Dreads VS. Locks

On my way to my next class, a girl walked up to me and said, "Excuse me, are these dreads or locks?" Instinctively, I replied that they were locks. She then asked, "Well, what's the difference?" My response: "...there is none." But this is inaccurate on a number of levels.

There is indeed a difference between the terms, but they oppose each other in more than one way. In a broad sense, the main difference is in your preference in names. However your preference will probably be due to the connotation of the terms.

• Historical Context
• Dreadlocks is a name given during times of slavery as a description of the impression from the white people (compared to their hair)
• "Dread" is also a term for a respected individual in Jamaica. Click Here for more info on that.
• Dreadlocks were only worn by spiritual people who separated themselves from society to form a spiritual connection with God.
• Jesus and some of his followers were believed to have made seven locks of all their hair.
• Purpose

• Initializing a simplistic way of living to diminish the vanity aspect of appealing to society,
• Alters social outcomes in acceptance
• A symbol of spiritual enlightenment or being on that path
• Fashion trend
• Controversy
• Not all cultures had people with dreadlocks since the beginning of their existence
• Probably matted hair, but not dreads
• Locks did not begin in Jamaica

• Began in Africa
• Shamans
• In Ethiopia as an act of rebellion against those contradicting Ras Tafari as the emperor
• The spiritual leaders avoided enslavement and migrated to Jamaica, starting a new civilization (hence the correlation)
• Matted hair is not locks
• Lacks spiritual purpose and is just a result of non-groomed hair.

If a person does not appreciate the negative association "dreadlocks" infer, then that person lacks the understanding of what it means to have dreads and probably only have them for an involuntary statement, or a fashion trend. It is in fact a form of classification of whether or not they truly understand what category they put themselves in. I said there is no difference because I do not mind them being called either one. It is not the person's fault they lack the information I should be able to teach them (I don't know if she wanted an extensive answer, she kind of asked in passing), so it's nothing to get cocky about. The answer depends on who you are. But it is noteworthy how that question alone deciphers the individual's reasons for locking their hair.