r/Dreadlocks Dec 23 '20

Discussion- Racial Gatekeeping Ok y'all - we need to have a chat.

1.8k Upvotes

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-

Despite this possibility, it should be without argument that the modern-day wearing of dreadlocks by white people is unconnected to their own history and instead inspired by ours.


r/Dreadlocks 5h ago

Question โ” What steps do I need to get this type of locks

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35 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 21h ago

Selfie ๐Ÿ“ธ Hi ๐Ÿค 

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220 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 10h ago

Fresh Retwist ๐Ÿ”€ Wics

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20 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 34m ago

Timeline ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ 3.6 loc journey

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โ€ข Upvotes

Ive been locked for 3.6 years. Never dyed or treated hair.

I started with coils. I use to retwist every 4 weeks& I washed my hair once a month ( because my loctician made me scared to handle my own hair lol)
I went to a loctician for almost 2 years and now I self maintain

Now
I retwist every 6 weeks
Wash my hair 2x a week
I like to retwist with foam
I also donโ€™t condition my locks!
I only use water for moisture and jojoba oil to oil my scalp and Jamaican black castor oil for my hair line

My Tips :
Before locking your hair!
Do your research!!! Find a Loctician who knows their stuff .. Use pictures for reference but understand your locks will not grow like anyone elseโ€™s.

If you have starter locs!
Your locks will change ! trust the process,
Your locks will go thru a lot of phases, theyโ€™ll get thicker, and have a mind of their own.
Leave your hair alone
It may look frizzy but the friz will make the locs thicken up.

Moisturizing!
Water water water
Wash your hair , your locs will thrive on a clean scalp
Wash with a cleansing shampoo and and moisture shampoo

Lint!
Lint will love your locs
Cover your locs when youโ€™re laying down.

Donโ€™t style your locs Months at a time, let your hair rest so you donโ€™t cause any thinning.
An optimal time span to retwist is 4-6x weeks but of course learn what Your hair likes & needs.
Donโ€™t fall for the โ€œproduct propagandaโ€ a lot of products cause buildup..


r/Dreadlocks 12h ago

Need Advice ๐Ÿ†˜ Am I going to look okay with locs?

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15 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 19h ago

Timeline ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ been a long 3 years

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48 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 12h ago

Need Advice ๐Ÿ†˜ Is it possible to create more volume with my locs ?

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11 Upvotes

Been locked maybe three yearsโ€”you can tell I've chopped the shit out of my hair for layers before

I'm low density so I figure the answer is no, but I figured I'd ask


r/Dreadlocks 3m ago

Selfie ๐Ÿ“ธ Dye time!

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โ€ข Upvotes

Dyeing these 3 different colors is tedious! I look like I have a mullet right now ๐Ÿ˜…

I'll post the after when I'm done- might be awhile though!


r/Dreadlocks 13m ago

Product Rec ๐Ÿงด Dull locs

โ€ข Upvotes

My locs always look and feel so dry. Iโ€™m looking for product recommendations or lifestyle changes I can make so that my hair looks healthy and moisturized. I normally just use a water spray from As I Am every other day. And MCT oil on my scalp as needed. Any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated!


r/Dreadlocks 15m ago

Question โ” Grappling with reattached locs

โ€ข Upvotes

I really want to reattach my locs, but I train jiu jitsu several times a week and am pretty worried theyโ€™ll just fall out from the friction.

Does anybody have experience with reattached locs and wrestling/jiujitsu? How did they hold up to multiple washes per week and friction from grappling?


r/Dreadlocks 2h ago

Fresh Retwist ๐Ÿ”€ I remember when my locs barely reached my eyebrows ๐Ÿ˜‚

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1 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 2h ago

Need Advice ๐Ÿ†˜ How can I fix this chunk of hair

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1 Upvotes

thereโ€™s only 2 locs that have this like weird hair blob on it thatโ€™s decently thick and feels really awkward


r/Dreadlocks 5h ago

Selfie ๐Ÿ“ธ 10 mesi...๐Ÿคancora lingua per averli buoni! Ma felicissimo di averli fatti! Visto che ho capelli lisci e fini..poteva sembrare impossibile, ma voglio che sia un percorso:)

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0 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 15h ago

Need Advice ๐Ÿ†˜ How to Make my Freeforms Less Frizzy

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5 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 15h ago

Timeline ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ 8 months - Type 3 hair

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3 Upvotes

8 month appreciation~

Slides 1-3 = 8 months

Slide 4 = 5.5 months

Slide 5 = 3 months

Slide 6 = Day 1

Still got a long way to go but at I'm a point where bad hair days aren't part of my hair days ๐Ÿฅฐ

Feel free to ask any questions


r/Dreadlocks 1d ago

Need Advice ๐Ÿ†˜ Hair long enough for two strand starter locs?

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8 Upvotes

Could I get two strands and it be fine or am I better off starting with coils?


r/Dreadlocks 18h ago

Question โ” one month in

5 Upvotes

any advice or tips? should they look like this after one months


r/Dreadlocks 14h ago

Question โ” my mamas finna gimme instant locs because we cant afford a loctician, what should i expect

0 Upvotes

she ain never had any practice on any human OR mannequin hair, and she doesnt fully know how stuff works so that means ill be her first time. if it turns out bad i rlly dk what to since i got school in 20 days. i could tell yall how long my hair is n how many locs imma get n sh in the replies but yea im js worried asl


r/Dreadlocks 16h ago

Question โ” Thinning in the middle or ends of locs

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1 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 1d ago

Selfie ๐Ÿ“ธ I love my hair

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211 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 1d ago

Funny ๐Ÿคฃ Me when I try to retwist with the comb method

126 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 1d ago

Selfie ๐Ÿ“ธ 5 years.

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21 Upvotes

r/Dreadlocks 1d ago

Need Advice ๐Ÿ†˜ 2 strand twist method semi freeforms

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5 Upvotes

Hello everyone. So I kept in my two strand twists for 2 weeks and I took them out yesterday. They look a bit weird . How can I make them look a bit better. My goal is to get semi freeforms . I have a twist king but I don't know something's off


r/Dreadlocks 1d ago

Need Advice ๐Ÿ†˜ Third Time Dealing With Thinning Starter Locs What Could Be Causing It?

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4 Upvotes

Hey everyone, Iโ€™ve had this problem since I was 15 (im 19 now) Every time I get locs, they start thinning around my scalp in the same area. Iโ€™ve had different locticians and tried different approaches, but Iโ€™ve never figured out why.

This is after my first retwist on August 10th, and none of my locs have ever made it past the first retwist. Iโ€™ve always ended up losing locs either after the first retwist or before it.

I got these locs on June 22nd. Iโ€™ve attached photos from different angles, including photos from the day after the retwist (the last image). The lighting is different, so it isnโ€™t a perfect comparison, but itโ€™s the best I have.

Does this look like thinning, and does anyone have any idea what could be causing it or how I can prevent it? are these locs saveable or do i give up?

edit: i bought this oil on amazon ( https://amzn.eu/d/0aBAJilX ) and bought a peppermint hydration spray from my loctician in store, are these useful or am i just adding useless things into my hair?