Policy or Discrimination ?

Elementary to High School, many adolescence express themselves in various of ways. This time period of life is for growing and learning not only education but yourself and culture. Being African American myself, we have the options to do many things with our hair due to the texture. The hairstyle options are endless from braids to natural to fro to hair extensions. African American culture is rich and very crucial. Many private schools have uniforms set in place for the students. However, schools have now decided to set a uniform/policing hair.

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School's discriminatory policy has parents outraged at the complaints their children have received.

The school’s hair and makeup policy states in part:

"Students may not wear drastic or unnatural hair colors or styles such as shaved lines or shaved sides or have a hairstyle that could be distracting to other students (extra-long hair or hair more than 2 inch in thickness or height is not allowed). This means no coloring, dying, lightening (sun-in) or streaking of any sort. Hair extensions are not allowed. Students may not wear drastic or unnatural hair colors or styles such as shaved lines or shaved sides or have a hairstyle that could be distracting to other students (extra-long hair or hair more than 2 inch in thickness or height is not allowed). This means no coloring, dying, lightening (sun-in) or streaking of any sort. Hair Extensions are prohibited."

 Off the bat, all the things prohibited are normally only expressed by students of color. Therefore making this ban only target and directed at minority students. The school also punishes students by detention and stripped of sports team privileges, extracurricular activities, and also banned from prom. The school commented back with a latter expressing the value of all ethnicities and cultural differences. Yet, no changes to the policies have been attempted.




links :  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/parents-outraged-over-school-s-discriminatory-racist-dress-code-n759821
 http://www.newsweek.com/wearing-braids-sends-black-girls-detention-malden-charter-school-608303