As I read about the Black high school student, Darryl George, who was denied a court order allowing him to return to school without fear of punishment over his hairstyle, I am left feeling outraged and saddened. The fact that he had to leave his Houston-area high school in Barbers Hill school district due to their discriminatory policies on hair is appalling. The district’s insistence on enforcing a dress code that restricts students’ hair length to prevent disruption and teach respect for authority is misguided and fundamentally racist.
The idea that George’s tied and twisted locs violate the school’s policy because they may fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows, or earlobes if let down is absurd.… Continue reading
As a young person, the world often feels like a place where the rules are always changing, and the authorities seem to be constantly making arbitrary decisions that impact our daily lives. The recent news of a Black Texas student being punished over his hairstyle and the subsequent federal lawsuit that followed definitely struck a chord with me. It’s a situation that highlights the power dynamics at play in our society and the way that discrimination can rear its ugly head in unexpected ways.
The fact that the judge dismissed most claims in the federal lawsuit filed by the Black Texas student punished over his hairstyle is both disheartening and frustrating.… Continue reading
This case of the Texas judge ruling that a school district can restrict the length of a male student’s natural hair has raised many eyebrows, including mine. How is it possible that in this day and age, we are still dealing with such archaic and discriminatory regulations? The fact that the ACLU had to intervene in a similar case in Texas previously shows that there is a pattern of targeting male students for their hairstyle choices.
The issue of gender-based discrimination becomes prevalent when looking at how this ruling targets male students specifically, without imposing similar restrictions on female students. The Texas CROWN Act, which was enacted to prevent discrimination based on hairstyles associated with race or culture, seems to have been completely disregarded in this case.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker