Does having Dreads or locks matter

[Pardon Johnny Cash.]

How tall are you? Tall dudes can do dreads. Short dudes are advised to remove them.

This perplexingly makes sense.

[jazzyslim]

As a black female with dreads (I understand the gender bias for women with dreads) I am all for black men keeping their hair neat and professional. In order for the powers that be to be tolerant of other cultures, it may require black men with dreads to refuse to cut them if that's not their desire. I know a couple of my good friends who cut their dreads for a job they ended up hating anyway, and it was evident from the outset. If an employer has a problem with your hair during the interview process, best believe that's only the tip of the ice berg. That employer may STILL discriminate against you until you realize it wasn't ur dreads at all, its just the culture of that job does not embrace the diversity they may be advertising.

I personally cannot stand it when people only see dreads in the limited sense, the big Rass dreads that grow out like tumble weeds. There are a variety of ways dreads can be kept, and if you ever seen a professionsl man or woman with dreads, it adds a polish and poise to their look and demeanor.

Since we live in a tight job market, I understand the consequences of a man who refuses to cut his dreads for a job, we simply do not have the luxury right now. But, this problem will not go away once the economy gets better, you may still be confronted with individuals (black or white) who cannot get over your dreadlocks or have negative, LIMITED, connotations about it. My lil bro will be growing his dreads soon, my mom has dreads, and so do I. Just like gay rights and women's reproductive rights, people need to learn to accept and embrace individuality and its up to US dreadheads out there to demand our respect too.

[Ninja1]

How tall are you? Tall dudes can do dreads. Short dudes are advised to remove them.

This perplexingly makes sense.

That describes pretty much everything I do.

[legalized]

As a black female with dreads (I understand the gender bias for women with dreads) I am all for black men keeping their hair neat and professional. In order for the powers that be to be tolerant of other cultures, it may require black men with dreads to refuse to cut them if that's not their desire. I know a couple of my good friends who cut their dreads for a job they ended up hating anyway, and it was evident from the outset. If an employer has a problem with your hair during the interview process, best believe that's only the tip of the ice berg. That employer may STILL discriminate against you until you realize it wasn't ur dreads at all, its just the culture of that job does not embrace the diversity they may be advertising.

I personally cannot stand it when people only see dreads in the limited sense, the big Rass dreads that grow out like tumble weeds. There are a variety of ways dreads can be kept, and if you ever seen a professionsl man or woman with dreads, it adds a polish and poise to their look and demeanor.

Since we live in a tight job market, I understand the consequences of a man who refuses to cut his dreads for a job, we simply do not have the luxury right now. But, this problem will not go away once the economy gets better, you may still be confronted with individuals (black or white) who cannot get over your dreadlocks or have negative, LIMITED, connotations about it. My lil bro will be growing his dreads soon, my mom has dreads, and so do I. Just like gay rights and women's reproductive rights, people need to learn to accept and embrace individuality and its up to US dreadheads out there to demand our respect too.

dreads and gay rights are being compared now?  hairstyle vs. sexual preference?

oh boy.

discrimination based on hairstyle is not prohibited by law.  Law offices don't rush to hire brilliant white kids with neon blue mohawks either.  And law is one of the most conservative fields out there...there are always exceptions to the rule, but the rule remains...

[Mitchell]

Dreadlocks in lawschool.

Right


Wrong

[Mitchell]

Oh, and I found this, in case anyone needs some spare dreads:
http://itemnotasdescribed.com/2009/07/23/funny-classifieds-dreadlocks/

[jazzyslim]

Unfortunately people fail to realize that dreadlocks is more than a hairstyle for many people, it is a lifestyle. Lifestyle choices are constantly being questioned, challenged, and unacknowledged by people who may not have an appreciation or tolerance of one's choice. And that's the only basis I would compare one's choice in how they wear their hair to one's choice of who they want to marry. No I would not condone crazy hair colors and Mohawks as a professional way of wearing one's hair. One should not compare those extreme styles to dreadlocks, because there are so many ways one’s hair could be locked and acceptable, such as Sister/Brother locks, interlocks, palmrolled locks, etcs. Do not generalize all dreads as the kind you used to seeing in Hippies and Rastafarians.  (And I’m not saying anything is wrong with that either). But I am in agreement that all types of dreadlocks are not acceptable in a professional environment, hence there are ways to maintain dreadlocks that would make it an acceptable. Yes, I am not oblivious to the prevailing norms and grooming standards, but because people normally have a one dimensional perspective of dreadlocks, yes it would be very difficult for one to conceive that dreadlocks are anything more than a hairstyle.

[EarlCat]

Unfortunately people fail to realize that dreadlocks is more than a hairstyle for many people, it is a lifestyle. Lifestyle choices are constantly being questioned, challenged, and unacknowledged by people who may not have an appreciation or tolerance of one's choice...

...No I would not condone crazy hair colors and Mohawks as a professional way of wearing one's hair. One should not compare those extreme styles to dreadlocks

Why would you distinguish mohawks and "crazy" colors from dreads, when those are often the result of culture, religion, and/or lifestyle choices as well?

[Jamie Stringer]

He's very young (oh, and also he's fairly short). He's a local DA working in a majority-minority local court. I personally think it probably helps the office's status in the neighborhood to have someone clearly attuned to his heritage working for the state and not for the defendants.

Also, doesn't hurt that he's hot.

Check out the 1L on campus who is pretty hot and also has long dreads. It's a beautiful thing

[jazzyslim]

I am only distinguishing Mohawks and crazy hair colors in the same way people would categorize dreadlocks as an extreme or unprofessional style. Yes I agree that the choices we make in how we wear our hair is based on our personal, cultural, or religious lifestyles. But I call hair colors and mohawks extreme in the same way many people label dreadlocks as an extreme hairstyle.  I do believe that whatever you want to do with your hair, you can do it, by all means (Hell I’ve worn dreadlocked Mohawks to work b/c there’s a way to make them look sophisticated and chic, like curling the hair into a frenchroll, and undo the curls at the top and down the middle for a nice cascade, but I know ya’ll would not know nothing about that).  But this society have boundaries about grooming standards in the legal profession…and all I’m trying to get across is that dreadlocks can satisfy those grooming standards IF they are well kept and tidy, clean and sophisticated. And let’s be real, dreadlocks may be a bit easier to get into the door than a person show up at an interview with blue hair dye or Mohawks (in the traditional sense). And also, some of ya’ll may agree that you wouldn’t want an attorney representing you with rainbow colors in their hair, and that’s the same way someone said they wouldn’t prefer someone with locks represent them in court. If people take issue with what I said, you have every right to; everyone is entitled to their opinion. It just seems like the tone of some of the messages in response to mine does not seek to dialogue, rather, it seems to undermine what I tried to bring forth or criticize for the sake of being critical, rather than exchanging knowledge. My whole point in even engaging in dialogue in this thread is to educate people that have what I call the one-dimensional view about dreadlocks in the legal profession.  Just perusing the board on what was said, I did not get a sense that those who were posting comments in the direction against dreadlocks actually realize that dreadlocks are becoming more and more acceptable in corporate America/legal profession. And who on this board has dreads or used to have dreads can speak of the validity of what I put forth? Cuz to me, many people who are posting don’t fit either category, never personally had the experience of working in corporate America with dreads (I have), or never just had them at one point in their life. But these same individuals feel like what I am saying is either stretching the issue or just frivolous. Either way, those are the people I AM MOST TALKING TO. The one dimensional view.  Plus, dude that started this thread probably already acted on his decision on what to do with his locks…I just wanted to share my knowledge/experience in case someone else in the future in his same predicament can read a differ perspective to this question than was already available on this board b4 I responded…