Tulsa school sends girl home over hair.

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Not a G/A/F moment, but still I saw this and instantly thought of the Bo Jefferson or whatever her name is thread.

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/sto...rl-home-over-hair/sGcEwBSrm02W8ZSBNnGoXQ.cspx

Deborah Brown Community School is one student short for the remainder of the school year.

Terrance Parker said the school hassled him and didn't leave him a choice. Parker said he yanked his 7-year-old daughter, Tiana, out of classes because of a disagreement that left her in tears.

Parker, who's a barber, said school officials at Deborah Brown told him Tiana's hair didn't look presentable.

"She's always presentable. I take pride in my kids looking nice," said Parker.

The charter school has its own set of rules. While no one at the school agreed to speak with us on camera, administrator, Millard Jones told FOX23 that Terrance Parker was fully aware what was expected. However, for his young daughter, it just hurts.

"They didn't like my dreads," said Tiana.

FoX23 reviewed the school's dress code. It states, "hairstyles such as dreadlocks, afros, mohawks, and other faddish styles are unacceptable."

The school feels that could distract from the respectful and serious atmosphere it strives for.

"She went to the school last year and didn't have any problems," said Parker.

Parker said her hair looked the same.

"It hurt my feelings to the core," said Parker.

"I think that they should let me have my dreads," said Tiana.

Tiana, a straight A student, wears a different school uniform now, but the same hair style, which looks perfectly fine according to her new school.

Remember back in the day when schools focused on educating kids. Those were the days. This might be the first time I've ever heard dreads referred to as a fad.
 

IceCold

Member
Fucking ridiculous. I could understand if she was sporting Damian Marley's hair cut, but there was nothing wrong with her hairstyle.
 

stufte

Member
It's in the schools dress code. Why is it that people who refuse to read the rules are instantly motivated to call the media in outrage, even if they're in the wrong? Get over it and change the hair style, or find a charter school that allows dreads. End of story.
 

Aristion

Banned
In other words, if you're black then you can't grow out your hair or else us white folks won't be happy.

White folks with grown-out hair = A-OK and professional

Black folks with grown-out hair that can either be an Afro or maintained as as dreads = Unprofessional and even "thuggish"

I've had something similar happen to me before, although they didn't have the gall to tell me that I had to change my hairstyle.
 
FoX23 reviewed the school's dress code. It states, "hairstyles such as dreadlocks, afros, mohawks, and other faddish styles are unacceptable."
So basically, if you don't have a buzz cut or a Just For Me burned scalp, no black people.
 

hipbabboom

Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
So dreads are a fad huh?

Ignorance.

I'd sue for cultural discrimination if I were them.
 

Zaphod

Member
It's in the schools dress code. Why is it that people who refuse to read the rules are instantly motivated to call the media in outrage, even if they're in the wrong? Get over it and change the hair style, or find a charter school that allows dreads. End of story.

Why is it people outrage without reading the article?

Tiana, a straight A student, wears a different school uniform now, but the same hair style, which looks perfectly fine according to her new school.
 
Remember back in the day when schools focused on educating kids. Those were the days. This might be the first time I've ever heard dreads referred to as a fad.

Umm when the fuck was this? I remember dress codes being way way stricter when I was a kid and they were militaristic when my parents and grandparents went.
 

stufte

Member
Why is it people outrage without reading the article?

I read the article. I must have misread that last part. My comments still stand though, and there's no reason for this article to exist since there seems to be no issue.
 

Zoc

Member
On one hand, it was the rules when he signed his daughter up, but on the other hand, I really hate the mentality behind rules like that. What is a "charter school," exactly (not an America), Does it get public money, or is it some kind of religious thing?
 
It's in the schools dress code. Why is it that people who refuse to read the rules are instantly motivated to call the media in outrage, even if they're in the wrong? Get over it and change the hair style, or find a charter school that allows dreads. End of story.

Wow. A school basically banning healthy hairstyles for black children is alright in your book. Cool.

"If you can't do damage to your hair and scalp to tame it to look like caucasian hair, too bad!"

OH this is a charter school using public money too!?! And I know an ever increasing number of succesful black women who are dreaded up and having other natural hairstyles. This (and Hamptons business school) school's administration is tone deaf.
 

Coins

Banned
Yeah. If it's okay for the military to _____, why isn't it okay for any other place to do it?

Its a private school. If it were public school, it would be something else. A private school having a dress code that closely resembles the military dress code is nothing new.
 
I was raised being told, "You can do what you want with your hair, just don't get tattoos".
I rocked a mohawk a few times and I'm sure I got a few looks at school, but I doubt it was distracting after a minute or so. Besides, dreadlocks are probably the least distracting hair style of the bunch the dress code exampled.
 

DY_nasty

NeoGAF's official "was this shooting justified" consultant
The military has the same hair cut policy. Are they racist? No. Theres a large population of blacks in the military.

Actually, even the military has a massively relaxed standard for black hair.
Wow. A school basically banning healthy hairstyles for black children is alright in your book. Cool.

"If you can't do damage to your hair and scalp to tame it to look like caucasian hair, too bad!"

Exactly.
 

watershed

Banned
The military has the same hair cut policy. Are they racist? No. Theres a large population of blacks in the military.

The military does not have the same policy. The military's hair standards policy for both males and females is far stricter and does not single out certain hairstyles as unacceptable. Rather it enforces uniformity within reason.
 
Its a private school. If it were public school, it would be something else. A private school having a dress code that closely resembles the military dress code is nothing new.

It's a charter school. Deborah Brown Community School FAQ.
What is a charter school?
Charter schools are state-funded schools that offer the best features of both public and private schools. While they have more freedom to develop their own curriculums, charter schools have greater incentive to ensure that students succeed academically because the state may revoke their charter status at any time if students do not perform at acceptable levels. They are independent of the local school district, and as the Oklahoma Charter School Association said, "[They] challenge traditional public education thinking . . . [and] develop educational programs to match the community and to reach a wide diversity of students." They are also fully accredited and not-for-profit.
 

The Cowboy

Member
It states, "hairstyles such as dreadlocks, afros, mohawks, and other faddish styles are unacceptable."

Those are some long fads, how long have dreadlocks, afros and mohawks been around? - I can maybe understand the Mohawk not being allowed, but on the other 2 the school are clearly in the wrong on them.
 

Derwind

Member
Fuck I teared up when she cried. That part was really hard to watch.

This is so ridiculous. I really feel bad for the girl.
 

Aristion

Banned

Exactly. The school in question allows white girls to grow their hair and its considered professional.

When black women do it, well it's considered distracting and unprofessional because they don't have spaghetti-straight hair like their non-black peers.
 

stufte

Member
Wow. A school basically banning healthy hairstyles for black children is alright in your book. Cool.

"If you can't do damage to your hair and scalp to tame it to look like caucasian hair, too bad!"

OH this is a charter school using public money too!?! And I know an ever increasing number of succesful black women who are dreaded up and having other natural hairstyles. This (and Hamptons business school) school's administration is tone deaf.

Amazingly, white children can have dreads and afros too. But make it about race, that's cool.

*edit* I'm also not saying that I agree with the school rules, but it's their rules. Sounds like they found a school that doesn't care what her hair looks like.
 

DY_nasty

NeoGAF's official "was this shooting justified" consultant
No it doesnt.

I'm in the military.

A black female with natural hair is obviously not going to have the same standard as a white female with natural hair. Beyond the AR 670-1 lines, its always on the chain of command to discern - and the general consensus hasn't been anything remotely close to what this school has done. Dreads for black women are completely acceptable as long it doesn't restrict the wearing of headgear or make contact with the collar.
Amazingly, white children can have dreads and afros too. But make it about race, that's cool.
There's a vast difference between a white kid having dreads just because and a black kid who doesn't feel like going through the hours of hair-damaging shit that comes with hair straightening. Many people have no idea what all goes into a black womens' hair.
 
Aren't charter schools supposed to be run more intelligently? Having a dress code that specifically prohibits hairstyles known to be more prevalent amongst certain peoples for no good reason doesn't seem too smart.
 

Coins

Banned
I'm in the military.

A black female with natural hair is obviously not going to have the same standard as a white female with natural hair. Beyond the AR 670-1 lines, its always on the chain of command to discern - and the general consensus has been that anything remotely close to what this school has done. Dreads for black women are completely acceptable as long it doesn't restrict the wearing of headgear or make contact with the collar.

Maybe its changed. When I was in black females could have braids but no dreads. Hair had to be above the collar.

Edit: Just looked at the regs. It says dreads are not allowed.
 

Zaphod

Member
I read the article. I must have misread that last part. My comments still stand though, and there's no reason for this article to exist since there seems to be no issue.

I would imagine it might have to do with a dress code that singles out ethnic hair styles that have been around for a very long time as "faddish"

Do you know what black women have to go through to have their hair straightened?
 

Aristion

Banned
Amazingly, white children can have dreads and afros too. But make it about race, that's cool.

That's not the point. White kids can have dreads and afros, but their hair normally grows downward and not upwards.

For me to grow out my hair would be to naturally form an afro. So my hair is naturally unprofessional and unattractive, essentially. White peoples' hair is naturally professional and beautiful.


You don't see anything wrong with that?
 
Amazingly, white children can have dreads and afros too. But make it about race, that's cool.

Haha. It's clearly about race. I'm guessing the administration is black and is focused on black communities, and like some other black administration baby boomers, they don't know a damn thing about what is presentable and professional.

But yeah... scores of white people have dreads and afros. It's clearly targeted at how they like to wear their hair too. Laughable.
 
I'm in the military.

A black female with natural hair is obviously not going to have the same standard as a white female with natural hair. Beyond the AR 670-1 lines, its always on the chain of command to discern - and the general consensus has been that anything remotely close to what this school has done. Dreads for black women are completely acceptable as long it doesn't restrict the wearing of headgear or make contact with the collar.

There's a vast difference between a white kid having dreads just because and a black kid who doesn't feel like going through the hours of hair-damaging shit that comes with hair straightening. Many people have no idea what all goes into a black womens' hair.

Will you just quit making it about race please??? It's making me uncomfortable for the entire time I spend looking at this thread
 
Sounds positively dreadful.

LlCuZDN.gif
 

Mr. Patch

Member
Amazingly, white children can have dreads and afros too. But make it about race, that's cool.

*edit* I'm also not saying that I agree with the school rules, but it's their rules. Sounds like they found a school that doesn't care what her hair looks like.

Stop.
 
My high school (private) allowed black kids to have dreads, but not white kids (because dreads for white kids is an "extreme hair style").
 
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