Type | Cap |
---|---|
Material | Cloth |
Place of origin | Ethiopia[citation needed] fl. United States |
Introduced | 19th century |
A do-rag (alternate spellings), silky , or wave cap is a close-fitting cloth cap tied around the top of the head.[1] Do-rags may be worn to accelerate the development of long curly/kinky hair, waves or locks in the hair;[2] to maintain natural oils in hair (similar to a bonnet); to stop hair breakage; or to keep hair, wave patterns and braids from shifting while sleeping. Do-rags are also worn as an identity-making fashion choice, popular in African-American culture.
Spelling and etymology
Numerous alternative spellings exist for do-rag, including du-rag, dew-rag, and doo-rag, all of which may be spelt with a space instead of a hyphen, or with neither a hyphen nor a space; especially as durag. The simplest etymology for do-rag is that it is named as such because it is a rag worn to protect one's hairdo. However, The New York Times claims that the correct spelling of the word is durag.[3] An alternative etymology claims that name should be spelt dew-rag, and dew is a euphemism for sweat.[4]
- Early usage
- In the August 27, 1965 edition of LIFE magazine, a page 22 photo caption describes a man wearing a "do-rag on his new hair-do".[5]
- On June 4, 1966, the Akron Beacon Journal printed "do rag ... a cloth band worn around the forehead as a sweatband or to keep hair in place".[6]
- On September 2, 1966, the Dayton Daily News printed "the man with the black dew rag... one with the black bandana".[7]
- In late 1966, "do rag ... processed hair done up in black rags" appeared in Newsweek.[8]
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary places the earliest usage of do-rag in 1968.[1]
History
While the contemporary English nomenclature for the object originated in the 1960s, the object itself is older. Do-rags were originally worn by Ethiopian kings, especially by Menelik II (1841–1921), and later worn by enslaved African American women and laborers in the 19th century.[citation needed] In the 1930s, during the Harlem Renaissance and Great Depression, the do-rag was used to maintain hairstyles.
During the black pride movement of the 1960s and '70s, do-rags became a fashion statement among African American men.[9] In the 1990s, do-rags were further popularized by rappers like Jay-Z, Nelly, and 50 Cent.[9] The popularity of rappers such as A$AP Ferg[10] and the waves hairstyle have re-stimulated the use of do-rags.
In popular culture
American singer and bassist Thundercat's album It Is What It Is features the song entitled "Dragonball Durag". The lyrics references the headwear as the title piece to impress women. The do-rag referenced has a pattern taken from popular Japanese television cartoon Dragon Ball. [11]
Rapper Royce da 5'9" has a song on the 2020 album The Allegory entitled "Rhinestone Doo Rag".
Rihanna wore a do-rag on the cover of British Vogue, which marked a milestone of do-rags as seen as a fashion symbol.[12]
The character of Leon Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm is famous for wearing his do-rag on the show.[13]
In 2021, contestant Symone wore an outfit with a do-rag, which extended to a train, on the thirteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race.[14]
Controversy
Some United States high schools attempted to ban the wearing of do-rags.[15][16] When John Muir High School in Pasadena, California, banned do-rags as part of a school dress-code policy, the Black Student Union staged a peaceful walk-out in February 2019.[17] Protesting students contended that school administrators banned the head-wear because of its affiliation with gang culture, although the principal claimed that do-rags were banned because "of values we have for how we present ourselves at school".[17]
In 2001, the National Football League banned its players from wearing do-rags and bandanas underneath their helmets.[18]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Definition of DO-RAG". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ Tom Dalzell (2009), "do-rag", The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English, Routledge, p. 308, ISBN 978-0-415-37182-7
- ^ Garcia, Sandra E. (2018-05-14). "The Durag, Explained". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ Preston, Dennis R. (23 March 2005). "Do-Rag (1966)". Lingualist. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ Alexander, Shana (27 August 1965). "Out of the Cauldron of Hate - Arson and Death". LIFE: 22. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ "The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio on June 4, 1966 · Page 37". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ "Dayton Daily News from Dayton, Ohio on September 2, 1966 · 4". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
- ^ "" the do rag " - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ a b Shen, Ann (2020). Nevertheless, She Wore It: 50 Iconic Fashion Moments. San Francisco: Chronicle Books LLC. p. 44. ISBN 1452184011.
- ^ Dawson, Lamar. "How to Tie a Durag, According to A$AP Ferg". GQ. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ "Dragon Ball Durag Lyrics". Durag Wave. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ "Rihanna makes history: 'Did I ever imagine that I would see a durag on the cover of Vogue?'". the Guardian. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
- ^ "Is Leon Black on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" The Most Influential Durag Ambassador on TV?". Durag Wave. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ "Eliminations return as Drag Race celebrates cheesy holiday movies". TV Club. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ Rubio, Karolena (13 December 2018). "Du-Rag Controversy Resolved". raidervoice.com. p. 1. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ Miller, Rann (20 July 2018). "A Charter School's Explanation for Banning Durags Is Worse Than the Ban". progressive.org. p. 1. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ a b Kenney, Tanasia (26 February 2019). "California High School Students Stage Mass Walkout Over Policy Banning Durags". Atlanta Black Star.
- ^ Official NFL Playing Rules, Rule 5: Players, Substitutes, Equipment, General Rules. National Football League. 2011. p. 29.
External links
- Media related to People wearing do-rags at Wikimedia Commons