Girl says Florida school threatening expulsion over her ‘natural hair’

RDKirk

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Racism becomes an issue when a pony tail tie gets involved and the school still pitches a fit?

Pulling it back would be the least level of accommodation and would answer a question of the hair being unkempt. This is a private school after all--if they really intended to be racist, they need not have admitted her in the first place.

I just showed this to my wife and daughter. Their opinion is that her mother is lazy.
 
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WanderingBloom

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Pulling it back would be the least level of accommodation and would answer a question of the hair being unkempt. This is a private school after all--if they really intended to be racist, they need not have admitted her in the first place.

I just showed this to my wife and daughter. Their opinion is that her mother is lazy.
That's ignorant. The mother is sending her child to a private school. That's not cheap. So lazy is an unfounded judgement and indicates bias as much as the school is exhibiting in this case.

Look at the mothers hair. She's not lazy. She should be presumed to be a good mother first, rather than a lazy one. She's respecting her daughters wishes to go natural. If the daughter, or mother, wanted the daughter to look similar to the mothers hair style, the mother could do that for her daughter. Or take her to a salon to have it done.



If "big hair" distracts these students so easily, one thing is clear - they would never have survived the 80s.
^_^ No kidding. But the kids in school were smarter in the 80's too. And not near so weak as the one's they're churning out now.
 
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TheDag

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Pulling it back would be the least level of accommodation and would answer a question of the hair being unkempt. This is a private school after all--if they really intended to be racist, they need not have admitted her in the first place.

I just showed this to my wife and daughter. Their opinion is that her mother is lazy.
in your opinion and the opinion of your wife and daughter. You earlier claimed her hair is not natural because she doesn't use products around on her hair. Using those products is unnatural. You are imposing your preconceived ideas of normal onto others.
 
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TheDag

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Girl says Florida school threatening expulsion over her ‘natural hair’ | Fox News



First: This is a private school, so they can set almost any limitations they want and can expel a student for any infraction they want.

So, the family says the hair is not a distraction, the school says it is.

From the picture, it appears(pictures can be misleading) that the hair:
is about 6-10 inches above her head, billows over both shoulders on the sides, seems to protrude 8-12 inches behind her. I don't think length would be a problem. So there is a wall that is 2'x4' of wavy hair.

If this isn't distracting what is? At minimum she should have to sit at the back of the class(then the school would be called racist).

I know someone will bring up her ethnicity. She is celebrating her heritage with this hair. Who her ancestors were has no bearing on something being distracting or not.

I believe this hair is a distraction in class.
If the hair is causing a distraction then the problem is most certainly with the person being distracted not the person with the hair. About time people take some personal responsibility for their actions. I do not agree with the hair must be styled and you must spend hours doing your hair and endless amounts of money styling it. My hair like most on my mums side of the family tends to stick up. Since I tend to either have it short or very long and in a ponytail it is not usually a problem except for those times when I am growing my hair and it is too long to be easily brushed down but too short to tie back. The only way around it is to brush my hair several times a day at work. The hair is growing naturally and should be allowed. Typical of so many Christian groups that are more concerned about appearance than fact.

I went to school with a bloke who wore a turban. It was easy to deal with and not be hindered by it. Perhaps the teachers need to learn how to teach and actually make lessons interesting then the students wouldn't find a persons hair more interesting. I have had science teachers who have kept me fascinated and I have had science teachers who taught in a way that I chose to sit there and play games with friends in class or look out the window.

Simple solution to one desk length behind is to have staggered rows. This is only sensible as it helps everyone have a clear view of the board. Guess Bill you want us doing surgery on tall people next because after all if you are shorter and there is a tall person in front of you they can block your view. Of course you could look around the tall person but that is poor posture and can lead to long term health problems. You already pointed out if she was at the back of the room then it wouldn't be a problem. Simple solution and much better than kicking someone out of school.
 
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WanderingBloom

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in your opinion and the opinion of your wife and daughter. You earlier claimed her hair is not natural because she doesn't use products around on her hair. Using those products is unnatural. You are imposing your preconceived ideas of normal onto others.
Actually in making statements like that they're proving they know nothing about black hair.
The young woman in this story is displaying natural hair.
 
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RDKirk

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in your opinion and the opinion of your wife and daughter.

yep.

You earlier claimed her hair is not natural because she doesn't use products around on her hair. Using those products is unnatural. You are imposing your preconceived ideas of normal onto others.

No, I never said her hair was not natural. I said it was not well kept.
 
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wintermile

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Her hair was unkempt. I had a 'Fro nearly that large when I was in school (in the late 60s), and I say her hair was unkempt, at least in that picture.

She should have had it pulled back and tied for school or neatly cut and blown. But as it is in the photo, it is bedraggled and unkempt. It shows signs of not being cared for as it should be.

There are plenty of ways to make natural hair look good and healthy, and hers shows no attention to care and health.

I disagree. Since HER Adventure, I have been quite taken with Ayoka Chenzira. Chenzira's approach to hair maintenance reaches my ears. Because she is an artist, internalized racism becomes part of the focus without, as she states, having to point a finger.


Aside from the visual humor, the scene provided an opportunity to talk about why African Americans were so attached to the idea of silky, curly, shiny hair to the point of leaving home wearing shower caps as though it was the most normal thing to do.

How had we gone from sporting our Angela Davis Afro and geometrically designed cornrows to dripping curl activators?

I decided to tackle the question through satire and animation so as to discuss the issue without finger pointing through real images. The style provided an opportunity for Black America to laugh at itself, but also have a serious discussion about internalized racism.


Hair Piece: a film for nappyheaded people


The natural look varies. Vanessa's look will vary. Something tells me Vanessa will inspire women who are, in the workplace, making a transition from processed hair to natural hair.

There are 450 images in the Afros book.


0c64cd6d-aab8-45e6-8a0e-6cdd2b50544b_Vanessa.png


AFROS-Model-32.jpg


AFROS-model-12.jpg



AFROS the Book Giveaway on Afrobella.com! | Afrobella
 
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RDKirk

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I was wearing a 'Fro when it meant being identified as a revolutionary, probably a Black Panther, maybe even a Communist. When it was a political statement, not a fashion statement. When white people were afraid of it. When it could get you arrested.

That was back when Black was beautiful and we used "Is that Black enough for you?" where white people were still using "That's mighty white of you."

I know what natural hair is.
 
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FreeSpirit74

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Would you readily change your hairstyle if someone were to complain that it was distracting, perhaps someone who finds cropped or colored hair in a woman aesthetically unpleasing or improper?

On the contrary, I've received nothing but compliments , especially on the color since I switched to henna. Which only reaffirms my belief that blonde hair is "common" & overrated, & chemical coloring is a colossal waste of money (especially when the color fades within 2 weeks). Most people don't realize I color my hair unless I tell them.
 
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Standing_Ultraviolet

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When I was still in high school, I had a physics class where I sat behind a person who kept his hair dyed. Constantly. All the time. Every few days, he would change the color set from a rainbow, to a soccer field after a particularly violent match, to blonde (which, I think, was his natural hair color).

The point of my mentioning this individual is that his hair was only even moderately distracting for the first fraction of the first day. Within a week, it was just kind of there. We worked together on group projects, and I made an A in the course.

If I, and pretty much everyone else in any of his classes, didn't have a problem with his ever-changing multicolored hairstyle, why would this be an issue for the majority of people? If it's too large and actually blocks the teacher or the view of the board for the people immediately behind her, then she can (and should) be required to tie it back. It seems, from looking at her family and their hairstyles, like wearing her hair this way is a personal decision that she has made to send a message of some sort. It's something she wants to say, and unless it's particularly problematic, she should be allowed to say that, even if it's communicated through a non-verbal means like allowing her hair to grow naturally.
 
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Vanilla Scripture

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On the contrary, I've received nothing but compliments , especially on the color since I switched to henna. Which only reaffirms my belief that blonde hair is "common" & overrated, & chemical coloring is a colossal waste of money (especially when the color fades within 2 weeks). Most people don't realize I color my hair unless I tell them.
Blond hair is indicative of inferior eumelanin. Unfortunately our society has become one that thinks the least amount of color, be it in hair or skin, is superior. That would be wrong. Blond is weak in genetic traits, not superior.

The young woman in this story is beautiful. That her natural hair is a distraction speaks poorly of the private school officials character. Best she leave as her family plans so that her hard working family can find their beautiful daughter a better quality education.

I wanted to add this so that there would be no confusion about natural hair in the black community. This way readers know this young woman is an example of natural hair.

About.Com Black Hair

Definition: Hair whose texture hasn't been altered by chemical straighteners, including relaxers and texturizers. An Afro hairstyle is sometimes referred to as "a natural," but natural black hair can be worn in many other styles besides a short 'fro. Pressed hair may still be considered natural because once washed, the texture returns to its unaltered state. Colored hair is sometimes considered natural, sometimes not, depending on who does the defining -- some people believe that repeated hair coloring alters the texture, even in a slight manner.
 
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Billnew

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I just clicked the link at the bottom of the article that takes us to a more detailed article:

Update: African-American girl won't face expulsion over 'natural hair' | News - Home


It looks like her hair blocking a classmate's view is truly not the issue. She is a twelve-year-old who has been teased by her classmates regarding her hair. Though she has had her hair in this style all year, she was not threatened with expulsion until her mother complained about the teasing. This would send a horrible message to the students who were teasing her, but it looks like the school has backed down.
If the hair isn't blocking view nor hanging over the desk of the persons behind, I am having problems seeing a distraction to learning.

Teasing for ones teasing of their hair(wierd combonation there :D) could be a distraction to learning. Is the hair distracting or is the teasing distracting?

Her hair is not unkempt. It's beautiful.
Maybe RDKirk was dirty about keeping his hair in a afro style in the 60's, but that is not evident in this little girls appearance. Her hair is clean and combed.
Her hair is not unkempt, natural unkempt hair would tangle and cling to the head in knots, not fluff out like hers. She can fluff out her hair and have it stay, where others wouldn't. So it probably takes more work to get her hair like this then to do other hairstyles.

If "big hair" distracts these students so easily, one thing is clear - they would never have survived the 80s.
Weird, I remember big hair, but not in my high school. I'm thinking big hair was in the 70's (in school anyway).
Hairstyles in the 1980s - Like Totally Rad!

Simple solution to one desk length behind is to have staggered rows. This is only sensible as it helps everyone have a clear view of the board. Guess Bill you want us doing surgery on tall people next because after all if you are shorter and there is a tall person in front of you they can block your view. Of course you could look around the tall person but that is poor posture and can lead to long term health problems. You already pointed out if she was at the back of the room then it wouldn't be a problem. Simple solution and much better than kicking someone out of school.
Thats a great comparison, cutting open a person to make them more a normal height easily compares to a simple haircare or even simply changing the style of ones hair while in school. Good job:thumbsup:

As I said, if the wall of hair isn't the problem, then I would tend to agree its punishing the person being bullied rather then the bullies.
I can see the hair as a distraction only if it blocks someones view or hangs in someones face.(as in the desk behind)

Hairstyles, even natural ones can be distracting. In a work enviroment, hair can be distracting or even dangerous, or unhealthy. So I think the schools should consider limitations on hair. Food service, you must wear a hair net. Working around moving machinery, long wild hair could get caught in machinery, many professions would limit hair styles as unprofessional looking or causing customers to go elsewhere. This is why schools should set and enforce dress codes. Establish in children what is expected of them so they can be successful in life.
 
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Cearbhall

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No, we didn't do that back then and I've never done it (although I wear my hair short now--it was a political statement when I was a teenager).
Didn't do what? Her hair is textured. That's a natural trait. She hasn't done anything to it. Your hair isn't textured so I don't know why you think you can compare her hair to what your hair does.
Actually in making statements like that they're proving they know nothing about black hair.
The young woman in this story is displaying natural hair.
Exactly. This is an ongoing issue for black women.
 
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RDKirk

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Didn't do what? Her hair is textured. That's a natural trait. She hasn't done anything to it. Your hair isn't textured so I don't know why you think you can compare her hair to what your hair does.
Exactly. This is an ongoing issue for black women.

You asked me "Is your hair textured?"

I guess I misunderstood your question. I thought you were asking "Is your hair texturized?" which is a specific chemical process which, ironically, removes some of the natural texture from the hair.. Our move to emphasized natural hair styles in the 60s was a specific rejection of chemical processes, so we did not do anything like "texturizing" back then.

My hair is very curly. It doesn't nap completely into tight balls, but a strand does form continuous curls of about 3/8 inch diameter. When I was in high school, I sported an Afro about like that of Angela Davis.

These days I keep it short--not enough time to deal with long hair as I did when I was a kid. My daughter also wears a "TWA" (Teeny Weeny Afro), but my wife keeps hers a bit longer. We're busy people.

If I'm reading the picture right, this girl might be biracial, which could give her merely wavy hair instead of very curly hair. But if she's not biracial, then her hair really isn't "natural" but has actually been "pressed" or chemically "texturized."
 
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RDKirk

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The natural look varies. Vanessa's look will vary. Something tells me Vanessa will inspire women who are, in the workplace, making a transition from processed hair to natural hair.

What is fashionably called "the natural look" today varies. But that variance is mostly a matter of using chemicals and other means.

Natural variance would be only genetic. "Back in the day," the entire point of going natural was to totally eschew artificial hair processing. It was a political statement, not a fashion statement.
 
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wintermile

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What is fashionably called "the natural look" today varies. But that variance is mostly a matter of using chemicals and other means.

Natural variance would be only genetic. "Back in the day," the entire point of going natural was to totally eschew artificial hair processing. It was a political statement, not a fashion statement.

Vanessa's look says to me: This is me. I see the same thing when I look at those who posed in the Afros book.

Chenzira communicates it is good to be fashionable, political, cultural and interpersonal naturally.
 
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