Breaking News English Lesson on Dreadlocks

A debate is going on in the USA about whether it is OK for white people to have dreadlocks. A YouTube video of a black female student confronting a white male student about his dreadlocks went viral. The woman questioned the guy about his hair. She told him that he should not have the hairstyle because it was part of her culture. He replied that ancient Egyptians had the same hairstyle and that it did not belong to one culture. The university said: "We are taking the matter seriously and will promptly and thoroughly investigate this incident through applicable university channels."

Dreadlocks are bunches of hair that is woven together. They have existed for thousands of years. Historians are not sure where they first originated. They have found evidence of the hairstyle in ancient Egypt, Europe, the Pacific islands, Australia and Africa. A writer suggested there was an issue with white people with dreadlocks. She said black people often have negative experiences in society because of them. She asked if white people with dreadlocks have the same problems. She said: "Hairstyles are not innocuous. There are…racial connotations and stereotypes attached to them."