At first, I was hesitant about this week’s challenge. I only knew Jamaican Mango & Lime as a product line for dreadlocked hair and I knew little about ‘dreads. I had always assumed dreadlocks were a counter-cultural fashion preference. So before my package of Jamaican Mango & Lime products arrived in the mail I began to do a little research. I realized in the process that dreadlocks can also be symbolic of spiritual conviction (as with the Rastafarians) or ethnic pride (as with the beautiful thin, red dreadlocks of the Maasai of Kenya). I cut off my chemically straightened hair in high school because I wanted to learn to accept and take pride in my natural beauty. It was as much a personal statement as a style choice, and I found new kinship between that choice and the choice other make to develop dreadlocks. I thought it would be fun to arrange a photo shoot with someone whose dreadlocks were representative of this, which is why this week’s entry features my friend reggae DJ, Q Bwoy, who knows the products well!
