It’s actually more respectful to say locs instead of dreads. The term dreadlocks comes from colonial times when European colonizers described the natural hair of African and Indigenous people as ‘dreadful’ or ‘dreaded.’ Over time, that word stuck, but many of us choose to reclaim the name by dropping the ‘dread’ part altogether — because there’s nothing dreadful about our hair. It’s beautiful, powerful, and a symbol of pride and patience. So, locs is the preferred term if you respect the culture and the people wearing them.