’ve since come to realize that patience is a skill that we practice over time. The front of my hair finally locked after a year and today I continue to practice patience as I wait for my hair to pass shoulder length.
Lesson #2: Embrace Change
Over the three years that I’ve had my locs, the texture of my hair has changed, the size of my locs has changed, the length of my locs has the change, the color of my locs has changed… The loc journey is a constant evolution. Each month my hair looks different and I discover new things that I can do with it. On the flipside, change also means that I lose the ability to do certain things with my hair that I used to do.
My loc journey serves as a reminder that nothing in life is permanent. Over the last three years I’ve become more optimistic in challenging times because I know that change is inevitable. My loc journey also inspires me to maximize my enjoyment of the present and to be more appreciative of what I currently have because who knows what next month will bring.
Lesson #3: Freedom
Initially when I locked my hair I was obsessed with ensuring that my parts were perfectly spaced boxes, but what I found was that the more I tried to manipulate my hair, the more I weakened my roots. I remember being up late one night researching how to fix weak locs when I honestly asked myself why I was fighting with my hair. If my hair wants to tangle, let it tangle! And so it was then that I started to semi-freeform and haven’t looked back since. My hair is at its healthiest, edges are on fleek, and finally I am free from being a slave to my hair! I no longer live in fear of pool parties and unanticipated thunderstorms, and I blissfully swim in the ocean unencumbered.
My locs are my outward expression of my desire to live a free and authentic life. When I look in the mirror, my locs challenge me to uphold my integrity in my intentions, decisions and actions. I love my locs.
The Wonders Of Black Hair: Stylist Finds Way To Create Instant Locs
Source: YouTube
I’ve been Black all my life, born with and have had vast experience with Black hair; and yet, it never ceases to amaze me.
The capabilities of Black hair are infinite.
Stylist Kris McDred, lives and works in Dubai, has just discovered another one. As a loc-ed lady, I know that the months it takes for your hair to lock can be extremely annoying. While you might expect your hair to be fully formed into perfectly coiffed locs, that is just not the reality of the situation, or it wasn’t for me. And many others. For six months, I walked around with fuzzy, two-strand twists I couldn’t wash on my own. My hair was such a mess that a full year after I’d begun the process, my younger cousin just realized what I was trying to do.
But McDred claims to have discovered a technique that claims to bypass that awkward, “I-don’t-like-my-locs” phase altogether.
He uses a rattail comb, a crochet hook and a bit of molding gel. Then he interlocks the remaining strands afterward.
Yes, it probably is as difficult as it sounds. McDred said that it takes some time to master the technique but the results are quite impressive and they just might help somebody not give up before they even get started on their loc journey.
You can watch McDred in action in the video below;
Does the ability to skip this awkward phase change your thinking about possibly getting locs? Do you believe there’s value in the process of allowing your hair to grow and lock naturally, on its own?
