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Ayesha's Blog

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Locs It To You?

19 November

LOCS: One choice.

One thing I know is 100% true about afro hair, is that we have a lot of choice when it comes to hairstyles.

Locs It To You? Afro Archives Show 10 with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

Locs It To You? Afro Archives Show 10 with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

What I also know is true is that a person with afro-textured hair may choose a hairstyle, such as locs, because it helps naturally maintain the hair’s afro-texture as well as being a style of ease.

So doesn’t it follow that hairstyle choice can be connected to race?

Locs It To You? views from Afro Archives On Air Show 10

Rebekah Bageya on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

Rebekah Bageya on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

LOCS, CULTURE, AND IDENTITY

My 10th, 11th and 12th Afro Archives On Air episodes are dedicated to locs. Show 10 is titled “Locs It To You?”and in this episode I wanted to begin to explore locs as a hairstyle choice.

“locs is a hairstyle where the hair that one would normally comb or shed locks on itself, creating ropelike strands. Hair is not combed during the locking process, which is what causes the strands to coil around themselves into fused units” – LiveAbout

I interviewed some friends with locs (traditional dreadlocks, free-forming dreadlocks and sister locs). This included friends from different cultural backgrounds because I want to bring out the experience of the black woman through comparison with others. What I did was enough to show the sense of empowerment and racial identity that black women of African descent feel by wearing their hair in locs, and how this is not a sentiment for a woman who is not of African descent. In our podcast my best friend Esther, of English descent, expressed feeling more herself and more in touch with her identity by getting rid of the locs. Comparing this with Audrey, Bakita and Rebekah the link between locs, culture and identity is clear. 

 

Audrey Odonkor on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

Audrey Odonkor on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

On the podcast, Audrey, Bakita, Esther and Rebekah share with us their experiences and views, so we can all get a better idea and information about locs as a hairstyle choice. They help us to see the link between locs as a hairstyle choice that is connected to race. Have a listen to the podcast and see what your own feelings are on the connection between hairstyle choices and race.

MUSIC

My guests pick their playlists on all the shows. I love the playlist for this episode because it is chilled and warm. Have a listen here.

CHASTITY JONES

 I invited my guests to comment on the Chastity Jones case. I’m obsessed with this case. As far as I am concerned, it is a complete madness. If you don’t know about it, I’ve done a podcast on that too, right here.

Bakita Kasheda on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

Bakita Kasheda on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

MAGAZINE

If you prefer a read to a listen here is our fab  Afro Archives Magazine via the images and links to Issu below:

 

Audrey Odonkor on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

Audrey Odonkor on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

The Podcast

To conclude, in my Afro Archives show podcast episode 10 “Locs It To You?” Audrey, Bakita, Rebekah and Esther share their views on locs and give us some music via Afro Archives on Wandsworth radio. Have a listen to the podcast and join the conversation.

You can also read what my guests had to say on why they wear their in locs via the individual magazine editions for Audrey, Bakita, and Rebekah. Locs it to you? Whatever you want it to be. Be You. 

Locs it To You? by Ayesha Casely-Hayford Afro Archives

Locs it To You? by Ayesha Casely-Hayford Afro Archives

Esther Rainbow on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

Esther Rainbow on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

Rebekah Bageya on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

Rebekah Bageya on Afro Archives with Ayesha Casely-Hayford

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