Responsibility of Wearing Locks

[BlackQueen]

Locks are more than matted hair twisted together. It is not a Euro-trash fashion statement that krakkas wear them for. It is a way of life. Naturalness is a way of life,a way of being in sync with nature,and a spiritual connection to our ancestors. For those who wear locks,but do not understand the meaning of them...it's an insult to those that do understand the meaning. There are those who believe that locks are dirty,and you cannot be versatile with them. Those are nothing but lies. The truth is you can do a lot with locks. The most important thing to remember is that when you wear locks,you wear them as a symbol of pride & rebellion against a society that wants you to be like them. For those who are thinking of wearing locks,do you research and shop around. Many salons are clean,and some are not as they should be. Also,make sure to ask what products they use,shea butter,beeswax,but avoid products with candlewax,because it is difficult to get it out of your locks and it causes buildup. Always remember to be proud of your nappy hair,being nappy is not a curse,it is a gift given to you by the ancestors. In ancient times,there were no perms,hot combs,or any device to straighten kinky hair.

Our hair was not made to be straightened. It is made to be nappy. Nappy is not an evil word. Our hair is beautiful. We must look within our selves and realize that nappy hair is a part of our Blackness. We must educate our people about the Natural way of life,holistic living. Our ancestors were always connected with nature,and we must have that same connection. Wearing locks is not a trend,but a tremendous responsibility. It is a responsibility to educate those who are still slaves to perms and heating devices that your hair dies when you apply those horrible things to your hair. Natural hair is alive when untouched. It is healthier and stronger. It is a symbol of Black Pride. Be proud of your Blackness. Be proud of your nappy hair and African features. Do not ever be ashamed of yourself,you are an image of what the ancestors created. Do not hate yourself,in hating yourself,you hate your people.

[WombanAuset]

Speak sista!!!

[Goddess IsIs Akkebala]

Smoohces my Sistahs.

HILY/A

G-Isis

[Typozfem]

You are so right, my sistah.

I started to dread when I hit a milestone birthday. I had been thinking about how not to be a "permie" for some time before that. I finally got the courage to do it and have not looked back.

Black folks love it and White folks ask me how long does it last, as though it's just another hair-do. Can you believe that? Of course you can. They are White folks, after all. I tell them the truth: that it's permanent and I would have to shave my head to get it out.

Unfortunately my mother doesn't like it. She is convinced that God wants her to straighten her hair so it will be shiny and smooth. (Ah recon' onacounta it pleazes de Whaat folkses.)

Black people don't have to ask me, but I would love to tell White folks that this is a mark of my heritage. I am literally showing them my roots and am proud to do so.

It is also a spiritual transition for me. I reject the White guy sitting in the clouds and his blue-eyed son and replace them with the Goddess.

I believe we teach a lesson to everyone we come in contact with. They are looking at history when they look at us. Some don't like it, some do, some are just confused. So be it. We make a statement: a loud one.

[BlackQueen]

I am proud that you wear locks as a symbol of cultural pride. But remember,do not use the word "dread" when you speak of locks. The word "dreadlocks" hails from the days when our ancestors were taken from the Motherland,and during that hellish journey our hair began to mat. Dreadful locks came from those times,hence the name dreadlocks. There is nothing dreadful about our nappy hair. However,dreadlocks are referred to the uncultivated locks that our Rasta brothers & sisters wear. The difference between locks & dreadlocks is that locks are maintained while dreadlocks are not,but they are closely related.

Originally Posted by Typozfem

You are so right, my sistah.

I started to dread when I hit a milestone birthday. I had been thinking about how not to be a "permie" for some time before that. I finally got the courage to do it and have not looked back.

Black folks love it and White folks ask me how long does it last, as though it's just another hair-do. Can you believe that? Of course you can. They are White folks, after all. I tell them the truth: that it's permanent and I would have to shave my head to get it out.

Unfortunately my mother doesn't like it. She is convinced that God wants her to straighten her hair so it will be shiny and smooth. (Ah recon' onacounta it pleazes de Whaat folkses.)

Black people don't have to ask me, but I would love to tell White folks that this is a mark of my heritage. I am literally showing them my roots and am proud to do so.

It is also a spiritual transition for me. I reject the White guy sitting in the clouds and his blue-eyed son and replace them with the Goddess.

I believe we teach a lesson to everyone we come in contact with. They are looking at history when they look at us. Some don't like it, some do, some are just confused. So be it. We make a statement: a loud one.

[Typozfem]

I stand (or sit) corrected.

[BlackQueen]

Another tip to remember is that,since its summer, you can wash your locks as often as your like,at least once a week,and don't oil it too much,it'll cause more itching to the scalp. Most importantly, use all natural products. The maintenance of locks must be a labor of love. When you wash your locks, make sure to separate them when they dry,so they don't mesh together.

[Seeking Ma'at]

And this here,

Originally Posted by BlackQueen7980

Wearing locks is not a trend,but a tremendous responsibility. It is a responsibility to educate those who are still slaves to perms and heating devices that your hair dies when you apply those horrible things to your hair.

I believe, explains why my mother is not ready to loc her hair. She is concerned about not having the "right clothes" to wear with her hair, about how long the fuzzy stage would last, how to maintain her hair (she has never been one to do hair, even as a young woman...I had to learn how to do my own hair during the time I was living with her! lol), about being in the South and working in environments where nappy "isn't cool" (she is forever telling me how people--BLACK people--eyeball her Afro and her Afro puff like it is a foreign object on here head... ), and the list goes on...

*sigh* I had to rant. Sorry...

[BlackQueen]

No apologies neccessary,sister. Many people who want to lock their hair have many concerns,especially in the early stages. Locking is a very serious decision,not just in the physical sense,but mentally & emotionally.

Originally Posted by Seeking Ma'at

And this here, I believe, explains why my mother is not ready to loc her hair. She is concerned about not having the "right clothes" to wear with her hair, about how long the fuzzy stage would last, how to maintain her hair (she has never been one to do hair, even as a young woman...I had to learn how to do my own hair during the time I was living with her! lol), about being in the South and working in environments where nappy "isn't cool" (she is forever telling me how people--BLACK people--eyeball her Afro and her Afro puff like it is a foreign object on here head... ), and the list goes on...

*sigh* I had to rant. Sorry...

[RASNUBIAN]

Originally Posted by BlackQueen7980

For those who are thinking of wearing locks,do you research and shop around. Many salons are clean,and some are not as they should be. Also,make sure to ask what products they use,shea butter,beeswax,but avoid products with candlewax,because it is difficult to get it out of your locks and it causes buildup.

YOU DONT NEED ANY SHOPS,SALONS, LOCKTITIANS, SHEA BUTTER, OR BEESWAX, TO LOCK OUR HAIR. ALL YOU NEED IS YOUR NATURAL HAIR, FIRE (SUN), WATER, AND AIR. DONT GET CAUGHT UP IN TRANSFERING THE NEGRO MINDSTATE AND ACTING LIKE A AFRICAN AMERICAN WHEN IT COMES TO OUR NATURAL NUBIAN HAIR. YOU DONT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NATURAL GIVEN TO YOU FREELY.

[BlackQueen]

Acting like an African American?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?!

Originally Posted by RASNUBIAN

YOU DONT NEED ANY SHOPS,SALONS, LOCKTITIANS, SHEA BUTTER, OR BEESWAX, TO LOCK OUR HAIR. ALL YOU NEED IS YOUR NATURAL HAIR, FIRE (SUN), WATER, AND AIR. DONT GET CAUGHT UP IN TRANSFERING THE NEGRO MINDSTATE AND ACTING LIKE A AFRICAN AMERICAN WHEN IT COMES TO OUR NATURAL NUBIAN HAIR. YOU DONT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NATURAL GIVEN TO YOU FREELY.

[Naturallyblessed]

Great words Black Queen!!! I wear mine at a sign of my natural beauty and a rejection of the european standards of beauty. It not just a hair style, its a connection to the Most High. The longer my locs grow, the more my connection to The Most High and my Ancestors will be.

I am also a Loctician and I dont see any problem in helping people to start and maintain their locs. Some may not want the uncultivated look so thats where I come in.

[Nefertiti]

Im definitely loving mine!!,.....I look at sista's with the perm like maybe they need to re-evaluate themselves.....Like "oh my god she got a perm" being natural and afrikan is most beautifulest thing ever...............Peace

[Majadi]

You all have made valid points and BlackQueen you are a reflection of your name,

Naturally Blessed I had locks for some 3 years and they were beautiful, but I was in the wrong frame of spirit, Afrikan Centered but also a fool (go figure!). I had them shaved in order to cleanse myself, but I also suffered from hair loss causing some of them in one spot on my head to fall off. I unfortunately have a grade of hair that tends towards soft but small tight curls. I am slightly and slowly balding in the crown area of my head. My wife contends that I keep it low until some time in the future as when my hair was locked I was acting the fool!

I feel the urge towards reconnecting to the Afrikan Holy Ghost as Dr. Jefferies calls it through my hair. What however do I do about the balding? I feel I am ready for my beautiful locks again but unsure when it comes to the balding, am I suffering from vanity?

[niayaa]

I have been wearing locks for 15 years, when I started there were very few young sistas with locks. I watched the trend start with a natural hair movement and salons started poppin up "doing" locks, which is a contradiction right there. Locks are supposed to be natural and free and they are not "dread"locks just because they are untamed. I have raised my youth with natural locks that I never twisted and they are some of the most beautiful locks I have seen.
I feel the trend of wearing locks has been influenced by the salons and locticians who don't even overstand the fullness of locks so they just do folks hair without letting them know what it is really about.
I feel locs are an expression of devotion to The Creator. Wearing locs is natural, and can assist you to be more in tune with nature and that which is Most High. To feel the benefits of wearing locks you must follow other laws like being a vegetarian, treating people right, helping youth and elders, supporting the community and more.
Locs are also an expression against the culture of our oppressors. Choosing to wear them should build a connection within the individual to our motherland,our ancestors, and our people. These are some of the lessons I wish would be passed on while folk are getting their hair twisted so we can be on the same page.
When I see so many young folk now wearing locks I see our ancestors are helping us remember who we are and we just need to do our part.

Peace, love, and many blessings

ANKH,UDJA,SENEB
life,prosperity,good health