Why I Stopped Wearing Bandanas

First published on February 18, 2019
“Hey cuz, you a blood?”
“Nah.”
“Oh, aight.”
*Walks Away*
That short conversation during a lunch break led to me trashing my bandanas the minute I got home from high school.
Before that day, I’d worn bandanas for a short while as a headband – e.g. Juelz Santana. On that day I wore a black bandana to school, but had it on my wrist because you can’t wear headgear indoors. A chill guy walked up to me to initiate that conversation before walking away. After being asked about such affiliation, I wanted that to be the last time I’d deal with that misrepresentation.
I had to find other ways to be unique. Now that includes apparel from Veteran-owned and African owned businesses.
Years later, I wonder if there’s some deemed more respectful way to discard gang-related apparel. There are respectful ways to discard a worn American flag, though some may wonder why they should care.
Tags: personal, music-production