Rural Realities

Author: Crystal Belle

It seems to be a phenomenon. Everywhere you turn, they stand out like stilettos trudging through Vermont grass - dreadlocks. Twisted, knotted, long, short, locks. Where, when and how did this hair trend begin? Although most people tend to think of Bob Marley, Rastafarianism and Jamaica, dreadlocks actually date as far back as 2500 BC with the dread-locked deity Shiva and his followers in India. A strong African presence was prominent in early Asia. Dreadlocks have also been a significant part of African tribal culture. One can say that dreadlocks stem from ethnic backgrounds and communities. Evidently, they did not originate in the land of the free - the United States of diversity.

Yet still, apart from Jamaica, dreadlocks appear to have become a trend in the United States. Dreadlocks developed as a spiritualist expression - they sent the message that one regards physical appearance as unimportant. However, they are more than just a symbolic statement. Eastern and Western traditions uphold the notion that spiritual and mental energies exit the body through the head and the hair. Hence if the hair is knotted, they believe the energy remains within the hair and body, keeping a person both strong and healthy. So how does Vermont fit in with all of this culture and tradition? One city captures it all - Burlington.

After visiting Burlington on several occasions, I came to the conclusion that Vermont boasts its own miniature dreadlock Mecca. One cannot help but notice dreadlocks accompanied by tie-dyed T-shirts and incense. Church Street is often lined with dreadlock lovers who always seem carefree and filled with life. The caucasian faces always move me. Many people have the perception that dreadlocks belong to an ethnicity, one particular group of people. Is that true? Most black Rastafarians sport dreads as a sign of their innate spirituality. How about those who wear their dreads in complex, beautiful styles? To a Rastafarian it might seem to be a cultural insult. Peoples of African tribes may see it as a sign of disrespect to their indigenous communities. One is left with a probing question - can a particular hairstyle belong to a people?

Coming from Brooklyn, N.Y., I am accustomed to seeing many people with dreads. They were, however, all black. Consequently, I was under the impression that it was and should remain a "Black" hairstyle. I saw dreads as a culture, one that was connected to people of African descent. Then I thought of my processed hair. My hair is not naturally straight, but I make it that way. Does straight hair belong to Europeans? Of course not. So then why do dreadlocks belong to blacks? Is it because Bob Marley has been a lifelong representative? I couldn't answer this question, but my observations did. Standing in the town of Middlebury I saw him - a Caucasian young man with dreads, walking happily up the street. Although he wasn't of African descent, he wore his dreads proudly. Who was I or anyone else to judge him?

Although I might not understand, his dreads were appropriate for him just as my straightened kinks are appropriate for me.