Why These Women Want To Take The "Dread" Out Of "Dreadlocks"

"My locs are far from dreadful, they are simply locs. They are beautiful, twisted sections of my hair," says April-Louise, one of the four women I met with photographer Olivia Ema while photographing Black British women who proudly wear their hair in locs. Until we sat with April-Louise, I hadn’t considered why the word “dread” was ever associated with the style and have since made a point of ridding it from my vocabulary. Though they have existed for thousands of years, when talking...