Type of men's headscarf to maintain hair positioning
Durag
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Slim_Thug_wearing_a_do-rag.jpg/220px-Slim_Thug_wearing_a_do-rag.jpg) |
Type
| Cap
|
---|
Material
| silk, satin, polyester, and cotton.
|
---|
Place of origin
| United States
|
---|
Introduced
| 20th century
|
---|
A
durag
(
alternate spellings
) is a close-fitting cloth tied around the top of the head to protect the hair; similarly a
wave cap
is a close-fitting
cap
for the same purpose.
[1]
Durags 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; to manage hair in general; or to keep hair, wave patterns and braids from shifting while sleeping. Durags are also worn as an identity-making fashion choice, popular in
Black culture
and
African-American culture
.
Spelling and etymology
[
edit
]
Numerous alternative spellings exist for
durag
, including
do-rag
,
dew-rag
, and
doo-rag
, all of which may be spelled 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 hair
do
. However, one writer in
The New York Times
claims that the correct spelling of the word is
durag
.
[3]
An alternative etymology claims that name should be spelled
dew-rag
, and
dew
is a euphemism for sweat.
[4]
Early usage
[
edit
]
The
Oxford English Dictionary
dates the first published usage of "do-rag" to the 1964
Facing Reality
pamphlet
Negro Americans take the Lead
,
[5]
written by
Martin Glaberman
. The pamphlet noted that in the wake of the 1963
Detroit Walk to Freedom
, "the leading local newspaper announced it would feature a one-a-week column by a prominent local Negro. Trying to be a laborer worthy of his hire, the prominent local figure wrote a column denouncing 'do-rags.' The common habit of wearing a silk stocking over the head, presumably to protect the setting, aroused his ire."
[6]
Other early published usages include:
- 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".
[7]
- 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".
[8]
- On September 2, 1966, the
Dayton Daily News
printed "the man with the black dew rag... one with the black bandana".
[9]
- In late 1966, "do rag ... processed hair done up in black rags" appeared in
Newsweek
.
[10]
The
Merriam-Webster
online dictionary places the earliest usage of
do-rag
in 1968.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
In the 1930s, during the
Harlem Renaissance
and
Great Depression
, the durag was used to maintain hairstyles.
During the
Black Pride
movement of the 1960s and '70s, durags became a fashion statement.
[11]
In the 1990s, durags were further popularized by rappers like
Jay-Z
,
Nelly
, and
50 Cent
.
[11]
The popularity of rappers such as
A$AP Ferg
[12]
and the
waves hairstyle
have re-popularized the use of durags.
In popular culture
[
edit
]
GZA
wearing a durag in 2000
The 1974 song "
Uncle Remus
," cowritten by
Frank Zappa
and
George Duke
, includes the lyric, "I can't wait till my
Fro
is full-grown / I'll just throw 'way my Doo-Rag at home."
[13]
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 durag referenced has a pattern taken from popular Japanese television cartoon
Dragon Ball
.
[14]
Rapper
Royce da 5'9"
has a song on the 2020 album
The Allegory
entitled "Rhinestone Doo Rag".
Rihanna
wore a durag on the cover of the
British
Vogue
, which marked a milestone of durags as seen as a fashion symbol.
[15]
The character of Leon Black on
Curb Your Enthusiasm
is famous for wearing his durag on the show.
[16]
In 2021, contestant Symone wore an outfit with a durag, which extended to a
train
, on the
thirteenth season
of
RuPaul's Drag Race
.
[17]
The rapper
Baby Keem
, with a feature from
Travis Scott
, released a single in 2021 with the name "durag activity".
Kvarforth
, frontman of the Swedish depressive suicidal black metal band
Shining
, is known to wear a durag as part of his onstage look, in contrast to the
corpse paint
traditionally synonymous with
black metal
.
Bans and controversy
[
edit
]
In 1995, the
National Football League
(NFL) considered banning players from wearing "
bandanas
, known as do-rags." League executive
Gene Washington
said durags were associated with crime and
gang violence
but insisted that the idea was "driven largely by black people, not white people."
Safety
Merton Hanks
said that he wore one because it made his helmet fit better and was therefore akin to safety equipment. Ultimately, the league decided to take no action.
[18]
In 2001, however, the league owners voted 30?1 to ban players from wearing all headwear under helmets except for "
skull caps
" in what the league claimed was "a matter of image." Although there were concerns that the move may have been racially biased, the league again framed the ban as being originated by black members of their competition committee, including
Denny Green
.
[19]
[20]
Some players argued unsuccessfully that wearing durags under helmets helped them prevent
hair loss
.
[19]
During a preseason game in 2000, the
National Basketball Association
(NBA) told
Indiana Pacers
player
Sam Perkins
that he could not wear a durag because it was "a safety hazard."
[21]
In October 2005, the NBA issued
a dress code
which, among other changes, forbade players from wearing durags not just on the
court
but while engaged in any manner of team or league business.
[22]
Some United States high schools have attempted to ban the wearing of durags.
[23]
[24]
When
John Muir High School
in
Pasadena, California
, banned durags as part of a school dress-code policy, the Black Student Union staged a peaceful walk-out in February 2019.
[25]
Protesting students contended that school administrators banned the headwear because of its affiliation with
gang culture
, although the principal claimed that durags were banned because "of values we have for how we present ourselves at school".
[25]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"Definition of DO-RAG"
.
www.merriam-webster.com
. Retrieved
2021-03-29
.
- ^
Tom Dalzell
(2009), "durag",
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
.
- ^
"do-rag"
.
Oxford English Dictionary
(Online ed.).
Oxford University Press
.
doi
:
10.1093/OED/9165380679
.
(Subscription or
participating institution membership
required.)
- ^
Glaberman, Martin
(September 1964). "American People and the American Crisis".
Negro Americans take the Lead
. Highland Park, Michigan:
Facing Reality
. pp. 34?35 – via
Adam Matthew Digital
.
- ^
Alexander, Shana (27 August 1965).
"Out of the Cauldron of Hate - Arson and Death"
.
LIFE
. p. 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
978-1452184012
.
- ^
Dawson, Lamar (6 April 2018).
"How to Tie a Durag, According to A$AP Ferg"
.
GQ
. Retrieved
2021-03-29
.
- ^
Garcia Albertos, Roman.
"Apostrophe('): Uncle Remus"
.
Information Is Not Knowledge
. Retrieved
January 12,
2022
.
- ^
"Dragon Ball Durag Lyrics"
.
Durag Wave
. Retrieved
2021-03-29
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"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
. Archived from
the original
on 2021-04-21
. Retrieved
2021-03-29
.
- ^
Kulzick, Kate (23 January 2021).
"Eliminations return as
RuPaul's Drag Race
celebrates cheesy holiday movies"
.
TV Club
. Retrieved
2021-03-29
.
- ^
"The idea of an NFL ban on bandanas isn't sitting well with some players"
.
AP News
.
Associated Press
. May 23, 1995. Archived from
the original
on 6 May 2022
. Retrieved
6 May
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"NFL to players . . . dump the do-rags"
.
Chicago Tribune
. April 3, 2001.
Archived
from the original on 6 May 2022
. Retrieved
6 May
2022
.
- ^
George, Thomas (4 April 2001).
"On Pro Football; Blacks at Center Stage in Rancorous Debate on Headgear"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
6 May
2022
.
- ^
"League notes"
.
Sports Business Journal
. October 17, 2000.
Archived
from the original on 21 Feb 2024
. Retrieved
6 May
2022
.
- ^
MacLeod, Robert (18 October 2005).
"Do-rags done for in NBA code"
.
The Globe and Mail
.
Archived
from the original on 6 May 2022
. Retrieved
6 May
2022
.
- ^
Rubio, Karolena (13 December 2018).
"Du-Rag Controversy Resolved"
.
OuRCity News
. The Raider Voice. p. 1. Archived from
the original
on 30 November 2020
. 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
.
Archived
from the original on Apr 4, 2023.
External links
[
edit
]