You're gonna clip your kids dreads?
His name isn't Hurcules, by any chance?

Any advice for young black men who choose not to attend college?

Or do you have nothing to offer that world, either?

@2 -- why so angry?
It's Friday, ffs.

Nice article Charles. Very cute.

As a young man, I had long hair. I mean really long, well after it was the fashion (it was late 70s, not late 60s). But I wanted to let my freak flag fly (as the song goes). By thirty it was cut shorter, and now I'm just happy I have anything up there.

As a white guy, it never occurred to me to try and grow dreads, anymore than it occurred to me to try and grow an afro. Oh, it could be done, but dreads on some are natural (even if they aren't "a natural"). On me, it would be artificial -- as artificial as hair straightening or curling, but looking much worse.

@2: Get. Medication. And. Therapy. Now.

@5 Mudede has a few large blind spots in his leftism. When he embarrasses himself because of them, they should be pointed out.

The most obvious of these is his unfamiliarity with feminism-- he quotes all manner of philosophers and social theorists, all the time, but never a feminist.

And another is his unfamiliarity with the lives and interests of poor black Americans. Charles grew up in luxury, a member of the political and social elite in Zimbabwe. He frequently assumes the interests and attitudes of poor black Americans reflect his own when they do not, or reveals himself to be unaware entirely. The easiest way to see this is to read anything he has written about hip-hop.

And here, we see him writing only for young black men who can take a college education for granted. There is no usable advice here for those without the expectation of this idyll, these charmed campus years of personal expression, unconstrained by the expectations of workplace or neighborhood.

My godfather is a real rasta. I asked him once about white people and dreads, his response: "One of the things we practice is Rastafari - don't judge so much"

It is the Spirit of Jah, y'know he spurs me on

@9 the article is for you. There are only like 4 or 5 young black men who read the Stranger at all.

And here I thought maybe this was going to be a piece about the young black girl held down by white boys (6th graders) and cut her dreads off while telling her she was ugly (among other things).

@10 -- I'm part Black
but not entirely sure which.

Perhaps the twelve year olds might benefit from having to give
a half hour of Detention for every day she waits, till they grow back.

Maybe by the time they're juniors (or seniors)
they'll have paid their Debt.

@11 you hear that was a hoax?

If this was written 25 years ago, it would be on point, however, it doesn’t apply today at all. As a middleman aged black guy who used to have locks, who have family members and friends with locks, most black men sport locks just because they like the hair styles. A lot of young guys are growing up with locks as it is common to see young kids with them these days. The religious aspect is relatively small. Also you are more likely to see them just around a black neighborhood than on a college campus