non-Racist Skinheads? DUmpmonkey wants to know...

[dutch508]

Taverner  (1000+ posts)        Tue Jan-06-09 04:16 PM
Original message
Are there non-racist Skinheads anymore?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x8387711

I remember in the 80's, being a Skinhead meant solidarity with the working class, rather than any racist ideology. Then in the 90's, Skinhead became synonymous with white power.

So - are there any non-racist skinheads anymore?

Uh...the dope is strong with this one.

A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian (specifically Jamaican) rude boys and British mods, in terms of fashion, music and lifestyle. Originally, the skinhead subculture was primarily based on those elements, not politics or race. Since then, however, attitudes toward race and politics have become factors in which some skinheads align themselves. The political spectrum within the skinhead scene ranges from the far right to the far left, although many skinheads are apolitical. Fashion-wise, skinheads range from a clean-cut 1960s mod-influenced style to less-strict punk- and hardcore-influenced styles.

And so, we continue our study of How not to Dress...

By the 1970s, the skinhead subculture started to fade from popular culture, and some of the original skins dropped into new categories, such as the suedeheads (defined by the ability to manipulate one's hair with a comb), smoothies (often with shoulder-length hairstyles), and bootboys (with mod-length hair; associated with gangs and football hooliganism). Some fashion trends returned to mod roots, reintroducing brogues, loafers, suits, and the slacks-and-sweater look.

In 1977, the skinhead subculture was revived to a notable extent after the introduction of punk rock. Most of these revival skinheads were a reaction to the commercialism of punk and adopted a sharp, smart look in line with the original look of the 1969 skinheads and included Gary Hodges and Hoxton Tom McCourt (both later of the band the 4-Skins) and Suggs, later of the band Madness.

From 1979 onwards, skinheads with even shorter hair and less emphasis on traditional styles grew in numbers and grabbed media attention, mostly as a result of their involvement with football hooliganism . These skinheads wore punk-influenced styles, like higher boots than before (14-20 eyelets) and tighter jeans (sometimes splattered with bleach). However, there was still a group of skinheads who preferred the original mod-inspired styles. Eventually different interpretations of the skinhead subculture expanded beyond the UK and Europe. One major example is that in the United States, certain segments of the hardcore punk scene embraced skinhead style and developed their own version of the subculture

Redskins and anarchist skinheads are left wing skinheads who take a militant anti-fascist and pro-working class stance. The most well-known skinhead organization in this category is Red and Anarchist Skinheads. In the UK, some anti-fascist skinheads have been involved with Anti-Fascist Action or Red Action.

What will the DUmp wonder about next?

[mamacags]

There is a group of skinheads that are not racist.  They are called SHARP, SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice.
http://social-activism.suite101.com/article.cfm/skinheads_unite_against_racial_prejudice

[BlueStateSaint]

There is a group of skinheads that are not racist.  They are called SHARP, SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice.
http://social-activism.suite101.com/article.cfm/skinheads_unite_against_racial_prejudice

Ya learn something new every day! 

H5 for the find.

[mamacags]

I watched a show about skinheads the other night and there was a man on there who was really into the racial hatred and then after getting into some serious trouble he found a new path.  That was how I knew about it.