Colonialism Attitudes and African American Hair styles
I dislike having to belabor a subject, but, I was just walking through one of the busiest streets in Munich, Germany and I saw a photo of a young woman advertising Chanel, and, she was sporting Dredlocks. My mind immediately sprang back to two articles that I published within the past week. In one, U.S. Court Rules Dreadlock Ban During Catastrophe Management Solutions, Inc. Hiring Process Is Legal; in another Why is the Benchmark European Hair?: Young women in the United Kingdom and South African are currently protesting how their physical attributes are being scorned by those who can exercise their prejudices at will. Are African Americans accepting this scorn quietly?
I’m mostly a Network News watching person, and, I’m always struck and disturbed how ALL African-American women newscasters sport Eurocentric hairstyles. (Check out CNN.) Is this some kind of corporate uniform? Or is there something more sinister at work? It’s clear to me that those who wheel punishing power make sure that African-Americans self worth and self esteem hovers slightly above zero. Whoever these dinosaurs are, they are misguided. Achievement assessment is not their goal. But we all should take a good look around us and take notice of the successes African-Americans have achieved despite having to endure enormous racial stress — and now I’m tooting my own horn — or better yet, you’re invited to look at how we, at ROUTES, A Guide to African-American Culture, see ourselves in Music, Theater, Sports, Science, etc.
So, what do you think about “Colonialism and African-American Hair?” Those sporting Dredlocks are not limited to African-Americans.
Ron I agree with you. I love all of the articles connected. Very interesting and enlighteneing. It is 2017 and Hair is still an issue. It has ALWAYS been an issue for African Americans. Women and men and especially Women in the workplace. It’s like you have to assimilate to fit their image of us. We don’t want to upset them or make THEM feel UNCOMFORTABLE. It’s time for that to stop so we can just be who we are without trying to please THEM. In my opinion it’s because we don’t want to risk getting fired or replaced. And let’s not forget how THEY constantly steal from us and claim they were the first and take credit like the cornrows.