Is it OK for white people to have dreadlocks?

Is it OK for white people to have dreadlocks?

A viral video has started a debate about "cultural appropriation" and the racial politics of hair.




The footage picks up in the middle of a confrontation between two young people - one a white man, the other a black woman. The argument centres around the man's hairstyle. Specifically, his dreadlocks.

"You're saying I can't have a hairstyle because of your culture - why?" the man says.

"Because it's my culture," the woman answers back. At one point she pushes him and tries to stop him from walking away.

The video, which has been watched more than three million times on YouTube, kicked off a debate online.

The man was later identified as Cory Goldstein, a student at San Francisco State University, where the video was apparently filmed. During the argument, Goldstein at one point declares: "You have no right to tell me what I can wear." Most of those commenting seemed to agree - many were critical of the woman.

"Props to the white dude for keeping it civil," read one typical comment.

But beyond the specific incident in the video, what of the charge of "cultural appropriation" - the use of another ethnic group's fashion, art, or in this case, hairstyle? In a later video response, Goldstein made a distinction between "appreciation" and "appropriation".

"When people wear Native American headdresses, that's cultural appropriation," he said, because only people with "high standing" in the Native American community have traditionally been given the right to wear them. (It's this thinking which led the Glastonbury Festival to ban the sale of headdresses, which were once somewhat fashionable).

"The fact I have dreadlocks doesn't mean I'm trying to appropriate culture, it means I love and respect their culture and it's something I hold true to myself," Goldstein said. "These things should bring us closer together"

The woman in the video has apparently shut down her social media accounts and did not respond to requests for comments.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-35944803



What a stupid woman!!

Of course it's OK. All this shite about "appropriation" is absurd. I also don't think that the chap should have to love anyone else's culture - if he wants dreadlocks, he can have them without reference to anyone else who has them.

Do people tell black women they shouldn't straighten their hair because it's "cultural appropriation"?

Deadlockz on a whitee lookz ridiculous as they do on anyone besides being filthy, how the hell doest thou keep them clean.

I seen a whitee with dreadlocks today and his hair looked rank.

I watched the incident on You Tube, and I have to say it looks a bit fake - it looks like they're acting, but we'll see.

It's fine for people to have their hair any way they want. By the way, the woman in the video is just another student, not an employee as the video claims.

Couple more points -- dreadlocks aren't just African, they're also South Asian.

They don't have to be dirty -- pretty much anybody will get dreadlocks if they go long enough without combing or cutting their hair.

Black people should stop straightening and bleaching their hair then?  

She's just an ignorant idiot looking for a fight.

Ben_Reilly wrote:Couple more points -- dreadlocks aren't just African, they're also South Asian.

They don't have to be dirty -- pretty much anybody will get dreadlocks if they go long enough without combing or cutting their hair.

Black hair will fall into dreads naturally, you twirl it and they just form. White hair doesn't quite do that.  White hair ends up looking like the back end of a sheep's arse.

Raggamuffin wrote:Of course it's OK. All this shite about "appropriation" is absurd. I also don't think that the chap should have to love anyone else's culture - if he wants dreadlocks, he can have them without reference to anyone else who has them.

Do people tell black women they shouldn't straighten their hair because it's "cultural appropriation"?

Exactly...that was going to be my response but you beat me to it.

I don't think many people objected when Bo Derrick wore her hair in dreadlocks.

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Of course it's OK. All this shite about "appropriation" is absurd. I also don't think that the chap should have to love anyone else's culture - if he wants dreadlocks, he can have them without reference to anyone else who has them.

Do people tell black women they shouldn't straighten their hair because it's "cultural appropriation"?

Exactly...that was going to be my response but you beat me to it.

I don't think many people objected when Bo Derrick wore her hair in dreadlocks.

Yes, although I think they're braids or plaits rather than dreadlocks.

Stormee wrote:Deadlockz on a whitee lookz ridiculous as they do on anyone besides being filthy, how the hell doest thou keep them clean.

I seen a whitee with dreadlocks today and his hair looked rank.

I lived with a guy who had dreadlocks. His hair wasn't dirty as he washed it
It's a suprise really, isn't it, that black people can know what shampoo is!

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Of course it's OK. All this shite about "appropriation" is absurd. I also don't think that the chap should have to love anyone else's culture - if he wants dreadlocks, he can have them without reference to anyone else who has them.

Do people tell black women they shouldn't straighten their hair because it's "cultural appropriation"?

Exactly...that was going to be my response but you beat me to it.

I don't think many people objected when Bo Derrick wore her hair in dreadlocks.

Get with the beat, Baggie. Those aren't dreadlocks.

Baggie?

Raggamuffin wrote:Baggie?

I did wonder

Yeah....whats a 'Baggie'?

Oh...and her hair was described as 'braids' or 'dreads' ...= dreadlocks.

Syl wrote:Yeah....whats a 'Baggie'?

Oh...and her hair was described as 'braids' or 'dreads' ...= dreadlocks.

Remember the Jungle Book by Disney.   Baloo the Bear says to Bagheera the panther, who is being all square and not with it, 'Come on baggie, get with the beat!'

Dreadlocks stink, they don't get washed do they?

Thank goodness for that....I looked up some of the slang terms for 'baggie'....being called a square is complimentary in comparison.

Anyway....I was right about her hair in the first place.

nicko wrote:Dreadlocks stink,  they don't get washed do they?

Why do you assume that?

Syl wrote:Yeah....whats a 'Baggie'?

Oh...and her hair was described as 'braids' or 'dreads' ...= dreadlocks.

Her hair is plaited.   Whoever said they were dreads are wrong.   Dreads aren't plaits, though some people start dreads off by plaiting.  White or straight hair has to be treated to a dread perm to get it started.

nicko wrote:Dreadlocks stink,  they don't get washed do they?

Dreads get washed just the same as normal hair.   In fact, clean hair dreads up better.

HoratioTarr wrote:

Syl wrote:Yeah....whats a 'Baggie'?

Oh...and her hair was described as 'braids' or 'dreads' ...= dreadlocks.

Her hair is plaited.   Whoever said they were dreads are wrong.   Dreads aren't plaits, though some people start dreads off by plaiting.  White or straight hair has to be treated to a dread perm to get it started.

When she made them famous they were called dreads.....google her name and dreads, or beaded dreads, you will get loads of pics.

One could say they were cornrows, but they're definitely not dreadlocks.

Yeah OK...I am all argued out over socks.

Ben_Reilly wrote:Couple more points -- dreadlocks aren't just African, they're also South Asian.

They don't have to be dirty -- pretty much anybody will get dreadlocks if they go long enough without combing or cutting their hair.

Also nordic.
a lot of poeple didn't wash their hair