History/Spirituality

Locs themselves have been around for a long time and there are people of many cultures and religions that wear locs.  Not getting too deep here, we will focus on the overwhelming influence from Jamaica as our historical starting point.

The term dreadlocks, is a term used to describe the locs of Rastafarians out of Jamaica. Rastafarians regard the locks as both a sign of their African identity, giving them deeper feelings of their origins, and a religious vow of their separation from the wider society they regard as Babylon.  The dreadlocks were “dreaded” by society and symbolized defiance.  The dreadlocks are often compared to a lion’s mane representing power and authority. Bible passages, such as "They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh" (Leviticus 21:5) are cited as guidance.

Reggae musician Bob Marley is credited with playing a large roll in the popularity of both the Rastafarian movement and the wearing of dreadlocks during the 1970's.  He traveled internationally and was a famous voice for the movement.

Locs today are worn for many reasons, including fashion.  Although there are those who wear locs as a fashion statement or trend, there are many individuals whose locs hold great spiritual meaning.  They regard their natural hair as an awareness of self.  For many African Americans the wearing of locs is a bold acceptance of who they are, and of the tightly textured hair they were given. 

For African Americans it has been, and still is, a long journey toward accepting one’s self. But for many natural hair and loc wearers, hair acceptance is a beginning. “Nappy” no longer constitutes a negative self-image, but instead, a proud, spiritual, heritage.

Nappy is deep.