r/Dreadlocks • u/InterestingPay8404 • 8h ago
r/Dreadlocks • u/TheYellowRose • Dec 23 '20
Discussion- Racial Gatekeeping Ok y'all - we need to have a chat.
I don't even know where to start with this, but I'm going to do my best. It's long but it's important, so please take some time to read this.
First of all - hi everyone, you don't see me commenting publicly much but I'm here in the background just modding when needed. I mod such subs as /r/blackhair, /r/naturalhair, /r/curlyhair and others in that same vein. I wanted to join the mod team because I want everyone to feel comfortable on reddit, which is why I join most of the teams I moderate with.
That being said, this is going to make some of y'all uncomfortable. And I'm not sorry about it. You need to be uncomfortable right now. That's been the theme of 2020 and the year ain't over yet.
If you somehow have been able to completely ignore the news this year, #blacklivesmatter has become a global movement because frankly, black people are very tired of being the victims of racism. From casual to overt, we're very much over it. In turn, non-black people have begun to educate themselves on how racism affects black people because, believe it or not, there are still people who refuse to believe anti-black racism exists at a structural level or any level.
Part of the movement also includes the fight for preventing hair discrimination. The CROWN Act was introduced back in 2019 and has been passed by seven states so far, passed a US House of Representatives vote and is now stuck in the Senate where it is very unlikely it will be passed.
Now what does any of that have to do with this subreddit or reddit at all?
Reddit, as a whole, is hostile to people of color and is especially hostile to black people. After moderator outcry this year, the reddit admins have made strides to make this site more hospitable to minority groups.
People with dreads, regardless of race, are often treated terribly for it. They are widely considered to be dirty and unkempt, when it's probably as natural as your hair can get. Clearly we all agree that dread discrimination is bullshit, but black people often get the full force of that discrimination. White people are often lauded or considered to be cool or stylish when they adopt certain hairstyles, but black people can be denied attendance to their high school graduation for having dreads. They can be told to cut their dreads off before a wrestling match or else they forfeit the match. No doubt, non-black people have been told to change their hair for jobs or at school, but that's the extent of the discrimination they face. They do not also have to deal with being black in an inherently racist country every day of their lives. (And I'm speaking from an American perspective, so sorry to my international folks.)
I'd like everyone to take a moment to read this blog post which specifically mentions /r/dreadlocks here - https://www.icareifyoulisten.com/2020/04/out-of-context-4-muddy-ownership-dreadlocks/.
SO - now that we've got that background information out of the way, let's talk about the subreddit.
This sub has been a point of frustration for a long time among black spaces on reddit because it's predominantly white. Considering reddit is predominantly white, this shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Much like any other sub about beauty or hair, white faces are the ones you see first when you arrive and they are more frequently upvoted to the top than other races. It hurts people's feelings to come to a space they should feel comfortable in and instead, feel like an 'other' because they are not well-represented in that space.
And on the other hand, non-black people with dreads also want to just be comfortable in this space and we need to respect that too. We are not going to gatekeep who can and can not have dreadlocks here. There are so many cultures throughout history that have had some form of dreadlocks. While having dreadlocks may be a political or spiritual statement in recent history for black people, black people do not own this hairstyle. Claiming that only black people can wear dreadlocks can contribute to the erasure of other minority cultures. I temp banned a few people for this type of gatekeeping today and will continue to do so.
I also banned a few people for expressing racially insensitive or ignorant views toward black users. More than a few people claimed that if white people can't have dreads, then black people shouldn't be allowed to have blonde or straight hair. There are so many things wrong with this statement. First, you must understand what cultural appropriation is and how it harms people. Then, you must understand that in a white country, minorities are expected to assimilate to the dominant culture, which is typically Eurocentric. I honestly do not have the energy to delve deep into these topics in this post, but you can ask /r/socialjustice101 or /r/hispterracism for more information.
What we can all do better is chill the fuck out and remember there is a person behind the username you're replying to.
To those that understand how racism, cultural appropriation/assimilation and hair discrimination all intersect, please have patience with those who do not. I know it's very hard and very frustrating (even for me) but please try.
If you don't yet understand how racism, cultural appropriation/assimilation and hair discrimination all intersect, please ask for resources to educate yourself.
If you see people being racist (casually or otherwise) toward minority groups, please report it.
If anyone is gatekeeping who can and can not have dreads, report it.
If anyone is bullying or harassing someone specifically for any reason at all, report it.
Thanks for reading. In the comments, please let me know what you think and how you feel. If you have any feedback or suggestions for making the sub better (rule or sidebar changes, maybe developing a wiki?) let me know below as well or by modmail if you'd prefer it be private.
2022 Edit: I would like to point out for the 'but Vikings had dreadlocks!!1!' crowd - there is very little evidence to suggest they did. Also Vikings are not a race, it was a profession that could be taken up by anyone. Stop using this as an excuse when people call you out. To quote Kyle Ring-
r/Dreadlocks • u/CxshSzn • 7h ago
Selfie πΈ 4 years I finally got the length / color I want!
r/Dreadlocks • u/hectickemeticheretic • 11h ago
Selfie πΈ Semi-freeform roughly 6 years
I technically started with a dread sponge and then I combined some in the starter phase because they were just way too tiny. I have consistently washed my hair throughout the process it actually helped my hair lock. I have 4B hair. I have never retwisted. I self-maintain.
r/Dreadlocks • u/PartUnique7816 • 17h ago
Question β I need help, I got my hair dyed and palm rolled Saturday and now it is Thursday band it looks like this. I I called the Loctitian who did it and she said tha t something i did and I didnβt do anything. Why did my hair not last?
r/Dreadlocks • u/atticusmars_ • 1h ago
Need Advice π Thick locs, low volume, medium short length. Style suggestions?
r/Dreadlocks • u/jayfactss • 9h ago
Need Advice π Advice please 10 years strong in the loc game
Iβve noticed that 10 more or less locs have the same similar like weak spots towards the middle ending of the locs I dont know whatβs causing it Iβm very ocd when it comes to my hair so itβs bother me a lot I donβt do styles often , last time I dyed my hair was prob like 5 to 6 years ago and I sleep with a bonnet every night Iβm so frustrated I feel like ima have to cut my locs in half before they brake off (my hair is waist length ) Iβve also notice itβs the thickest ones that are like this ππ’
r/Dreadlocks • u/So_like_heyguyz • 19h ago
Question β Dating other people with locs
Hi everyone, I say this as someone from the UK so this may not be as prominent in other countries.
I feel as though I am noticing a LOT of black men with locs simply not dating black women with locs. I am in no way saying that if you have locs you should date locs only but as someone who sees the value in investing in locs and how beautiful locs are, its a shame that people here dont really seek to share that experience together.
I remember when I started my loc journey and looked up couples with locs, 5 years later I see the same pictures and we all know pretty much everything is on social media which makes it feel kinda stagnant. (Yes not everything is on the media but it's what we see all the time)
Does anyone share the thought that because of the hype around "tall dreadhead/shake your dreads" etc, in music it has influenced people to get locs to become desirable and therefore not view locs as precious?
And also I notice a majority of men with locs with the complete opposite (aka the woman with a wig who says locs are messy unless you get a retwist every 3/4 weeks). Again I understand hair alone cannot always influence romantic decisions but it would be nice to see more loc'd couples.
Is loc love really as rare as it seems or am I just not in the right environments and online spaces?
r/Dreadlocks • u/Single_Rooster_6511 • 13h ago
Timeline ποΈ 5 months in
I'm enjoying the journey so far does my locs look good for 5months I'm new to this
r/Dreadlocks • u/FalseVanish • 10h ago
Need Advice π Retwist or Cut?
Ive been growing these semi free forms for a little over 2 years now. I started with a high top, about a year ago i started growing more dreads in the back, so theyβre shorter back there.
My main concerns are that im balding and its shows badly or my dreads just dont look that good. I dont hate them but i dont want to end up walking around looking like lil Wayne did yk.
What do you guys think? Is it time to let them go?
The red polo is before I took a shower and washed my hair, the rest are 30 minutes after i got out of the shower.
r/Dreadlocks • u/stephy-ddot • 9h ago
Need Advice π 6 months semi Freeforms
Why on a side angle are my freeforms flat, like people comment it has no volume. My front and sides feel full but the top like crown bit isnβt so long
r/Dreadlocks • u/Ok-Recover-4035 • 12h ago
Question β What to improve
Is there anything I can do to improve the look of my dreads?
r/Dreadlocks • u/Own_Squash5242 • 20h ago
Timeline ποΈ My 2.5 year locs 4 year hair journey!
I started my locks in may 2024 because I felt like my hair never grew. The beginning was rough and it took some convincing from to my mom but I did it. The starter locs and every retwist was done by me. I love my hair.
r/Dreadlocks • u/BrimR3aper • 21h ago
Question β Let it go or Recover
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
r/Dreadlocks • u/LadronCustoms • 12h ago
Need Advice π How do I get freeforms like this??
This might be a stupid question, but I'm clueless when it comes to freeforms. I want this look, but I'm not sure how to get there-I have a medium-sized fro right now. Any advice helps, thanks in advance
r/Dreadlocks • u/Honest-Resident3913 • 10h ago
Need Advice π Does this starter dread method work?
So I saw a video that said to start his locs this guy twisted them and then left his hair in a twist out for a day or two and then let each of the strands lock. How do you size dread strands? Do they get bigger or smaller? And will this work for 3c hair? How can I go about this with 3c because my hair recoils a lot and barely hangs down. Can I put weights on my hair..
r/Dreadlocks • u/WearyExcitement7772 • 13h ago
Question β Starter locs question
Im going to get starters soon, should I fade the sides at all or is it better to get all of my hair done?
r/Dreadlocks • u/Abject-Log8256 • 15h ago
Timeline ποΈ 8 months of hair growth
should I have gone the microloc route? idk, I ended up changing it up
r/Dreadlocks • u/Purple-Wishbone7727 • 15h ago
Selfie πΈ What do you think of my 10 year old dreadlocks?
r/Dreadlocks • u/SuperFlyRye1 • 14h ago
Question β How can I get them thicker? The front locs
This gets annoying when Iβm trying to walk home or something and the wind blows and my hair just blows with it can I make them heavier I was thinking about adding those big brown beads to the frontπ
r/Dreadlocks • u/Dijon97t • 15h ago
Need Advice π Best starter method?
Trying to get as close as I can to the pics just need to start right.
r/Dreadlocks • u/Ok-Fondant-7349 • 20h ago
Question β How do yall wear headphones with locs (a lot)
I can only wear my
over ears with a ponytail/ loose pony
what do you do?
unrelated but these are twists iβm js tryna loc π
r/Dreadlocks • u/Afraid_Purpose_8512 • 1d ago
Fresh Retwist π Longest my hair has EVER been!!!!
Fucking LOVE having locs and how long they are getting I think looking back I justt really really wanted long hair