so, we're entering the last moments that mastodon has before i go on my "dreadlocks are only for black people" tirade
*drags my cigarette*
slavery, kidnapping conditions
okay here we go. so historically, dreadlocks are a hairstyle that directly comes from slavery. when my people were taken from our native lands and forced on the ships, they were crammed so tightly, they would often get drenched in each others bodily fluids. that, plus time, and general lack of access to hygiene, matted the hair of the enslaved people and created this "style"
slavery, kidnapping conditions
even in this picture, which depicts around 500 people, is an understatement. it's known now that slave ships easily had double what this shows.
when they unloaded the ships, the story goes that the slave owners mocked the state of the enslaved people's hair, and called their appearance "dreadful"
so this right here is one of the main points of why only black people have a right to wear our hair like this. it's directly a result of slavery.
other groups have matted their hair but it's not the same thing, and shouldn't be called the same thing. i'm having some trouble finding the images now, but years ago i did a deep dive and found photos of what indian and irish matted hair looks like. neither looks anything like black dreadlocks do, since they didn;t use products to manipulate their hair texture to mimic ours.
when black people first started wearing our hair in dreadlocks intentionally, it stood as a direct symbol of black pride and anti white supremacy. since we knew the white people thought it was horrible, we wore it to reclaim and have pride for the beauty of what our hair can do. it's interesting, now, that having dreadlocks still bothers white people to the point where we're barred from jobs, told to cut them in schools, and expected to upkeep them in eurocentric ways.
so it's extremely disrespectful to see a non black person with their hair "matted" calling them dreadlocks. how do you claim to be woke at all about anything if you intentionally chose a hairstyle that literally means "fuck white people" ??????? from the point of view of slavery????????
white people have asked me how to get their hair to do what mine does. they have asked me if i put wall caulk in them to "achieve the look." they have reached out and touched them without permission because they've "never seen them up close before." the whole obsession for white people with dreadlocks is so fucking weird. and when y'all do it, it looks like garbage!!!!! so whats the point?? there are so many good white people styles and you want to wear one that makes you look like an idiot
one more point i want to make is that it's really weird to have a non black person refer to my hair as "dreads" because of the direct root of where it comes from. especially white people. you're using the exact same wording as your ancestors that enslaved mine. try to just call them "locs." it feels a lot better to hear that from a white person/non black person and it makes you sound like you actually understand the history of the wording.
@senzubean Thank you for all those informations. I did'nt know all those things about that hairstyle i truly love, especially when i start making mine years ago.
I did'nt want to hurt you or somebody else when i write "dread" to refer to your hair : In France, "dread" is the short version we use instead of "dreadlocks"
And with all those thing i learn on this thread, i wont use this word from now for my entire life
I'm deeply sorry if i write something that could hurt you 🙏
@Monty you’re basically just missing the whole point.
@senzubean I'm sorry about that. It's been a while that i was in school then i miss a lot when i read english, and i think you notice how i write not so good 🤔
@Monty @senzubean If you are white, matted hair is a deeply racist offense to any Black person. Matted hair is just not for you. (IknowIknowwhitepersonsdonottakewellthattherearethingstheycannotdobutthisisthewayitis)
@carl @senzubean It less than 48 hours that i learn that fact, and you juste can't imagine how this revelation is shaking my mind and my conviction. It was not a luck i never hear any word of that in the past 6 years i start wearing this, it's privilege.
I'm really sorry for the person i potentially offense. For now, i don't know what to do : What i got on my head is still really important for myself, it mean a lot of thing about my belief and my feeling 1/2
@carl @senzubean For long, i denied myself by having the haircut somebody else say it was "for me"
Shitty hairstyle that make me feel dead inself when i stand in front of the mirror. It's still important for now plz consider it
And just don't worry if i look like an idiot, an irrespect or a bad person : It's already the same thing with my feminist ideas, the way i fall in love with girls or with my 9 year old veganism.
Real peace and deep love on all of you 💋 2/2
@carl @senzubean Bonus : After a few search, i found the french word "cadenettes" that i will use from now. Starting in my bio 😉
3/2
@Monty @senzubean Regardless of your feelings, your hairstyle is deeply offensive racist. Same as with sexist, it is not up to you to decide if something is racist (you're white) or sexist (you're male). The white male privilege you have saves you from real consequences if you simply ignore that. The price is losing contact to a part of humanity.
@Monty @senzubean So? What are your consequences now, @Monty ?
@carl What did you expect of someone you threaten a deep racist, a losin' part of his humanity and tell his feelings are shit... For free ?
Just by knowin' him though his skin shade and his haircut ?
Does anyone you talk like this already change himself immediatly ? In few days ?
@Monty I am not threatening you. You are white therefore you don't have to be afraid of anything. Your privilege protects you.
Do not put your feelings above people's humanity.
Not in a few days (although it should be IMMEDIATELY!!! "Do you expect me to stop the habit of beating people, sometimes killing them, immediately?"), but I, we, do expect the start of a process.
@carl You don't care if there is another human to the other side of the screen. The world of yours is just an absolute binary palette without any shade where you're actin as the almighty deity.
The only thing that matter for you is to crush someone you decide he deserve it with your holy-untouchable-mindfucked ideology. Exactly like those you pretend fight...
Your anger don't give you the right to act like the last dick on Earth.
I won't continue this conversation anymore.
Bye
@Monty I understand this is hard for you. But this stands against the well-being of many, many, many Black people. So the conclusion is clear.
@Monty it’s not just about the word, but i hear you. it’s the same thing here for it being shorter. but it’s just not a hairstyle that’s for non black people due to slavery as the thread says