# Black Sikhs?



## carolineislands (Feb 9, 2008)

Are there any Black Sikhs on this forum?  I am wondering how you keep your hair in good condition while growing it out.  The fine toothed wooden comb is not going to work for a thick head of hair like my husband has and he wants to start letting it grow.  I was wondering if there were any Black Sikhs in here who might have some advice.


----------



## Astroboy (Feb 10, 2008)

These pics are from articles in Sikhnet.com


----------



## Archived_Member1 (Feb 10, 2008)

check sikhnet.com or other 3HO sites...  there are a few black sikhs out there...


----------



## carolineislands (Feb 10, 2008)

I will.  I am wondering about the hair... if they dred or forego the combing.. perhaps use a different kind of comb.  All I know is that my husband's hair would never grow if he ran that fine toothed wooden comb through his hair because it would break it off.

Thanks, I'll see if I can contact some Black Sikhs.  Not many, but -- can I say this? -- wow, are they gorgeous in the brightly colored turbans or WHAT?


----------



## Archived_Member1 (Feb 10, 2008)

carolineislands said:


> I will.  I am wondering about the hair... if they dred or forego the combing.. perhaps use a different kind of comb.  All I know is that my husband's hair would never grow if he ran that fine toothed wooden comb through his hair because it would break it off.
> 
> Thanks, I'll see if I can contact some Black Sikhs.  Not many, but -- can I say this? -- wow, are they gorgeous in the brightly colored turbans or WHAT?




dred locks are actually specifically prohibited...  it's what the old hindu sadhus would do to show their renunciation of the world...  it's seen as "dirty".  

perhaps some coconut oil or something similar would help make the combing easier?  my husband's beard is also that tight, kinky, brittle type of hair, and he uses brill cream and a soft bristled brush to keep it neat.   

i don't think that one must comb their hair with the small wooden kanga, as long as you comb it daily it shouldn't matter what the comb looks like.


----------



## Sherab (Feb 10, 2008)

jasleen_kaur said:


> dred locks are actually specifically prohibited...  it's what the old hindu sadhus would do to show their renunciation of the world...  it's seen as "dirty".
> 
> perhaps some coconut oil or something similar would help make the combing easier?  my husband's beard is also that tight, kinky, brittle type of hair, and he uses brill cream and a soft bristled brush to keep it neat.
> 
> i don't think that one must comb their hair with the small wooden kanga, as long as you comb it daily it shouldn't matter what the comb looks like.


unless your amritdhari


----------



## BhagatSingh (Feb 10, 2008)

carolineislands said:


> I will. I am wondering about the hair... if they dred or forego the combing.. perhaps use a different kind of comb. All I know is that my husband's hair would never grow if he ran that fine toothed wooden comb through his hair because it would break it off.
> 
> Thanks, I'll see if I can contact some Black Sikhs. Not many, but -- can I say this? -- wow, are they gorgeous in the brightly colored turbans or WHAT?


What about an afropik?


----------



## Archived_Member1 (Feb 10, 2008)

Sherab said:


> unless your amritdhari



hmm... does rehet say we must use only a wooden kanga to comb our hair?  i thought we just had to carry it on our person. 

i generally use a brush, it doesn't cause as much of my hair to break off as the kanga does, and my hair is VERY thick and hard to get through without a good hair brush.  of course, if i don't have a brush with me, i always have my kanga handy...   it's like a backup.


----------



## Sherab (Feb 10, 2008)

jasleen_kaur said:


> hmm... does rehet say we must use only a wooden kanga to comb our hair?  i thought we just had to carry it on our person.
> 
> i generally use a brush, it doesn't cause as much of my hair to break off as the kanga does, and my hair is VERY thick and hard to get through without a good hair brush.  of course, if i don't have a brush with me, i always have my kanga handy...   it's like a backup.


Well, if you wear it in your hair.. i'm pretty sure u'd also comb with it too, but... thats my assumption.  the trick is to comb ur hair after kesh ishnaan in the morning... run fingers through ur hair to get rid of the th thick notes, and *softly* use the kanga... thats what i do anyways, and allow my hair to dry...

for evening combing, jst go through lightly to find the knots, use your fingers to help break the knots.. comb through again, etc... :2:


----------



## BhagatSingh (Feb 10, 2008)

Sherab said:


> Well, if you wear it in your hair.. i'm pretty sure u'd also comb with it too, but... thats my assumption.  the trick is to comb ur hair after kesh ishnaan in the morning... run fingers through ur hair to get rid of the th thick notes, and *softly* use the kanga... thats what i do anyways, and allow my hair to dry...
> 
> for evening combing, jst go through lightly to find the knots, use your fingers to help break the knots.. comb through again, etc... :2:


that's actually a very good technique, sperating your hairs with your fingers before combing.


----------



## truthseeker (Feb 10, 2008)

So, im half black half indian. 
my hair pretty much takes after my dad( who was black) so its thick and breaks like crazy. When i was younger, my mom used to put conocut oil or alma oil, they both helped a lot. Also when combing my hair... she used a big black plastic comb, and would comb the hair in sections.
Now i comb it, starting from the bottom and going upwards, and in sections usually just in 4 sections ( 2 at the top and 2 on the bottom type of deal). but ya putting oil in the hair is key, keeps it soft and prevents breaking. 

another thing... your husbands hair will most likely not grow super long. As a kid my hair was almost to the lenght of my bum, but then it was cut by a kid in school (thats a different story) but after that adventure it was just above my shoulders. It is now almost 7 years later and my hair is just past the shoulders.

In the beginning stages it may be harder to take care of as the hair may grow upwards instead of down, an option may be to relax the hair or something...that helps to straighten the hair a little bit just as its growing. the down fall to that its that you are putting chemicals in your hair, im not to sure if thats a good thing. Ive down it a few times...but ya..its up to you
Hope that helps


----------



## carolineislands (Feb 10, 2008)

Thanks.  Yeah, we bought a bunch of oil and stuff and the afro pic is as close as it's going to get to combing unless its one of those big fat combs (which I love too).  His hair actually grows like mad and is thick.  He has to get a couple of haircuts a month to keep it in any sort of short style and if he lets it go two months he looks like Don King.    I think his hair will be just beautiful in a few years.

But then, I'm a little partial


----------



## Brother Onam (Dec 31, 2012)

My Sikh brother Daya Singh in Ghana, West Africa is one of the few African Amritdhari Sikhs in the world. He wears the kanga as obedience to 5 k's, but to actually comb with this would be completely impossible.
The proscription against dreadlocks in the times of the Gurus was to distinguish Singhs from sadhus and the association with their vows of renunciation, which Sikhs reject. But this was a time and place were African Sikhs were not a consideration and, as such, specifics of hair-care were relevant to Indian hair. 
Rightly or wrongly, as he is an obedient Sikh who in practice is devout and not a renunciant, he has chosen to grow dreadlocks to keep his kesh; an ever-expanding afro is not realistic.


----------



## aristotle (Jan 1, 2013)

I heard about* Xadir Diaye*, a black Sikh and son of an Islamic clergyman a few years back. He also wrote a book 'My life as a black Sikh'. Perhaps any fellow SPNer can shed some light on this topic...


----------



## spnadmin (Jan 1, 2013)

Dr. Lonnie Smith  http://drlonniesmith.com/

Dr. Lonnie Smith - Crazy Solo - YouTube


----------



## aristotle (Jan 1, 2013)

Sri Chand Singh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acjZ83g-aSc


----------



## spnadmin (Jan 1, 2013)

Dr.Lonnie Smith converted to Sikhism in the 1970's. He does not really talk about it very much. He is not 3HO, although he is born and raised in the US. Upcoming tours can be found on his web site, already posted above. He will be touring Delray Beach, Florida; New York City; and Rockville, Maryland; just to name a few places. Se more on his web site, where you can also listen to his music.


----------



## Brother Onam (Jan 1, 2013)

Also, he is a brilliant organist; a real living jazz master!


----------



## Brother Onam (Jan 15, 2013)

Sat Sri Akal, family,
I wanted to introduce to the satsang some images that might surprise or enlighten. The one image is my Amritdhari brother Daya Singh Nabila from Ghana worshiping in blessed Anandpur Sahib. The other picture shows a community of 'Bobo Shanti' Rastafari from Cape Coast, Ghana. They follow the faith of Rastafari, but it's interesting to see: they wear turbans every day, keep the kesh religiously, are vegetarians, and believe in one God, as do we. Good to see, as so many youth try to flee from the spiritual practices.
Blessings, blessings, blessings.


----------



## Alisa (May 22, 2013)

Wow thank you for posting this, I am in a similar situation. I am mixed and I have had to deal with so much racism  from both sides of my family . I was raised in Sanatan Dharma but I came to resent that I was looked down on for my race and took dreadlocks as a way of saying that I would not hide who I was and now that I found Sikhi I don't know what to do about my dreads, any advise would be greatly appreciated. But as for your husband the comb is not a problem just make sure that he keeps the comb oiled with olive oil or something of that sort. I don't know why but there is this misconception that black hair dose not grow, it dose but you have to be careful as to what you put in your hair, I don't use things on my hair that I would not eat I wash my hair with vinegar or some type of no sulfate soap  I use natural oils on my hair and it grows just fine.


----------



## GSingh1984 (May 22, 2013)

I have mad curly hair too, I like to comb but in reality if you can't use a comb then don't. 

Sikhi is about practicality, and the kesh are the most important kakkar.


----------

