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  3. The Dreadlock Deadlock In the fall of 1993 Christophe

The Dreadlock Deadlock In the fall of 1993 Christophe

游客2023-12-28  2
问题                        The Dreadlock Deadlock
    In the fall of 1993 Christopher Polk transferred from FedEx’s hub in Indianapolis to take over a delivery route in Flatbush District, Brooklyn, N.Y. But moving to the country’s largest community of Caribbean and African immigrants only precipitated a far more profound journey. "I was becoming culturally aware of the history of the black people," says Polk, now 31, "and that gave me these spiritual questions." His answer came providentially, by way of a music video featuring Lord Jamai, who raps about the Rastafarian belief in the sanctity of dreadlocks —the cords of permanently interlocked strands first worn by African chiefs perhaps 6,000 years ago.
    Now a practicing Rastafarian, Polk sports thick garlands that gently cascade onto his shoulders. "Your hair is your covenant," he says. "Once you grow your locks, it puts you on a path."
    Unfortunately, that path was a collision course with Federal Express’s grooming policy, which requires men to confine their dos to "a reasonable style". After years of deliberation, Polk’s bosses gave him a choice: shear his locks or be transferred to a lower-paid job with no customer contact. He refused both options and was terminated in June 2000.
    His tale is not unique. Although Rastafarians number about 5,000 nationally, today dreadlocks, twists or braids are at the height of fashion, nearly as common as Afros were 30 years ago. If Afros symbolized militancy, dreads signal a more spiritual self-declaration, a figurative locking with African ancestors. As Stanford professor Kennell Jackson, who teaches a course called "African Coiffures and Their New World Legacies" puts it, "There’s a divinity to these locks."
    Divine or not, some employers consider them unacceptably outré. Six other New York-area FedEx employees have lost their jobs because of dreadlocks. They have sued, alleging religious discrimination; the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and New York’s attorney general have also charged FedEx with violating religious protections in the Civil Rights Act.
    The dreadlock deadlock may be easing. FedEx altered its policy slightly a few weeks ago: in the future, observant employees who seek a waiver may wear their locks tucked under uniform hats, says a company spokeswoman. The concession isn’t enough to settle the lawsuits yet. The EEOC also wants reinstatement for the fired drivers, says trial attorney Michael Ranis. He’s optimistic. Some new styles, he knows, grow more appealing over time.
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答案                      “骇人”长发绺的僵局
    1993年秋季，联邦快递职员克里斯托夫?波尔科由印地安诺波利斯市的公司总部调职到纽约市的布鲁克林，负责弗拉特布什区的一个投递线路。移居到这个国家最大的加勒比和非洲移民区对他影响深远。“我开始从文化上意识到了黑人的历史，”31岁的波尔科说，“主要是精神方面的问题。”正巧，一盘音乐录像带回答了他的问题：该录像带的主角加马尔公爵以说唱的形式进述了拉斯特法里教派对于“骇人”长发绺的神圣信仰。那一缕缕永远编织在一起的发串，是约6，000年前，非洲酋长们始创的发型。
    作为拉斯特法里教派之一员，波尔科将头发做成一串串浓密的发绺，瀑布一样轻轻地撒落在双肩上。“你的头发就是你誓约，”他说，“一旦你把它们做成一种式样，它就带你走上了这一条道路。”
    不幸的是，这条道路有悖于联邦快递的着装原则，后者要求男人把自己的仪 表限制在“一种合理的方式”之中。经过数年的考虑，波尔科的上司们给了他一个选择：或者剪掉他的发辫，或者被调到一个与顾客无接触报酬更低的职位。他把这两者都拒绝了。2000年6月他被联邦快递公司解雇。
    他的故事并不鲜见。尽管拉斯特法里教徒在全国为数不过约5，000人，但是，今天，“骇人”长发绺、盘头或辫子十分兴盛，几乎就像30年前的非洲发式那样流行。如果说非洲发式象征着战斗性，那么，“骇人”长发绺则代表一种更具精神性的自我宣誓，一种与非洲祖先们的象征性的对接。正如在斯坦福大学讲授《非洲头饰及新的世界遗产》课程的凯奈尔教授所说，“这种发式中存在一种神圣性。”
    不管神圣与否，有些雇主就是认为它们古怪得不可接受。另外6位供职于纽约联邦快递的职员也因为“骇人”长发绺而丢掉了饭碗。他们到法院起诉，指控这是宗教歧视；美国的平等就业机会委员会和纽约市检察长已指控联邦快递违反了《民权法案》中的宗教保护条例。
    这一“骇人”长发绺之僵局可能有望缓解。几周前，联邦快递公司已经稍稍变通了其政策。公司一位女发言人说，以后钟情“骇人”长发绺的员工可以把发绺藏在自己的制服帽子内。然而，这种让步是不足以解决法律纠纷的。审判律师迈克尔?拉尼斯说，美国平等就业机会委员会还要求对遭解雇的司机予以复职。他很乐观，他知道，某些新时尚会随着时间的推移而魅力日增。
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