In the company of individuals who are twisting their new growth, styling their locs, braiding their locs, and having a barber line up their hair and taper the sides of their hair. I am someone who stands out.
In recent time, I have put 6 to 8 locs together, ending with a total of 9 locs. I don’t twist my new growth, I allow it to loc naturally. I haven’t allowed a barber to taper the sides or allowed a barber to give me a line up. I allow my hair to grow and I create new locs out of the new growth.
Guys at my facility enjoy their style of locs, have a difficult time over overstanding why I would allow my locs to “Free Form”.
But these individuals aren’t aware of the history of the now popular hairstyle. To them, it’s just that – a hairstyle.
In recent times, Dreadlocks has been popularized by Hip Hop artists such as Mac Dre, Lil Wayne, Waka Flocka, Future, 2 Chainz, Chief Keef, Lil Durk and Mozzy.
My dreadlocks are a representation of who I am as a man. At their basis, they are strong. They are wild and free. My locs represent “struggle”. And is regarded as my crown.
Dreadlocks in Rastafarian culture represents the “Lion of Judah”, which signifies the coming of a new king, or new world order, where justice, equality and harmony will reign. The Rastafarian culture also associates dreadlocks with purity, naturalness, and spirituality. It’s believed that the untouched and unprocessed hair represents a pure life that is free from corruption and impurities.
Rastafarian culture originated in Jamaica during the 1930s and has since then spread to various parts of the world. Dreadlocks in Rastafarian culture are known as “the holy crown of hair”, which represents a person’s connection with his or her faith. Rastafarians believe that dreadlocks symbolize the strength of their connection with GOD.
Rastafarians take part in the Nazarite Vow, which includes the practice of growing their hair into dreadlocks. All Rastafarians make this pledge, which they interpret as being mandated by the Bible (Leviticus 21:5). Samson’s dreadlocks lend credence to the theory that he is a Nazarite. Like Samson, many Rastafarians think that their hair is both their strength and their weakness. In the past, Rastafarians in Jamaica were intimidated by the threat of arrest and having their dreadlocks cut due to a widespread misconception that doing so would render them vulnerable.
The Abrahamic religion known as Rastafari originated in Jamaica in the 1930s. Scholars of religion classify it as a social movement as well as a new religious movement. Practitioners of the movement are known as Rastafari, Rastafarians, or Rastas, and there is no governing body or uniform ideology at work within it. The Rastafarian faith is based on a particular overstanding of the Bible. At its core is a monotheistic faith in Jah, a God who is said to dwell in part within each person. Rastafarians also believe that Jesus Christ was an incarnation of Jah. Many Rastafarians consider Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, to be Jah incarnate because of his prominence in the religion; others see him as a prophetic human being who overstood the inherent divinity in every person.
Rastafari is Afrocentric and highlights the plight of the African diaspora, which the religion views as being oppressed by the West (or “Babylon”). Many Rastafarians advocate returning to Africa, which they see as the true “Zion” or “Promised Land”. Some adherents take these theories all the way to black supremacism. Rastafarians use the term “livity” to describe their rituals. “Groundations” are community gatherings that feature music, chanting, discussions, and the smoking of cannabis, the latter of which is considered a sacrament with curative properties. Rastas place an emphasis on what they see as “natural” living, which includes eating only certain foods, wearing their hair in dreadlocks, and adhering to traditional gender roles.
The first adherents of Rastafari were poor and marginalized Afro-Jamaicans in 1930s Jamaica. The dominant British colonial culture in Jamaica was largely the inspiration for its Afrocentric ideology. Ethiopianism and the “Back to Africa” movement, advocated by black nationalists like Marcus Garvey, were both significant influences.
#Jah #Rastafari #Rastafarian #Rasta #DreadHistory
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