Close
About
FAQ
Home
Collections
Login
USC Login
Register
0
Selected
Invert selection
Deselect all
Deselect all
Click here to refresh results
Click here to refresh results
USC
/
Digital Library
/
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
/
The art and journey of hair locing: the way hair connects us to the world
(USC Thesis Other)
The art and journey of hair locing: the way hair connects us to the world
PDF
Download
Share
Open document
Flip pages
Contact Us
Contact Us
Copy asset link
Request this asset
Transcript (if available)
Content
The Art and Journey of Hair Locing: The Way Hair Connects Us to the World by Shaniek Brown A Thesis Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATIONS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS (SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM) December 2024 LINK TO PODCAST: https://youtu.be/6XwTBLfay9U SCRIPT Pt. 1:Introduction VO: What do your locs mean to you? Daniel: Unity, strength and patience. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> VO: Locs are a story. A process. A commitment. A journey. VO: Microlocks, sisterlocks, traditional locs, wicks, freeform, flat locks, stalks. Each version of locs are unique and depending on the person you meet in the loc community their story will be different. VO: For the purpose of this story I will use “locs” which is a more respectable term some people have now adapted to. << small pause break in background music>> VO: Locs are formed when someone allows their hair to be unmanipulated for long periods of time. << small pause break in background music>> VO: That means minimal styling, continuously washing which promotes the locs to tangle and of course keeping up with maintenance to ensure they do not thin, or become weak. << small pause break in background music> i VO: There are multiple ways to achieve locs. Some people prefer two strand twists, braids or the coiling method. The coiling method is when the hairstyle, or loctician uses a comb to create individual coil like structures. Others who desire to skip the journey of locs, opts to what the community calls instant locs want to skip the journey of locs or bypass the long process opt for what the community calls instant locs which is essentially adding hair using a crochet tool into their own hair. This method can be looked down upon by some people in the community that may deem this as “cheating” the process. << small pause break in background music>> VO: The process of locs requires time and dedication to reach the highest stage both physically and spiritually. In this story I will uncover the hidden layers of the loc journey. So j oin me to learn about the spiritual journey of growing locs and how the societal perception of this counterculture hairstyle has evolved over the last 100 years. <<ambi –DRAMATIC MUSIC TRANSITION >> VO: A hairstyle once seen as dreadful and unsanitary has now become mainstream, forming a community worldwide. VO: While at World Stage located in Leimert Park I saw two older women with long healthy locs, wrapped in a large bun at the top of their heads. One with silver locs and the other wore a head wrap. I wondered what they felt about their loc journey. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION and sounds of light drumming >> Pt. 2: Background Hateya: I'm Hateya and you asked me about my dreadlocks. <<ambi –Natural Sound>> Hateya: Dreadlocks is not a hairstyle it’s not a fashion that you wear, you know, for appearance dreadlocks is a very spiritual purpose for people who wear dreadlocks. It's a very spiritual person back in the day when we were starting out, they would spit on you. They would fight you if you had dreadlocks they had no respect for dreadlocks at all. We had to go through all that and now we're seeing young people with curly dreadlocks RED BLUE GREEN dreadlocks that's not what dreadlocks is about. ii Mama Tradition: Well, wait may I interject? Hateya: Yes Mama Tradition: “See, dreadlocks are about that, but what we have is roots” VO: That's Mama Tradition who identifies as a herbalist and spiritual healer: Mama Tradition: See, I don't call what I have on my head dreadlocks because I don't show my roots to everyone, because this is for me. This is what keeps me rooted and grounded. So I don't refer to myself as being a dreadlocks person. I am rooted or locked up with my culture because this is where it differs. Actually, the word dreadlocks, this is what caused the big dilemma. Anybody can have dreadlocks, but not everybody can have roots because you've got to have culture and morals to go with. It is a culture. It's a way of life, it's not no religion.” Mama Tradition: Like you just heard the sister say, how we were ridiculed and scorn. And even parents through out children that grew dreadlocks because just because of this, you can go in England, you can go in Africa, you can go in Jamaica, you can go up to country road where I live, of course, any of us come from our parents didn't smile on this. I cant do anything about the fashions of dread, cause what it is, there saying what it is, dread, look it up, look uo what dread mean. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> VO: The loc hairstyle is worn by many especially those of the rastafarian culture and african descent however this style reaches across the world. VO: The Hindu God Shiva can be seen depicted wearing locs as a form of strength and protection, some may describe the God’s hair as knotted and tangled. A biblical story found in the Holy Bible, tells a story of Samson, a warrior from the Nazarites of Judaism tribe, who wore locs containing his strength and power. Once they were cut off by his mistress he lost his power. Mesoamerican Pre-Columbian Aztec priests have worn locs since the 14th and 16th centuries and can be depicted adorning it with feathers and jewelry. In Egypt historians have discovered mummies with locs still in fairly good condition along with hieroglyphics that show Pharaohs wearing locs covered with jewelry to symbolize wealth or status. The Maasai and Samburu warriors in Kenya wear their hair in small micro locs to symbolize their status as a warrior and eventually cut them after they return from battle. The Sikhs cover their hair using turbans as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God’s creation. VO: Many people who are in the loc iii community have endured persistent racism and have fought against discrimination. Due to western civilization locs were not seen as acceptable and many were forced to cut them. <<ambi –small space for music break>> VO: This forcible cutting usually shows up in the form of some sort of rule created by either school systems or policy within the workplace. <<ambi –small space for music break>> VO: According to the Legal Defense Fund “the increased attention on Black hair is the result of heightened social media conversations and viral news stories.” Cases like the FedEx employees suing the company after they were fired for having locs, or Andrew Johnson, a high school wrestler who was forced to cut his locs to compete in a wrestling match after his hair was deemed “unnatural”. VO: In a study done by PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) research uncovers that Black people are disproportionately affected by these enforced biased hair policies, especially in school environments. <<ambi –birds chirping , scene , people chatter >> VO: I met with a man who identifies as Rastafarian and he shared with me the true meaning of his culture and what he has discovered while on his loc journey. Jahmark: Yeah, this is Jamark of Jahmark of the Soul Shakers, musician, singer songwriter, from the originally from the little beautiful little island of Jamaica, the jewel in the Caribbean. VO: For Jahmark, Bob Marley is a rasta who really pushed forward the entire Rastafarian movement to mainstream attention. He gained respect by many people of the western culture, during the late 70’s, after his hits like “No Woman, No cry”. VO: Marely has inspired many, during an interview with Billboard, influential rapper NAS stated “Bob Marley impact is unmatched by any artist. Ever. He stands alone, like Beethoven, like Stevie Wonder, like Micheal Jackson, he owns his block. There’s been nothing like him. There will be nothing like him, his music is timeless and it’s been a great inspiration to me” said Nas. <<ambi –Bob Marley instrumental >> iv Jahmark: So yeah, I mean, talk about bold. Brother Bob Marley was he was a bold Rasta man. So at the time when Bob Marley made his appearance, people jaw would drop, like, like, what is this? You know, and he’d go and perform in Italy. And, you know, he come out on stage and the whole front row faints like, like, God, I never say anything like that in their life. Yeah, this was the impact of first seeing somebody like this in the.. Coming from the Western world, you know? That’s how it spread I think that a lot of people see the magnetism of what it what it carried, and they want to be like that. So they think it’s just growing the locs. You know, they think is just growing the locs and don't see the spirituality behind it and what it really represents.. And that’s what Bob Marley was doing in the whole wide world uniting everyone with this reality. And me as a Rasta man in this time I can't let it go so, no way is I'm saying because no it's not all of us confuse is not all of us confused and let me say there's room for everyone you know men are put down no one are judged no one that's not my mission, that’s not my mission, m y mission is unity unification upliftment for everyone. VO: Other rappers such as Snoop Dogg, briefly had his Snoop Lion phase in 2013, and he stated that it came to fruition by Bob Marley and being heavily influenced by Rastafarian Culture. American rapper, J Cole.’s image began to change after growing out his hair in 2013 to pay homage to Marley legacy and can be seen wearing shirts with the singer’s face on it. <<ambi –Bob Marley instrumental >> VO: For Cole choosing to grow out his hair as a political statement and for him it meant not compromising for anybody in order to maintain his spirituality and his natural look, just like Marley and the Rastafarian culture. VO: In the Rastafarian culture, Leonard Howell, a former disciple of the Marcus Garvey movement, which supported Pan-Africanism and Black Nationalism ideals. This movement heavily shaped the political mindset of the African and Caribbean people during this time. Howell is seen as the first prominent rasta beginning in 1940. Rastafarian culture says that Haile Selassie also known as Tafari Makonnen, an Emperor who reigned over Ethiopia from 1930 to 1947 is the true messiah or King of Kings. This belief that Selassie was the new prophet sparked a new movement, and the Rastafarian culture was born. Howell switched from Graveyism to bringing the focus on the importance of Selassie as the new representative of the movement in Jamaica. v <<ambi –fade low ; Bob Marley instrumental >> Jahmark: When Haile Selassie was crowned emperor of Ethiopia, on November 2, 1930, to a lot of Jamaicans that was the fulfillment of the prophecy, because the Book of Revelations say that Christ will return as the King of Kings Lord of L ords conquering lion. Haile Selassie before he became Haile Selassie his name was Ras Tafari Makonnen and that's where the word Rastafari come from. Yeah. Ras meaning head, Tafari meaning creator, head creator. The first Rasta in Jamaica was a disciple of Marcus Garvey named Leonard Howell. Leonard now started his own movement and he's considered to be the first Rasta on planet Earth. Jahmark: I was rejected for many years, for many many many years. For at least maybe twenty years. Before they see wow, he’s not changing. Mama Tradition: “Locs disappeared to the corruption of the West and got exploitative. See, we're talking ‘50s [and] ‘60s when people [had their hair forcibly trimmed] for having dreadlocks in Jamaica, even where it's so popular now. They were crudely taking pocket knives, saws or whatever, and just cutting off and just crudely treating the Rasta man and beating him. This is why we say we've gone through too much humiliation to let just a bunch of little dreadlock fashion fair people come out here and take a whole culture from us.” VO: Countries all over the world have participated in the culture of hair locking. Just as Hateya and Mama Tradition have their personal viewpoints about locs, so does the rest of the world. VO: While being a member of the loc community for two years now, I’ve witnessed a change in how I perceive myself and others who wear locs. People of the loc community call this hairstyle a journey because of the many phases that our hair has to experience, before actually achieving the ‘Bob Marley’ look. Locs don’t start off thick and fully mature, they need time to grow, something similar to a plant. VO: Pt. 3: Starter Phase <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> VO: There are ultimately five phases to the loc journey, with each phase encompasses a new spiritual level of growth and achievement. The five phases that have been coined by the loc community are; starter loc phase, budding phase, teenage phase, mature phase, and rooted phase. vi So I would like to share with you the true meaning of the loc journey and share an understanding about why it is so important that we as a community are able to live freely through the expression of our hair. VO: The starter phase of the journey. VO: I took my first steps into the starter loc phase, or the first attempt to locing my hair on June 24, 2022, and yes everyone remembers their first day. I was working at a summer camp in Columbus, Texas, with scorching heat and screaming kids. <<ambi - nature sounds >> VO: When I first arrived at the campsite, I had my hair in waist-length box braids. I knew they would only be able to last about another two weeks, and I would be faced with the ever so present Black girl struggle of, what style to do next. After much swimming, sweating, and running after children, the time came to take down my braids. I figured I’d just wear my hair straightened, however the amount of heat damage waiting to happen meant I could only go with that style for upwards of two days tops. VO: A co-worker had shoulder length locs that she wore proudly. I had been thinking about trying out the style for a couple years now, but seeing her wear her locs persuaded me just enough to take a chance. So that summer, I made the decision to start locs. Another coworker was generous enough to two-strand twist my hair creating small individual twists. This process took about two hours. VO: In this phase, I felt like the new kid in class. My twists shrunk up to my ear lobes and that's the moment I knew the journey had begun. Insecurities set in and I now had to learn to wear my short twists confidently, without giving into the urge to take them out. VO: At this stage many who have starter locs, despite the style, feel anxious , nervous and eager of what is to come. When growing locs, we are breaking away from European standards and this can be hard to adjust to for some. As time moves on the mindset changes in a subconscious manner, that even the person who is striving for locs may not notice. Some may be called names during this phase. Jahmark: They don't want to go through the dirty mop head stage where to grow locs, naturally, you'll have to go through that stage. That's part of the whole thing, where people will think was your friend before they reject you. So you know, who is who.. it’s a process, you have to go vii through that stage where everybody kind of reject you like oh look at that dirt, its part of the whole journey, if you skip..then.. VO Quincy Bowie, a member of the loc community for over 10 years shares his experience during the first phase of his journey. QUINCY BOWIE: I was definitely really excited to start my loc journey. My mother being like a stylist was definitely integral in that the excitement and confidence initially that I had, and just being willing to like start the journey. As it does in the starter phase, things are starting to look a little rough but that's the nature. My father was really like, this boy needs a haircut, like what's going on, because he's very, like, you know, the way you present yourself is important, especially as a black man, like going out into this world, you can't give people a reason to doubt you to anything, you know, you have to put your best foot forward. The way that my hair was in its natural state, and in this process was not perceived as professional or appropriate to the outside world. I was a lesson that I learned very, very early in that starter phase. VO: The response Quincy received from his father, is an all too familiar response within the Black community. The fear of being held back and told that we will not be accepted in places like schools, work spaces, the military because of the way we choose to wear our hair still lingers beneath the surface of some black people’s upbringing. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> VO: The most recent case of discrimination against locs was an 18 year old high school student in Texas, named Darrly George. He was suspended for his entire junior year for refusing to cut his locs to fit Barbers Hill school districts hair policy. The policy required all the young men’s hair needed to be above the ear despite the style. Darryl’s family sued on the basis of the C.R.O.W.N act, originated by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Colemen in 2021, which prohibits discrimination against anyone with locs, braids, or twists within school or the workplace. 24 out of 50 states passed the act. The law states that if companies violate, offenders will be fined up to 50,000 dollars. But the courts didn’t side with Darryl unfortunately because the school claimed length was the issue and not the locs themselves. VO: So for someone who has gone through an intimate relationship with their hair, what does it feel like to be forced to cut them off? George styled his locs in barrel twist, which essentially allowed him to keep them above his ears as requested. However that wasn’t enough for Barbers Hill Independent School District. So I asked Quincy as a Black man what does it feel like to hear about cases like these still going on, even after things like the CROWN act have been passed in certain states. vii Quincy: I think, when I saw Darryl George’s story, you know, immediately it just makes you think of like, how easily that could have been you how easily it would have been for those in power to try and diminish the value of your culture of your self expression, your ability to show up as who you are. And when you think about why they would want to do that, you know, you kind of have to come to terms with the fact that they probably just do not want you there. And for a lot of us, that is, that's going to be a lifelong, issue conversation that we have within ourselves.. Since moving to like the West, I think my eyes have been opened a little bit more in to how racism can be very much, you know, the blatant explicit type or how it can be super entrenched into aspects of your reality that you don't think about from like, redlining and things like that to environmental factors as well. But in the south, I feel like part of the reason why we have such a rich like black culture there is because of all the obstacles that we've been through. <<ambi –sound of music >> VO: I found other cases of discrimination dating back to 2012. Sid Credle, former Dean of the Business School at Hampton University, a historically black college and university, banned all young men from wearing their hair in locs. After making headlines ABC News asked him why he is enforcing such a rule. His response was ( quote ) “All we’re trying to do is make sure our students get into the job, whatever they do after that, that’s you know, their business.” ( end quote ) VO: In the Black community this is what we call respectability politics a term coined by Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham. We must fit and look the part in order to be accepted and not make people uncomfortable. VO: Another prominent case of loc discrimination involved a young man being denied employment at six flags for his hair. And, Just recently in 2017 the US Army lifted the ban against locs. VO: So America has always used hair as a form of oppression even dating back to laws like the Pigtail Ordinance of 1873, which forced Chinese prisoners in San Francisco, California to cut their hair within an inch of there scalp. VO: In some cases hair may be merely something that grows from your head, but for others it's a deeper journey and can define the essence of your existence and the way people show up in the world. ix Jahmark: Cause that's a spiritual thing you know, locs more than anything it's a spiritual thing. It's while your body growing your hair representing your soul growing too. Jahmark: You know I heard some words thrown at me in that time that I never heard those, and I mean, I was green to America innocent you know and those words really wound me, so from that pain now its like God touched me and said don't get angry, here's your voice, here's your voice. Jahmark: Well that's when I started growing my locs too. As a kind of a kind of rebellion. You know, against this, this new force that was coming at me is like, okay, I can’t let anyone define who I am. So that's when the caterpillar starts to become a butterfly. To put it in a natural, organic way. Jahmark: In human terms, when a human being hit rock bottom, in terms of a caterpillar and a butterfly, that's when you're in the cocoon, you're in a solitary state in a dark place. That's where the transition take place. You know, when you hit rock bottom, you cant go any further down, you know, if you go further down, your turn to dust. From there now, me start grow, on my wings start sprout. Yeah and along with all that guys as spiritual, spiritual thing, you know, locs more than anything is a spiritual, spiritual thing. It's like your while your body growing. You're here representing your soul growing too. VO: Many people who go on the journey of starting locs can only last about six months before combing it out. Patience and resilience are the types of attitudes that's built in the starter phase and can be one of the hardest to push through. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> Pt. 4: Budding Phase VO: The budding phase. VO: The way my hair stood up and the way large bubble-shaped sections appeared down my locs, indicated to me that they were finally forming appropriately. I had entered the budding phase and the way I perceived myself, seemed much different from when I started my journey. <<ambi –music in background >> x VO: At this stage I began to question if I had made the right decision. I knew that people who looked at my hair may have assumed I was having a bad hair day or going through a lot. As each strand of my hair toiled any way and the frizz grew, I grew as a person on the inside. VO: I felt like I was free and my hair was no longer in the confinements of judgment from people around me who didn’t understand the way it felt to be a Black woman with natural kinky hair. <<ambi – fade low music in background>> QUINCY: It feels like a butterfly, like entering it's like chrysalis or like a caterpillar, you know, about to, like start to transformation. I remember talking to like uncles and aunts and stuff, like, how do I get my hair to loc like it's been forever. And when those first buds appear, it's like the first pay off of that commitment that you're making to yourself. So you're really excited about, you know, what's your legacy going to look like? You know, How thick are they going to be that kind of thing. My mom, she also was very, like, she's incredibly instrumental throughout all of these. And when I talk about my hair to this day, that's, that's one of the most connected ways that we are, as a lot of black people are, you know, especially with their moms in hair. But she feels like these are her babies. And I feel like they're her babies, too, you know, as much as I am. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> Pt. 5: Teenage Phase VO: The teenage phase. VO: Growing up never knowing how life is going to play out, wondering what it feels like to be an adult. Searching for a personality, looking for friends and the right crowd. Feeling rebellious and living life to the fullest is what being in the teenage phase of the loc journey can feel like. Understanding that this part of the journey is meant to help you stand out amongst the crowd. This stage lasts about three months within the journey. It can bring on feelings of excitement and growth. VO: Many people who are in this stage are still learning new ways to style their locs and synonymous with a teenager figuring out their fashion sense, the person in this stage is still figuring out the best way to wear their hair. In my teenage phase, I washed my hair constantly and never knew which way to wear it. The feeling of being in the between stages is a bit awkward and makes you feel somewhat incomplete. xi QUINCY: Yes, in the teenage phase, I think I was like late elementary school. And at that point, like, it had started to become a larger part of my identity and how like I saw myself, but also how other people saw me. Because still, at that point, locks weren't too too common. And considering that, like, I moved around a lot, as a kid as well, so I was meeting new people every two, three years, I never really got to, or people never really got to see the development of my life. Like there are very few people in my life who remember what I looked like before them. So people, there are people who have only ever known me as someone with locks. And so that becomes a bigger part of your identity. Because still, at that point, locks weren't too too common. And considering that, like, I moved around a lot, as a kid as well, so I was meeting new people every two, three years, I never really got to, or people never really got to see the development of my life. Like there are very few people in my life who remember what I looked like before them. So people, there are people who have only ever known me as someone with locks. And so that becomes a bigger part of your identity. VO: This stage is like hitting puberty for a teenager. Some people's teenage phase might look a bit more mature depending on the person and the way their hair grows. I always got questions of how long I had been loc’d because my hair appeared a bit more formed during this phase. This stage is fun and for the most part it's exciting to know that your loc’s are turning out how they should. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> Pt. 5: Mature Phase VO: I’ve finally made it to the mature phase of my locs and the spiritual growth has been immense. I now feel a sense of peace with my hair, knowing that when I wake up every morning my crown [hair] would be something to be proud of. Just like myself, and many others, the mature phase is a time of peace and realization. Many things in someone's life become a bit more clear, styling is much easier, due to having longer length hair. Those who reach this stage have usually been committed to the loc hairstyle for over a year or so now. Reaching that level of commitment can also cause the individual to learn patience with themselves. Quincy: My mature phase now. I think I walk so much more confidently in my Blackness. I would say that is really the biggest shift that occurred. Growing up in those predominantly white environments predominantly like white suburban environments. There's so much like cognitive dissonance that you experience. And you have to unpack all of that. I would say my life journey started a little bit less like philosophically You know what I mean? Like, I kind of grew into the philosophy of locks. Because it was a little bit more like, inherent to my life. But as I started to xii understand, like, what does it mean to be a person who's out in this world with lacks, what does it mean for, you know, the, the kind of person that I'm like, representing I started to appreciate my hair is so so so so, so much more and really fall in love with it and through that, like, in love with yourself. VO: For society and within the western world, people are still learning to understand what locs are and what they represent. The CROWN Act was not a widely accepted ruling and did receive push back from Senate Republicans who blocked the passing of the bill in 2019 and again in 2022. Although there has been push back, Senate Democrats continue to fight for the act to be passed at the federal level. This pushback even led the 30 members of the Congressional Black Caucus to write a letter in December of 2022, asking them to prioritize the freedom of all Americans and end race-based hair discrimination. <<ambi – music break>> VO: The letter reads “This is not “just a hair” issue, this is a Civil Rights issue. Hair-based discrimination remains a source of racial injustice with serious economic consequences for Black people. Yet, current interpretations of Civil Rights legislation often limit anti-discrimination protections to skin color, but not hair. This continues to leave many Black people vulnerable to discriminatory practices.”. ....“ The letter continues to go on and say, The Administration has expressed their strong support for the CROWN Act. Now is the time to ensure federal passage to guarantee all Americans have the same protections. As we close out the 117th Congress, we urge you to pass the CROWN Act to ensure all Americans are fairly protected under the law.” VO: Since this letter, legislation has not passed the CROWN Act at the federal level and unfortunately discrimination against black people’s hair still persists. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> Pt. 6: Rooted Phase VO: The final phase of the journey consists of wisdom and knowledge. In this stage, many people describe their locs as roots or antennas. VO: The word antenna is significant because it describes the way people who have locs have connected their journey to something higher than themselves. The locs are much thicker and extremely long and have been growing non-stop for over a decade in this stage. It is called the “rooted stage” because the hair is in its most significant point . Just like a tree wouldn’t have its foundation or life supply without its roots, the same goes for locs. xii VO: I wanted to learn more about Mama Traditoin’s rooted phase so I gave her a call… Mama Tradition: This is how I found my way to roots and culture through my mother. My mother was a tall statutes woman about 5’11 and she was thick so she would put my little head down between her big knees and lock it. Lock my head right in there. And she would come from the root all the way I didn't have a hair out of place. When I went to school. My hair had to be the neatest waterways and grease down and braided and three braids or maybe two when I grew up a little older. I couldn't wait to start combing my own hair because I knew how to comb it tenderly enough, so I wouldn't hurt myself. But my mother made me cry and weep. I weep and cry for about 11 or 12 years before she let me come in myself and I was just miserable. She had no mercy. Because she wanted me to look nice, you know, my good hair. And that drove me to my roots. Because I said, When I grow up, I'm not going to do this to my children, I didn’t know what I was saying, but I didn’t do it. VO: The person who makes it to this stage may feel like cutting their locs off would be like letting go of years of discipline and self discovery. Many rastafarians who have reached the ‘rooted’ phase wear scarves to maintain the weight and cleanliness of their hair. Mama Tradition: You know roots, culturally, there are some, some people that don't never show their hair to anyone outside of their family and their personal ones. And then there are others that can't wait to flash every day. That's the hairstyle. Okay. Is there right to flash it . And so now it's a lot of misrepresentation in the dreadlock culture. <<ambi –MUSIC TRANSITION >> Pt. 7: Conclusion VO: Now that you’ve heard the journey, I hope that you've learned that the journey of growing and maintaining locs is a gradual process that involves different phases, each of which can have unique effects on an individual's spiritual growth. VO: Although at the federal level, the battle for loc freedom and black hair in general is still on-going, there have been many people championing it. The CROWN Act 2024 Bill has now been reintroduced to legislation and Coleman along with 84 bill co-sponsors. xiv VO: Other organizations, such as Color of Change, the nation's largest online racial justice organization and companies like Dove, who have partnered with the Crown Coalition have been using their platforms to end hair discrimination amongst the African American Community VO: Locs connect us to our roots, and it shouldn’t be forced away. Jahmark: Bottom line at the end of the day Rastafari is about love and unity, love peace.As a Rasta man, what I would like this world to realize is that love without human kindness is just a word. We have to practice human kindness, you know, when we say human kindness. <<ambi –music fades >> THE END xv
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
In this podcast we take a deeper dive into the loc’d community regarding discrimination and acceptance in America. The style is typically referred to by the term ‘dreadlocks’ and recently has been known as ‘locs’ to remove the previous negative connotation. I explore the counter culture hairstyle, and how it has impacted society and the black community. I share the origin and history of locs, and the way America has responded to the loc community that have further caused unfortunate long term issues.
Linked assets
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
Conceptually similar
PDF
The evolution of Black women journalists' hair in the news: how the CROWN Act has changed Black hair forever
PDF
The sacred space
PDF
Black women reclaiming their sexuality through hoochie mama culture
PDF
Bahay: 200 years of Filipino stories in Louisiana
PDF
BIPOC women seek out alternative models of care as racial disparities in maternal healthcare persist
PDF
Sole cry: the layers of sneaker culture
PDF
In our skin: generational biracialism in America
PDF
The transcendence of violence and survival: To ‘Kill the Indian’ then and now
PDF
‘Fat like me, Black like me, beautiful like me’: a criticism of fat, Black women and pop culture’s attempt to size them up
PDF
Life after life
PDF
Race in K-pop: the influence of Black culture and the Korean perspective
PDF
Cherry-picking religious values: the political and sociocultural gameplay of marriage in Qatar
PDF
Service to civilian: life after the Second Gulf War
PDF
Dangerous and essential: Workers in Alaska’s seafood processing industry face high injuries and severe conditions
PDF
New daigou in progress
PDF
Sages & seekers
PDF
The impact of the growth of sports gambling
PDF
Family secrets: mobster grandpa, Playboy bunny grandma
PDF
Too gay for Russia
PDF
Crafted in fire: a sizzling look at southern California barbecue culture
Asset Metadata
Creator
Brown, Shaniek Veonce
(author)
Core Title
The art and journey of hair locing: the way hair connects us to the world
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Specialized Journalism
Degree Conferral Date
2024-12
Publication Date
10/03/2024
Defense Date
10/02/2024
Publisher
Los Angeles, California
(original),
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
America,Black hair,CROWN Act,culture,Discrimination,dreadlocks,locks,locs,OAI-PMH Harvest
Format
theses
(aat)
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Richardson, Allissa (
committee chair
), Tolan, Sandy (
committee member
), Turner, Myra (
committee member
)
Creator Email
aprilbrown753@gmail.com,svbrown@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC11399BMIN
Unique identifier
UC11399BMIN
Identifier
etd-BrownShani-13576.pdf (filename)
Legacy Identifier
etd-BrownShani-13576
Document Type
Thesis
Format
theses (aat)
Rights
Brown, Shaniek Veonce
Internet Media Type
application/pdf
Type
texts
Source
20241004-usctheses-batch-1217
(batch),
University of Southern California
(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Access Conditions
The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright.
Repository Name
University of Southern California Digital Library
Repository Location
USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA
Repository Email
cisadmin@lib.usc.edu
Tags
Black hair
CROWN Act
culture
dreadlocks
locs