Young, Black, and Dreaded: A Brief History of Dreadlocks In The U.S.

One would assume that matted and twisted hair has no place in an age where the cosmetology industry makes billions marketing a multitude of shampoos, conditioners, and treatments dedicated to detangling and straightening hair. Yet many prominent men and women alike including musicians and athletes sport matted coils of hair. In some cultures, the hairstyle is considered divine, adopted only by the most pious of holy men.

The hairstyle we have come to know as dreadlocks is pretty standard within the African American community, but the hairstyle has been observed across times and cultures dating back to ancient Egypt. Many archaeological explorations have uncovered sculptures of Egyptian men and women wearing locks and wig locks. Some unearthed Egyptian tombs have revealed mummified remains locked hair. Dreads bear spiritual significance in many different religious traditions. Holy men such as shamans, men or woman who commune with spirits or deities, have been known to wear dreads. Sadhu and Sadhvis, Hindu holy men and women, wear dreads as a sign of their abstinence from vanity.

But the introduction of dreadlocks into Western culture comes by way of the Reggae and Rastafarians. The Rastafarians or "Rastas" are a religious group founded primarily in Jamaica who worship the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie as God incarnate or the Second coming of Jesus Christ. It is said that they integrated the hairstyle into their lifestyle when photos of the Mau Mau insurgents who wore "dreaded (feared) locks of hair" surfaced in Jamaican newspapers, but some have traced the hairstyle even earlier within Rastafari culture. Rastas cite Biblical references for not cutting their hair such as Leviticus 21:5:"They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh." In  fact, Rastas believe the comb, razor, and scissor to be instruments of oppressions by "Babylon", the world system in opposition to God. To the Rastas, dreads symbolize wisdom, patience, and their spiritual journey. Rastas identify so heavily with dreadlocks that a "dread" or "natty dread" commonly refer to Rastas.

The Rasta movement gained significance not only as a religious movement, but as a Afro-centric rebellion against western values and structures. The movement emerged when a white elite dominated every aspect of Jamaican society which mean that upward social mobility could only be attained through identifying with the elite. Many Jamaicans, most of which were former African slaves, abandoned their African heritage in hopes of making a better life for themselves. This meant low cut hair, shaved faces, suits and other western style attire were the only way to receive any recognition from the ruling class. The Rastafarians not only rejected this structure but also empowered their fellow blacks turn back to their African heritage. Dreadlocks are an outward expression of this rebellion.

Though dreadlocks have been stripped of there spiritual significance in mainstream western culture, they remain a powerful visual of this legacy rebellion and a spiritual journey.

Though dreadlocks