Locs and shinto

My self-portrait titled "The Loc Journey is a Spiritual Journey of Self-Acceptance" is a deeply personal and culturally resonant piece that connects my individual experiences with broader narratives of identity, history, and reclamation. By situating my loc journey within the context of African heritage, Modern British Society and cultural resistance.

The term dreadlocks originates from the colonial period, when European oppressors referred to the hairstyles of enslaved Africans as "dreadful" due to their unfamiliarity and cultural prejudice.

This term became a tool of racial oppression, associating natural Black hair with negativity and disorder. My rejection of the term “dreadlocks” in favour of locs is an act of reclamation and self-empowerment.

This reclamation parallels the larger natural hair movement, which challenges Eurocentric beauty standards and celebrates the diversity and beauty of Black hair.

The use of beads and hair jewellery in my locs connects directly to the Fulani tribe and other African cultures that use hair as a medium for storytelling, identity, and spirituality.

In Fulani culture, hair is adorned with intricate beads and jewellery to signify status, tribe, and individuality. By incorporating these elements into my locs, I am drawing a tangible link to my West African roots, reclaiming my ancestral heritage while celebrating its ongoing influence, through my British identity.

The photograph embodies themes of self-reflection, identity reclamation, and spiritual growth.

The Loc Journey is a Spiritual Journey of Self-Acceptance," transcends conventional narratives of identity and spirituality, offering a deeply personal exploration of faith, heritage, and cultural reclamation.

While locs are often associated with Rastafarianism, my work reclaims the hairstyle as a personal and spiritual symbolisation, a unique spiritual journey, which is rooted in faith in a higher power I refer to as ‘The Most High’ or Olodumare, a concept derived from the Yoruba tradition, yet not confined to any single belief system.

Understanding myself as a Black woman, through the methodology of Autoethnographical Participation.