Fried, Dyed, and Laid to the Side

I slammed the local newspaper against my coffee table with a thud that could kill a fly exclaiming “Here we go again! Why is this type of discrimination resurfacing?” 

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Lawrence snapped his head away from his cell asking, “What has you so wound up?”

 

“Feels as though I’m reliving the sixties when incidents like this occur.” 

 

“Tell me more,” he states with an apprehensive tone. “Get it all out” 

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“This kid in New Jersey was forced to cut his dreadlocks so that he would be allowed to participate in a wrestling competition. It was done just before his match.” 

 

“Why didn’t he just tie them up? Cutting seems so severe. So, the kid is obviously Black based on your response.” 

 

“Exactly. Today’s youth show a sheer reverence in wearing their braids, twists, and dreadlocks.” 

 

“Oh, yeah. The way we just loved our huge Afros! Of course, we also encountered backlash because of that style. But this country has moved forward from that.” 

 

“Perhaps not completely. The referee at wrestling match said bylaws stipulate length of hair and felt he was correct to deny participation based on braid length.” 

 

Because this incident created so much of an uproar and mixed feelings in many Black communities, the state of New Jersey has decided to modify and clearly redefine rules for high school match tournaments. The state wants to prevent another extreme incident regarding the implementation of rules. 

 

“Even so, I can tell from that scowl on your face, your mind is full of thoughts and opinions about the outcome,” Lawrence said.

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“I’m just recalling the interview I had at a major downtown department store in 1967 for a summer job. At the end of the interview, the personnel assistant asks me, ‘Do you always wear your hair that way?’ Although highly insulted, I calmly asked, 'Why?' She responded, ‘It’s just a different look from the other salesclerks.’ I knew then not to expect a callback for employment because that was her only question after reviewing my application." 

 

The New Jersey state wrestling incident is not an isolated event. It’s an ongoing controversy still debated within many schools, organizations, and individual households regarding current Black hairstyles in this country. Black hairstyling constantly evolves representing trends within its communities. Also, it represents trends in the entertainment industry, as well as reflecting social and political issues that have evolved for decades. 

 

In the 1920’s and later, there were many Blacks, especially men, who wore a style referred to as a “conk” due to the style looking fried and extremely greasy throughout their hair. Often, it would allow a pompadour look or be flattened to each side of the head. Lye was used mixed with certain oils to straighten the hair structure. Cab Calloway, Chuck Berry, James Brown, and many in the entertainment industry displayed this style at various times of their careers in those days. In the movie Malcolm X, Denzel Washington  had his hair processed in the conk style.

 

Later, starting in the 1960’s, there was the trend toward more natural styles as society moved into the Civil Rights era, and the focus shifted to heightened self-respect and demand of legislative ethnic rights. 

 

The Afro style as seen worn during the early sixties and later by activist and educator Angela Davis was viewed in some social arenas as a political symbol rejecting forced assimilation, a demand for true integration, and a rejection of the processed look known as “conk.” 

Current hair trends have become more artistic integrating geometric designs with cornrows and braids. However, I suspect the wearing of Dreadlocks or the shortened version known as “dreads” may cause anxiety to the less knowledgeable. 

 

Deandre Arnold was a guest of Matthew Cherry at the 2020 Academy Awards. Cherry won an Oscar for his animated short film “Hair Love.” It depicts a Black father learning to style his daughter’s hair. Deandre was a guest at the Academy due to a hair problem he was enduring at his Mt. Belvieu, Texas high school. School administration threatened to block his attendance to his Prom and Graduation if he didn’t shorten his dreads. His mother feels it’s also a recent policy that reeks of sexism. Deandre is of Trinidadian descent and wants his hair heritage respected. School administration has commented that the policy is based on local expectations the community has for students. No further explanation of what defines the expectations was given. 

 

In response to this incident, the Texas legislative Black Caucus has been prompted to introduce a bill that bans any type of discrimination based on hair texture and styles commonly associated with race or gender. Unfortunately, undertones of discrimination still permeate throughout this society and emerges via local restrictions and organizational bylaws. It is disheartening to see the issue of hairstyles emerge again. So many fought this discriminatory practice by businesses and hiring authorities using protests and legal actions in the past. 

 

And I say once more, “Here we go again. Why is this type of discrimination resurfacing?”

 

I continue with an attempt to especially discern attitudes about Dreadlocks. Perhaps dreads cause controversy because some relate the hairstyle to “gangsta rap” or to the original Rastafarian political/religious movement members who were quite ruthless in their native countries. This was an infamous movement, especially practiced in Jamaica. 

 

I conclude that most of the controversy is cultural misunderstanding as well as sheer prejudice. These restrictions have primarily befallen people classified as African American.