Morgan takes dreadlock holiday for charity

 

BY JULIA WADE

Pouring rain was not the only thing to come down over the recent Queen’s Birthday Weekend. A local man also became 300 grams lighter after losing his long, woven mane on June 4. 

Well-known for his golden dreadlocks, Cool Beans Cafe proprietor Morgan Redfern-Hardisty bravely faced the shears and shaver for a ‘Chop, shock and shave’, raising $1325 for a special place close to his heart.
 
Feeling ‘lighter, brighter and full of energy’, Morgan says the ‘bones’ of the idea to say goodbye to his 54 dreads was a two-part decision, coming to him ‘in the early morning hours of a restless night’. 

“First I wanted to give back to a community space I so love and believe in,” he says. “Mangawhai Activity Zone (MAZ) is more than just a park, it’s a foundation for young and old alike to express themselves freely. Youth are the future and worth investing in. It is essential to provide a safe place, free from conformity for them to thrive and socialise which I believe ensures a continued connectivity that is threatened in an ever advancing technological age.”

However the second part of his decision reflects a deeper, more personal meaning for Morgan, an embracing of a shifting self-image and a ‘sudden deep detachment from an identity formed over many years’ he says. 

“I had a realisation that my identity was not actually me, but an illusion I had developed from my past experiences and influences, the dreads were just the expression of that identity,” he says. “I started the dread journey four years ago shortly after arriving in New Zealand, but the Rastafarian identity I had created was no longer serving me and was holding me back from moving forward… so the shave-off will make a difference in a few ways.”

The event coincided with the Cool Beans Cafe, located at MAZ, having to close for six weeks while Morgan recovers from wrist surgery after a recent skateboarding incident. As Morgan donates a percentage of his profits to MAZ, the event was also his way of covering those losses for the park.  

“I wouldn't be able to contribute my usual financial flow while not in operation... not feeling guilty, rather just have a feeling of willingness and enthusiasm to give back,” he says. “Empowering youth with awareness is what I really want – if I can inspire even just one child to not get so attached to the stories we create about ourselves and our lives, that will make it all worthwhile.” 

Before and after: From shaggy to shorn, Morgan walks the talk of his favourite one liner ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’. 

“The identity I had created was no longer serving me and was holding me back from moving forward… so the shave-off will make a difference in a few ways.”