SHARP - MN

SHARP is an acronym that stands for SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice. The first chapter started in New York, in 1987, in response to the false media stereotype portraying skinheads as ignorant racists. Around the same time, skinheads in Minneapolis, known as the Baldies, held a conference with over 150 anti-racist skins attending and set up a unifying organization that became known as the Syndicate. This was the precursor and the basis for what is now known as Anti-Racist Action. SHARP skinheads appeared on TV, did interviews for newspapers, and distributed many flyers to educate the public about the true non racist roots of the skinhead subculture. More importantly, SHARP began organizing in the Punk and Hardcore music scenes to drive out the nazi scumbags that were coming to our shows, recruiting, and committing acts of violence against anyone who was non-white or took an openly anti-racist stance.Contrary to what you may have heard in the mainstream media, being a skinhead has nothing to do with racism. In fact, it's quite the opposite and today you will find skinheads of every ethnic background, in every corner of the world. The skinhead subculture traces its roots back to the mid to late 1960's. It began as an offshoot of the Mod movement in England. At that time, many immigrants were arriving from Jamaica. Naturally, Jamaican youth brought with them their ska/reggae music, their unique style of dress, and were commonly referred to as Rude boys and girls. Skinheads were the white working class counterparts to the rude boys/girls and enjoyed going to dancehalls, intermixing with the Jamaican youth, and listening to Ska, Reggae, and Soul music. Skinheads were such loyal supporters of ska and reggae music that many of the Jamaican bands began to pay homage to them with such song titles as "Skinhead Revolt,” "Skinhead Moonstomp,” and "Skinhead Girl.” Music, style of dress, and strong working-class values defined the skinhead lifestyle. Other than that, no one political ideology has pervaded our subculture. As in ordinary society, skinheads run the gamut of political ideologies and individual beliefs. Sure, there have always been people posing as skinheads who may have held some racist beliefs, but this is and always will be contradictory to the Ska, Reggae, and Soul roots of the skinhead subculture. Therefore, racists copying the skinhead style of dress are commonly referred to as 'boneheads' because they are an abomination of what being a true skinhead is all about!-Philadelphia SHARP