The term “dreadlocks” is rooted in racism, back when British soldiers found Kenyan warriors’ locs in the 19th century dreadful, thus birthing the term. Along with that kind of dissing, many lies are associated with the hairstyle.
#1: Locs Are Unprofessional
Eurocentric workplace cultures and policies stigmatized Black hairstyles like locs as “unprofessional,” especially in the corporate world. In the 1980s, our people started fighting back against these discriminatory policies, by filing lawsuits against companies that banned hairstyles like locs.
#2: Locs Are Dirty
Locs are completely safe and easy to wash, and washing helps them grow and keeps them healthy. Locs aren’t any dirtier than any other hairstyle.
#3: People With Locs Smoke Weed
It’s a stereotype that dates back to Rastafarian culture in the 1930s, where marijuana and locs are practiced within the philosophy. However, not all rastas smoke weed or have locs, and not everyone who has locs smokes weed or is a rasta.
Our locs give us a unique identity but don’t define what we can or can’t do. We should embrace everything about ourselves and our Blackness. And remember: how we choose to wear our hair is part of who we are.