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[Linkura]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...parents-say/stWDlBSCJhw1zocUWR1QMP/story.html

Black students at a Malden charter school who wear their hair in braids are facing detention and suspension by administrators who say the hairstyles violate the school's dress code. Parents describe the crackdown as racist.

Colleen Cook, whose twin 15-year-old daughters, Deanna and Mya, attend the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, said Thursday evening that her children have served multiple detentions since last week and could be suspended.

Two other mothers said their black or biracial children had been subjected to discipline or questioning over their hairstyles — braids with extensions — which the parents describe as important expressions of culture.

The school issued a statement defending its actions, saying that Mystic Valley Charter serves a diverse population and that many students go on to attend top colleges and universities.

”One important reason for our students' success is that we purposefully promote equity by focusing on what unites our students and reducing visible gaps between those of different means," the statement said.

”Our policies, including those governing student appearance and attire, foster a culture that emphasizes education rather than style, fashion, or materialism," the statement said. ”Our policy on hair extensions, which tend to be very expensive, is consistent with, and a part of, the educational environment that we believe is so important to our students' success."

Annette Namuddu said she received a call from school administrators last week saying her 15-year-old daughter, Lauren Kayondo, initially would have to serve detention. When her daughter refused to remove the braids this week, the detention became a suspension, the mother said.

”It's discrimination," Namuddu said. ”I see white kids with colored hair and you are not supposed to color your hair, and they walk around like it's nothing."

I live very close to this school. My thoughts? Yes, it is racist bullshit and isn't reflective of the real world at all. The school's statement is complete bullshit. Materialism, my ass. It's an important piece of black culture and they are actively undermining it.

One of my coworkers at my office job is a director and wears braids with extensions all the time. It looks great, she looks absolutely beautiful, and still looks professional. Really hoping the school faces a huge backlash for this one.

 

[Stinkles]

Huh. Not braids but extensions. Thread title is going to create some drama methinks. Still seems like nonsense. The culture argument is valid but it's also a practical solution for folks with complicated hair. I give this five racist stupidities out of six.

 

[Gattsu25]

Of course it's a charter school.

You shouldn't be forcing these racially discriminatory policies on your students in general...but ESPECIALLY if you are getting funds that could instead go to a public school

 

[Doctoglethorpe]

A visual aid for their explanation:

 

[Dude Abides]

Hair regulations are stupid.

Not surprised it's a charter school.

 

[theWB27]

Reducing visual gaps? The fuck that even mean? The visual gap is always there.

 

[Cyframe]

Braided styles like this are used as protective stylings in our (Black) community. Extensions can be gotten in bundles places like the dollar store or even at beauty supply stores, and if their mother or another relative knows how to braid hair, the cost is almost nothing.

When you focus on children like this and pretend it's about their wellbeing you lose what it means to educate and I can only hope this mother and the two others mentioned sue the school.

 

[TheLetdown]

Huh. Not braids but extensions. Thread title is going to create some drama methinks. Still seems like nonsense. The culture argument is valid but it's also a practical solution for folks with complicated hair. I give this five racist stupidities out of six.

I can't tell which bums me out more:

That a racism scale is even needed or that a racism scale works so well in modern life.

Like, I know exactly what you mean when you say 5 out of 6.

 

[benicillin]

Glad I voted against raising the cap on charter schools! What a bizarre thing to still be getting wrong.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Huh. Not braids but extensions. Thread title is going to create some drama methinks. Still seems like nonsense. The culture argument is valid but it's also a practical solution for folks with complicated hair. I give this five racist stupidities out of six.

Is that supposed to be better?

 

[hydrophilic attack]

ffs

 

[Dynasty]

To reduce the racial visual gap further I think all the white kids should wear a black mask.

Spoiler

I shouldn't be giving them ideas, they might take me seriously and actually do it.

 

[Stinkles]

Is that supposed to be better?

Eh? There's literally nothing good about this story. But the devil's in the details. For example, if a white kid shows up with Bo Derek braids, according to this, she'll be fine. If a little black girl has short braids that look weird, her mom can't add extensions to "train" her hair. It's not semantics, it's right in the story. I hope you don't think I'm making light of it or defending it.

 

[Amory]

Is that supposed to be better?

Are hair extensions much more popular with black women than anyone else?

Braids are obviously a cultural thing, maybe hair extensions are too but I wasn't aware of it.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Eh? There's literally nothing good about this story. But the devil's in the details. For example, if a white kid shows up with Bo Derek braids, according to this, she'll be fine. If a little black girl has short braids that look weird, her mom can't add extensions to "train" her hair. It's not semantics, it's right in the story. I hope you don't think I'm making light of it or defending it.

Ok, well being that it involves extensions means that the policy is racicalized. This targets black girls specifically. I think the thread title gets that point across.

Are hair extensions much more popular with black women than anyone else?

Braids are obviously a cultural thing, maybe hair extensions are too but I wasn't aware of it.

Yes

 

[NandoGip]

The school is in the wrong by miles. They clearly have no idea how bad they're fucking up here. Black hair is a very deep and sensitive topic.

 

[Shabutaro]

Huh. Not braids but extensions. Thread title is going to create some drama methinks. Still seems like nonsense. The culture argument is valid but it's also a practical solution for folks with complicated hair. I give this five racist stupidities out of six.

Some styles, like Marley twists or sengalese braids, are done with hair extensions braided in to extend the length of the hair. So it's the same issue

Edit: nevermind, seems you already know

 

[kruis]

The school is in the wrong by miles. They clearly have no idea how bad they're fucking up here. Black hair is a very deep and sensitive topic.

Extensions too?

 

[Lazy vs Crazy]

Charter schools continue to be a blight upon this country.

 

[MartyStu]

Extensions too?

Yes. Fucking with black hair is very ill advised in pretty much every way.

 

[Mesousa]

Hampton business school, an HBCU, also bans dreads and cornrows.

 

[Emerson]

I'm racking my brain trying to come up with a reason why a school administrator should give a fuck about a student's hair and I'm utterly failing to do so. Unless it's styled and gelled to stand up and spell out "Fuck Principal Wilson" or something.

 

[conpfreak]

Huh. Not braids but extensions. Thread title is going to create some drama methinks. Still seems like nonsense. The culture argument is valid but it's also a practical solution for folks with complicated hair. I give this five racist stupidities out of six.

Complicated hair? Black hair care shouldn't be described as complicated. It's different and require different products and techniques to take care of, but not complicated. Braids are a very important hair style to preserve and protect black hair, and extensions are needed with some styles to lengthen hair. Now fixing your coarse African hair to European standards? That's complicated and requires work.

 

[chbrevolution]

This is a problem all over the country. It's been less than 5 years since the military allowed black hairstyles. I remember back in high school athletes were banned from wearing cornrows.

 

[Htown]

Hampton business school, an HBCU, also bans dreads and cornrows.

cool, good for them I guess

 

[Deepwater]

Hampton business school, an HBCU, also bans dreads and cornrows.

Hampton's administration is incredibly coonish

 

[mclem]

I give this five racist stupidities out of six.

Which of course is 7.5 non-racist stupidities out of 10

 

[Karsticles]

I'm racking my brain trying to come up with a reason why a school administrator should give a fuck about a student's hair and I'm utterly failing to do so. Unless it's styled and gelled to stand up and spell out "Fuck Principal Wilson" or something.

Charter schools are ruled by old white people. I work at a charter school, and students aren't even allowed to wear clothing that shows their shoulders.

 

[Mesousa]

Hampton's administration is incredibly coonish

All HBCU administration is.

I was attacked for saying this a year before they went to bow down before the alter of Trump.

 

[bobbychalkers]

Extensions too?

My girlfriend normally wears her hair naturally but she gets extensions every once in a while and braids it. Its called a protective style and many black women do the same.
https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/what-are-protective-styles/

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Hampton business school, an HBCU, also bans dreads and cornrows.

Thanks for pointing out an HBCU's totally irrelevant respectability politics/anti-black adjacent policies. It's almost like back people can't escape white supremacy.

 

[Jintor]

Which of course is 7.5 non-racist stupidities out of 10

but what's that in metric?

 

[Koomaster]

Just shave everyone's head as they walk into the school. There, problem solved. :|

 

[BlueTsunami]

As long as you're hygienic and clean dressed, who cares about the hairstyle.

 

[Deepwater]

All HBCU administration is.

I was attacked for saying this a year before they went to bow down before the alter of Trump.

I would tend to agree, although there a few exceptions. The President of Dillard, Walter Kimbrough, is pretty reasonable from what I've read of him.

My hang up with the modern HBCU Culture (coming from the administration and academic culture perspective, not student life) is that they're entirely much too concerned with assimilation into white corporate culture rather than adaptation. Too much respectability politics disappointedly propped up by a rich history and purpose of black excellence.

 

[Mesousa]

I would tend to agree, although there a few exceptions. The President of Dillard, Walter Kimbrough, is pretty reasonable from what I've read of him.

My hang up with the modern HBCU Culture (coming from the administration and academic culture perspective, not student life) is that they're entirely much too concerned with assimilation into white corporate culture rather than adaptation. Too much respectability politics disappointedly propped up by a rich history and purpose of black excellence.

Yep. They want to create BASP. Black Anglo Saxons Protestants. Nothing to make waves, nothing to push black people forward. Just want to sit pretty on the successes of black men in the past who, if we are going to be honest, were forced to go there.

 

[Emerson]

Charter schools are ruled by old white people. I work at a charter school, and students aren't even allowed to wear clothing that shows their shoulders.

I'm an old (at heart) curmudgeon-ass white man and I still couldn't move myself to give a fuck how people style their hair.

I'm not disputing it, by the way. I have no doubt their motives are shit. I just don't get it.

 

[Principate]

Extensions too?

Most braids black women use include extensions for protective reasons and the fact braiding black hair by itself is a pain in the ass. It more rare for a braid not to include extensions than it is to include extensions (or at least in the country I'm from), so the extension qualifier is practically meaningless.

 

[Cagey]

Charter schools continue to be a blight upon this country.

You have any idea how many public district schools have similarly archaic dress codes for hair and even facial hair?

 

[Deepwater]

Yep. They want to create BASP. Black Anglo Saxons Protestants. Nothing to make waves, nothing to push black people forward. Just want to sit pretty on the successes of black men in the past who, if we are going to be honest, were forced to go there.

*and black women too, just so it's out there too. Don't wanna erase their importance in early black education too

 

[Mammoth Jones]

“One important reason for our students’ success is that we purposefully promote equity by focusing on what unites our students and reducing visible gaps between those of different means,

Translation: if you want to be successful then perm your hair and adopt European standards of hair.

 

[Stinkles]

Complicated hair? Black hair care shouldn't be described as complicated. It's different and require different products and techniques to take care of, but not complicated. Braids are a very important hair style to preserve and protect black hair, and extensions are needed with some styles to lengthen hair. Now fixing your coarse African hair to European standards? That's complicated and requires work.

Look, this is obviously as sensitive subject, but to be clear - I have "complicated" hair, in that I am bald and can suffer a scalp condition, which means shaving daily and going through a crazy amount of razors and expense. If my work, for example, suddenly decided that completely bald was a no go, I'd actually suffer for it. These kids have "complicated" hair in that it's expensive, hard to do, sometimes even necessary. I'd also imagine that if they showed up with "natural" hair and it was really long, that would get the same ostensibly racist reaction, from a different direction.

Effectively they're being punished for making their hair conform in some ways, but not conform enough. It's outrageous. there's an inference here that they can't ever get it right and are being punished at every turn.

So to be clear, I'm making zero comparisons or judgments about hair, just criticizing the policy for what it is - which is bullshit that disproportionately affects minorities, perhaps at 100%.

My use of "complicated" is just a statement about effort.

 

[caliph95]

I was going to say maybe it's a dumb dress code thing (though i dont think my school don't give a shit about braided hair as long we don't dye our hair or do anything crazy, though we had like at most three black girls in high school and i only remember my cousin braiding since it's an african thing so what do i know)
Then i see the thing about the white students which if true is highly suspicious to say the least.

 

[McLovin]

Extensions too?

Sure why not. I mean they shouldn't feel the need to put extensions on at a young age like that anyway, but they should have a right to wear them.

On topic though their wording is kind of fucked up. Would it be ok if the permed and bleached their hair blond?

 

[Slayven]

Translation: if you want to be successful then perm your hair and adopt European standards of hair.

Lowkey, being black ain't worth shit

 

[Amory]

Translation: if you want to be successful then perm your hair and adopt European standards of hair.

to me anyway it seems like this may be a policy springing from ignorance rather than outright racism. Not that that's a lot better, but it's possible that administrators just didn't know about the importance of extensions as it relates to braiding. They didn't ban braids themselves.

Hopefully now that the case is being argued they'll update their rules

 

[NandoGip]

Look, this is obviously as sensitive subject, but to be clear - I have "complicated" hair, in that I am bald and can suffer a scalp condition, which means shaving daily and going through a crazy amount of razors and expense. If my work, for example, suddenly decided that completely bald was a no go, I'd actually suffer for it. These kids have "complicated" hair in that it's expensive, hard to do, sometimes even necessary. I'd also imagine that if they showed up with "natural" hair and it was really long, that would get the same ostensibly racist reaction, from a different direction.

Effectively they're being punished for making their hair conform in some ways, but not conform enough. It's outrageous. there's an inference here that they can't ever get it right and are being punished at every turn.

So to be clear, I'm making zero comparisons or judgments about hair, just criticizing the policy for what it is - which is bullshit that disproportionately affects minorities, perhaps at 100%.

My use of "complicated" is just a statement about effort.

I think this is a fair analogy and a good explanation of why the school is wrong here

 

[Infinite]

to me anyway it seems like this may be a policy springing from ignorance rather than outright racism. Not that that's a lot better, but it's possible that administrators just didn't know about the importance of extensions as it relates to braiding. They didn't ban braids themselves.

Hopefully now that the case is being argued they'll update their rules

It really doesn't matter. The impact on the kids is still the same regardless of the administrations intentions.

 

[Two Words]

Are hair extensions much more popular with black women than anyone else?

Braids are obviously a cultural thing, maybe hair extensions are too but I wasn't aware of it.

Yes, the texture of African hair often causes the hairs to break before they can get very very long. It makes growing long hair difficult. Also, maintaining long hair likebthat is much more difficult than other hair textures.

 

[KonradLaw]

I would understand if they also punished white kids breaking the rules, but this is pure BS