DREADLOCKS

1. DREADLOCKS The Hair Aesthetics of Cultural Resistance and Collective Identity Formation Article by M. Bahati Kuumba and Femi Ajanaku

2. Social Movements A lot of times research on social movements tends to look only at rebellions and revolutions. Others believe that “everyday contestations against perceived injustices” are more common and deserve to be looked at

3. Culture Ways in which culture is used negatively: Cultural genocide Hegemony Ways in which culture is used positively: Resisting oppression Striving for liberation

4. Cultural Resistance “A coherent set of values, beliefs and practices which mitigates the effects of oppression and reaffirms that which is distinct from the majority culture.” For groups being oppressed, the survival of their culture depends on the marginalized group’s resistance.

5. What is dreading? “…letting naturally kinky/curly hair knit into strands that elongate to varying lengths.” First worn by Rastafarians in 1950s and 1960s to show they were opposed to the “colonial aspects” of their lives 1970s: other Africans adopt the tradition At first only worn by “radical fringe,” later many African Americans will wear their hair like this 1990s: dreads become even more popular, but are losing their association with social movements

6. Four Phases of Dreadlocks Rastafarian African Nationalist/Pan-Africanist Fringe Broadened Counter-Hegemonic Transitional

7. Rastafarian Phase Time Period: Mid 1950s – mid 1970s Rastifarian movement in Jamaica Class movement Racial movement Several things influenced social movement: Crowning “Black” emperor of Ethiopia Anti-colonial struggles in Africa US Civil rights & black power movements Against transitional companies in Jamaica Rastafarians saw freedom fighters with long and matted hair. They saw a similarity between them and themselves and adopted the hair-style. Used dreadlocks to say that they “do not wish to be accepted or respected if this means conforming to [wider society’s] criteria.” (Clarke 1986: 90)

8. Dreadlock Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2wmY-mykh4 Celebrity Bob Marley talking about the importance of Dreadlocks to Rasta’s and his opinion of other people wearing dreadlocks

9. African Nationalist/Pan-Africanist Fringe Phase Time Period: Mid 1970s – mid 1980s Rastafarian ideals introduced to other Africans through reggae music (IE Bob Marley & Peter Tosh) “…dreadlocks became symbolic accompaniment to their emerging African pride and resistance to the U.S. Social structure and hegemonic culture.”

10. Broadened Counter-Hegemonic Phase Time Period: Mid 1980s – early 1990s More awareness about African liberation Grenadian revolution Antiapartheid movement Afrocentric ideologies More variety in African American counter-hegemonic practice Revolutionary pan-Africanism Cultural nationalism Black feminism Black Marxists Black gays and lesbians

11. Transitional Phase: Time Period: Early 1990s – present Little social movement ? less meaning in the wearing of dreadlocks More people of African descent are wearing their hair in dreadlocks today than before, but not for social reasons. Reasons why they do it include: Fashion industry Media Music Positive aspects: Style Fashion Negative aspects: Association with drugs Association with violence Activists believe that people wearing dreadlocks simply for the way it looks are taking away from the social link that they once had.

12. Dreads Dreadlocks were first worn by the Rastafarians in the 1950's and 1960's to show that they were against colonial aspects of their lives. In the 1970's, other Africans adopt the tradition. In the 1990's, dreadlocks became more popular, but also lose their association with social movements.

13. Dreadlocks Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5nFPwTEA4Q Look at what effect dreadlocks had in his workplace Discrimination Resistance

14. What is dreading? Dreads can be any size or color

15. Pictures

16. M. Bahati Kuumba Kuumba's study used 4 different methodologies: 1. Self-administered surveys 2. Semi-structured in-depth interviews 3. Informal interviews 4. Focus group

17. The details Kuumba got 52 people to interview and study by way of snowball sampling and convenience techniques. These people were all of African descent and growing dreads. Their ages ranged from 10 to 55 years old. They were found in various location such as political and cultural events, Afrocentric vendors and shops, concerts, and neighborhood streets. Their dreads were grown varying from 2 weeks to 15 years! Most of the 52 people were born in the US. 35 out of the 52 were female.

18. The respondents For many of the people, dreads still formed a "linkage between movement ideology and personal experience" (Kuumba 151) They grew their dreads for these 3 reasons: -1. Boundary demarcation -2. Consciousness -3. Negotiation

19. Boundary Demarcation The Boundary Demarcation showed 2 main boundary lines drawn by growing dreads. They are 1. Between African and non-African and 2. Between oppression and liberation. Many of the 52 people associated their dreadlocks with -"Africa" -"Being African“ -"identity with African heritage" -"tying me to an African past" -"a way of affirming my African identity" and " an expression of our link to both Africa and to our ancestors“ (Kuumba 151)

20. Boundary Demarcation According to one respondent, dreads signify who is "in" and who is "out." "...dreadlocks place me firmly within African heritage and outside of the Western heritage. Dreads signify rebellion and resistance to the pressure to conform to society's image of what women should look like." (Kuumba 152)

21. Consciousness Consciousness is the "interpretive frameworks that emerge from a group's struggle to define and realize members' common interests in opposition to the dominant order." (Kuumba 152) Almost 2/3rds of the respondents gave political or cultural reasons, such as the Black Power and African liberation for growing their dreads.

22. Consciousness For many respondents, dreads were associated with social movements and/or resistance Respondents felt that there were standards that went along with having dreadlocks that they needed to live up to.

23. Dreadlocks symbolize: Freedom Liberation Pride Resistance Self-determination Self-liberation Political activism

24. Dreadlocks hairstyle represents: African Identity Culture Heritage Refusal to conform Revolutionary statement against the system Political & cultural statement Going against Eurocentric hair beauty image

25. Dreadlock Facts Today there are more people wearing dreadlocks than there have been since their emergence in contemporary culture 50 years ago The reasons for growing dreadlocks today are much more varied than on times of the past Dreadlocks are less likely to be associated with specific social movements

26. Current Trend Dreadlocks are a current trend due to the commercialization of dreadlocks Wider market for dreadlock products Ex. How to do manuals, styling shops Influenced by friends, relatives & celebrities More of a fashion statement now than a conscious political statement

27. Kuumba & Ajanaku say, “Dreadlocks may very well be the important function of linking different phases of counterhegemonic social movement through the intergenerational transmission of oppositional ideas and practices”

28. Word Search Competition Work with the person next to you, the first group to find 10 words wins a prize

29. Discussion Questions How many people in this class have had dreads? Why? How many people in this class have ever thought of growing dreads? Why?

30. Discussion questions When you hear the word dreadlocks, what comes to mind? Today, more people grow dreads than ever before...does that mean there are more social movements? Do Caucasian people grow dreads to represent African heritage?

31. Dreadlocks Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RHnyQzupTo The current trend… Dreadlocks as a fashion statement

32. Question 1: Which of the following is not one of the four phases of dreadlocks? Rastafarian African nationalist/ Pan-Africanist Fringe Bahamian Broadened Counter-Hegemonic Transitional

33. Question 2: What is cultural resistance? A coherent set of values, beliefs and practices which mitigates the effects of oppression and reaffirms that which is distinct from the majority culture Fighting against the government Rebellion against Caucasians Resistance to becoming Americanized

34. Question 3: Dreadlocks Symbolize all the following except? Freedom Liberation Pride Resistance Violence

35. Question 4: How was this research conducted (choose 2 answers)? Interviews Existing sources Observation Active Experiment Surveys

36. Question 5: The dreadlock hairstyle represents all the following except? Culture Heritage Refusal to conform Slavery