White People Wearing Dreadlocks

Dread Starter Kits for White People

Ah'ight.  P said I spoke on the "Pink Elephant" in my previous post.  But now I'm going to speak on the "Florescent Green Orangutan" chillin in the corner with the light blue FUBU jersey.  Yup, White dudes with Dreads, dreadlocks, locks or whatever you want to call them.  I have a female friend who calls them "Mad-locks."

I really don't know where this topic fits in my blog, but I'm going to fit it...

To keep it simple, I've always felt like we as African-Americans have a challenging road to travel when it comes to defining our culture in a unique fashion.  In many ways we had to re-create our culture, salvage it, research it, and even start from scratch.  Nonetheless, we've been creative and successful in setting trends and implementing cultural lifestyle.

Now, I live on this land-locked island adjacent to the Oakland rainforest called "Berkeley." So I have a feeling that my sightings of White people with dreadlocks might be overwhelmingly lopsided compared to other North American bungalows...

But what I do know is that I do see a lot of White people sporting Dreads, and I have always thought "Why?"

I've always seen it as White people trying to be part of Black culture.  Then again, are Dreads part of Black culture?  Whether they are or not, I've always compared White people's quest for dreads with Black people's quest for_______________(?)  Hmmmm.......I guess that blank is still empty.

I'm saying I've never known Black people to flock to Ozzy Osbourne concerts...  Which brings up another issue I have with White dreadies:

Back in the 90's I used to love going to Parliament concerts.  I'm saying, I grew up funk and it's one of my favorite genres of music (Actually, is there any other?).   But when the Grateful Dead stopped touring in 1995 I noticed an immediate influx of "Dead Heads" or White Hippies with dreads at the P-Funk show(?).

And then one show I noticed that there was a group of Dead Heads in the middle of the floor burning patchouli.  I was hella mad.  "This ain't no Grateful Dead show," I thought.  And shouldn't you be required to wear shoes if you're gonna go to a concert?

Man I was hella mad.  I'm still mad.  In fact, I ain't seen the Mother Ship land since and I cain't stand the smell of patchouli.

Anywayz, I'm just amazed at how diligent White folk can be when it comes to emulating Black culture.  I used to get really upset to see White folks with dreads, but after I peeped this site about this White dude and his "Dread Lock Starter Kit", I'm entertained.  Actually I had to wipe the tears from my eyes and I'm almost moved to use the "N" word here.  Instead, I'll just simply call him "CRAZY"

Comments

[BlackPower]

man dreads are only for afro decendants. our hair was meant for it.. just like white people have their styles, we can do the same--without chemicals..

but one day they'll learn. i hate all these dread websites with these whites only like they're trying to take something from us and make it ugly on their dog hair.. but thats what whites are good at "stealing." haha and they call us theives..

[T-man]

Way to be racist asshole

[.]

I'v never in all my life heard so many black/white/whatever people being so racist , but since you started it... In actual fact WHITE yes WHITE people originated DREADLOCKS, rastamen invented the word dreadlocks and ofcourse is their culture ,so why do black people who are not rastafarian think they have the right to wear dreads but not anyone else? anyway... Celts (WHITE PEOPLE) Germanic tribes (WHITE PEOPLE) and Vikings (WHITE PEOPLE) wore dreads long before any africans did. So at the end of the day being part German myself means that the Roots of dreads is just as much mines as any black person.
Thank you.
(P.s- you guyz are doing a really good job of making black people look very racist towards anyone else... nice work cunts)

[Paul]

What a bunch of racist bullshit... It's people like you that are widening the color gap in this country. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for talking this poison! Your words are only designed to seperate. Grow the fuck up and evolve. We're all walking the same earth...

[admin]

Is it really racist to observe your culture being imitated by others and to actually be sorta bothered by it?

Let me guess, you belong to a race that didn't have their culture stripped.

In all it doesn't matter, because while your mad at this post and other responses to it, it's the TRUTH. And the truth has no color.

It's was not racist of the most admirable and sincere dpm aka "don't push me" to express his thoughts. I'm saying, whether you want to believe it or not, a lot of Black people with dreads feel the same way as dpm and there are a lot of white people that would agree with him.

These are his thoughts. His truth reflected from his reality as a black man with dread locks. How many of you can relate to that?

Anyone? Anyone?...

and by the way, you'd be surprised at how many people find this site via the google search: "white people with dreadlocks."

The world is intrigued. Entertained. Embarrassed.

So is your answer to such "racist bullshit" to stop black people from laughing at white dread locks?

You can't handle the truth.

And to the dude that said Germanic tribes created dreadlocks... Thanks for the laugh. I guess we're supposed to think that Germans exited before ancient African... Particularly the Masai?.

[Topps]

i dont have dreadlocks and im not very good at english either but why can't everyone be just as they want to? everyone is special

[Kunga-La]

What color is the Universe?
We are all connected !

Love,Kunga

[HIMson]

'your culture, our culture'... the critics are the joke here. How many of these 'black' women straighten their hair? I will tell you that I live in a very ethnically mixed neighborhood and every 'black' woman I see has straight hair... are they trying to be white?! I bet the 'black' women here even have straight hair. The other point is that Rasta's believe deeply in Jah livity and that is something that cannot be held as a cultural commodity, if it is truth, it must be for everyone... open your mind and set yourself free.

I thought the rastafarians got the notion of locks from the indian sadhu men... indians made it to jamaica, right? While african descendant people have hair that locks up easier than anybody, pretty much all hair will lock up on its own if left alone... doesn't even take particularly poor hygeine!

[Emmanuel Wesley]

Man, fuck everybody who made bullshit comments. Yall motherfuckers need to get educated quick. First of all, if a white person wants to get dreads then let him or her do their thing. They just trying to express themselves. Yeah black people been doing dreads for the longest and yeah black people's hair naturally locks up but that don't mean it's our shit! Y'all niggas need to quit hatin on the white man! In fact... it was the Asian-indian people who first started wearing locks and they did it for spiritual reasons because they wanted to be closer to God, and like my homeboy said in a earlier comment- in the bible samson had locks and he wasn't black. Oh.. and all you fuckers who said that white peoples dreads look like shit, open your eyes!! there are many white people with dreads that look better than blacks so quit hatin. All of this is coming from a black man who has dreadlocks and just wants everyone else in the world to grow up. The style doesn't belong to anyone. It's an expression and anyone can express themselves!!

[admin]

I don't get it(?)..... You want every one to grow up, but you express yourself like a rude teenager... Nigga pleaze. Lemme guess. You got a white girlfriend with dreads, right?

[Layla]

I think you struck up a good point. But on some parts I disagree with you. It's true, some white people should just leave dreads alone, but artists (such as musicians) aren't they aloud to express themselves? I listen to a band called 10 Years where the lead singer has dreadlocks, but his looks really good. I think if you are into to some form of art and you make that desicion, it's fine. Now don't get me wrong, I'm black and I get angry sometimes when I see "ghetto" white boys running around saying "nigga!" Since when were they aloud to call us that again! Next I expect someone getting lynched somewhere! If white people have a strong spiritual personality and are expressing themselves, not just making(or trying to make)a fashion statement, they should be able to do so.

[Lee]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA... This is classic theres so many indirect racial outbursts. I'm white, just to let you all know, as it seems to be an issue of some sort lol, and to be honest i'm a little upset reading through this long, almost taunting list of comments. Dreadlocks aren't black culture, a hairstyle or anything thats popular in a certain country doesn't really mean that its theirs does it!? Thats like saying oooo England has alot of shops named ASDA, i no we'll make it part of our culture... Erm... NAH MATE!!! i dont want a shop that sells things at a stupidly high prices to fat people just because their to hungry to shop around, being anything to do with me or where i come from thanks mate!!! As well i like my own culture, Inbetween 1408 and 1945 Britian was involved in 75 wars, which is a pretty good number of wars when you consider one of them was the 100 YEARS WAR!!!! (there you learn something new every day!) Don't get me wrong, i appreciate that alot of caucasian people with the ould dreadies look... well... Ouch! But people as a whole can't wait to get stuck into things and unfortunatly they dont do their homework, or worse they do the DIY option! Never a good Thing!!! About to enter the year 2007 we're a bit past steriotypes i'd hoped! I have had dreads i had them put in a shop called Talking heads, a black hairstyling salon. The women in there didnt even no how to do them, i had to tell her on the spot for 6 hours, as when she started to do them, i noticed she was giving me twists..? So this leads me to believe dreads to be more a universal hairstyle than a strictly black thing... Oh and she F*cked my hair up Something chronic!!! it took me 6 hours at home a pot of the ould knoty boy and a hell of a loada patience to sort them out... after three weeks of constant lovin' and attention they looked mint, sound as a pound! Everyone one and their dog said so, and yea lol some of these people were black, oh my god, No WAY!!! The local Gospel church drummer who i know from drum lessons said i looked like preditor (random as ya like, but an ego boost non the less!) and would not leave me alone. Dreads are quality, i love the pants off them, GOOD ONES THAT IS, so black, white, asian, eskimo, sea monkey, i dont give a rats arse As long as you look in the mirror and can honestly say "My head is lookin' shit hot!" don't fret about your skin, your lifestyle or anything else people through at you (people should no better!) just think it could be worse, i could have gone out and spent my hard earned cash on a gun...

[Lee]

Oh yea and to quote your condescendingly toned post...
"I've always seen it as White people trying to be part of Black culture. Then again, are Dreads part of Black culture? Whether they are or not, I've always compared White people's quest for dreads with Black people's quest for_______________(?) Hmmmm.......I guess that blank is still empty."

I think the blank space is probably the word... BLING mate!!! ;)

Because last time i checked Jah wasn't wearing any diamond encrusted watches, Yet the nasty white people have been sporting (as so many people have so rightly put it) the gold braclets and watches for quite some time now!

[admin]

Lee,

I was trying to read your comment, but I'm unable to get past your quote of "Dreadlocks aren't Black culture..."

I can only imagine what foolery you ranted afterwards...

[Nikki]

im white, and i have dreads,im not a hippy, and it wasnt just african americans that wore locks,it wasnt rasti's eather, anyway im a spiritual person, i beleive my dreadlocks somhow made me more of a spiritual person too. i mean how do you know that this was part of your culture anyway? i mean im not saying it ours eaither.. i dont think its anyones really, cuz i dont think anyone really knows.. it was probably adopted from everywhere, just like everything else is, and im proud of my dreadlocks!

[Deb]

I'm a white woman and I've thought about dread locks. I looked at a sight that showed white people how to start theirs and something told me it wasn't right. It's just not right. So a white person spends a day in her house watching TeeVee locking her hair with products and wax or whatever, and then at the end of the day she has locks- but it doesn't seem like she really... earned them. I don't even know what that means, but something in my gut tells me that white people locking their hair like that- I don't know, it seems unethical or something.
Sure everyone does their thing. But I guess we all have to make sure we stay true. Then again, it's just freakin hair... but then again, again, it's kind of not.

I don't know- if I ever do grow dreads, I'll do just that- GROW THEM. If they grow, then they grow and if they don't then they don't. I'll savor the process, whatever it ends up to be.

One more thing, that guy you all are making fun of- he doesn't look any older than 16. He's a kid, be kind.

I see it as a crystallization of our own novelty.

There's a great deal more to it then most people would like to put forth.

Yeah, sometimes it's a fashion thing.
Sometimes it’s an imitation thing.

But sometimes it's just soul.
Seeping outside our heads.

I think that if there is an issue of "black" "white" it's because some black people assume that honkey can't have an immense spiritual presence like them.

but we're all people here man. Some of just dig being groovier than others.

so yeah, I want dreads.
and it's not because I see black people walking about

It's because I want to try something diffrent.

Oh this is all so ridiculous. It's so completely ethnocentric and you all create a dividing line when you try to make the distinction between what's right or wrong in black and white culture. It is your own racism that keeps you all inside your black culture and stopping everyone else from entering. And so what, you are going to put shame on someone for accepting you, despite a difference in race? How will that change anything?

I have dreads, I'm not a dirty hippie. I shower and wash my hair practically everyday. So don't try to classify me. Sure I listen to rap and hiphop and reggae and whatever. But primarily I'm a punk and there's one thing at the core of punk culture and that's unity. Yeah, unity, unity, unity. And no, we're not all a bunch of drunk/high middle class white kids. We're living in poverty trying to make sense of it all and you know what, there are a hell of a lot of black kids standing with us.

So fuck your closed-mindedness. If you're going to claim that there is no white culture to be had, then you've got a lot of learning to do. This is all just a display of how ignorance knows no race. If you'll test that then you only prove it.

[dj]

Im white and i have dreadlocks, because I anti-materialistic, and believe there are more important things to focus on then maintainance of hair, and because of this, my hair has dreaded... i dont think its a 'black' hair style, sence it happens natually, but i do agree, and get angry when i see white people wearing them as a trend, and mostly agree with you. if youd like to discuss this further my email is Davejgreene@gmail.com

[Dj]

that should say that if anyone wears it as a trend, not just white people.

[Lauren]

okay, you obviously chose the worse pictures you could find on the internet,cause i know some white people who have amazing dreads.

[D]

Comments saying one race can't do this and cant do that is what fuels racism.. Just about all cultures and races alike have adopted things from one another how big or how small they are in the end who really cares... I know only pathetic critical haters who contribute to the problems we have in the world today

[Youssef]

All hair dreads if combs aren't used; coiled or straight, washed or neglected. Every culture has had them at some point: Arabs, Africans, Chinese(not sure about other oriental countries, but philipinos have really taken to them), European and Indians. People have different reasons for getting dreadlocks, some of European heritage may have deeper reasons for it than Africans or Caribbeans and vice versa.
If someone wants dreads, nothing should stop them, whether their reasons are "true" or not.Instead of singling out an entire race.. you should offer advice and teach the meanings dreadlocks hold to you and your race/culture; educate people, let them know the various reasons for getting 'em and the commitment they are letting themselves into. Encourage them, support them, help them through the hardships every dread encounters; the whole unruly hair stage, pressure put on by society, falls in self-esteem etc. Let it strengthen bonds and unite people.

[erin]

there's a war going down between my brothers tonight

I don't want no war going down tonight

civilization ha I call it as I see it

I call it bullshit you know I still cannot believe it

our evolution now has gone the way of hate

a world evolved resolved in this stupid fate

stop this... war!

all so different yeah I say were all the same

all caught you know in the division game

self destruction fast impending like a bullet

no one can stop it once its fired no one can control it

a final word, wait it's not a call to action

we ain't no sect, no this ain't no fucking faction

unity, unity you've heard it all before

this time its not exclusive we want to stop a war

unity as one stand together

unity evolutions gonna come