Thinking About The Doo-Rag

Recently I saw a young black man with a gray doo-rag standing at the corner of 116th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem. That got me to thinking about the origin of the doo-rag  (or du-rag, as it is spelled sometimes).

I haven't bothered to look it up on Wikipedia or the Urban Dictionary (yet). After giving it much thought, I concluded that the often-seen urban headwear called the doo-rag is short for "hairdo"and that in the days when many black men wore processed, that is, chemically straightened hair, they wore this skullcap-like headwear to keep the hair in place and to absorb hair grease and sweat. And the "rag" part of the term refers to it being made from some kind of cloth.

I do remember seeing men wear on their head what looked like a woman's nylon stocking rolled up to fit the head. Today's doo-rag more than likely is a more masculine-looking variation. Not everyone is enamored of it, however. I have seen signs posted on the doors and windows of nightlife establishments in Harlem prohibiting patrons from entering the premises wearing hoodies and doo-rags. I think they associate these forms of headwear with street gang attire.


Note: Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn. So long, Summer, it was great knowing you. See you again next year, God willing!