black hair in schools
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After Being Denied a School Picture Because of Her Hairstyle, a 3rd Grader Gets a High Fashion Picture Day
Here at The Glow Up, we love nothing more than a happy ending, and here’s one we’re pretty sure you’re going to love, as well: In October, we reported on 8-year-old Marian Scott, who was denied the opportunity to take a school picture after her red extension-embellished braided topknot was deemed in violation of the…
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Big Hair, Don’t Care: A 5th-Grader Stands in Defiance of the Policing of Black Hair
“So, yesterday, I went to school, and I wore my hair in an afro like this…and a lot of people had a lot of mean things to say about it,” said Nashville fifth-grader Promise Sawyers, gesturing to her enviable halo of natural hair in a now-viral video on YouTube. “So that made me feel some…
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Texas School District Gives 4-Year-Old Boy Two Options: Either Cut Your Hair or Wear a Dress
I don’t condone violence, but if ever there was a story that completely justifies throwing hands, you’re about to read it. According to WKYT, four-year-old Michael “Tink” Trimble’s plans to spend his first day of school minding his business while living his best Capri Sun-flavored life came to an abrupt end when his grandmother, Randi…
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Wisconsin Teacher Placed On Leave After Allegedly Tackling 11-Year-Old Student and Ripping Braids From Her Head
According to Yahoo Lifestyle, a Wisconsin teacher has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly tackling an 11-year-old student and ripping out three of her braids. The incident was caught on school cameras and is currently under both police and district investigation. Mikiea Price filed a police report with the Madison Police Department in Wisconsin…
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Calling Foul: Virginia Referee Barred From Future Games After Complaining About 10-Year-Old Girl’s Hair
Another day, another person who has an issue with a black child’s hair. A youth basketball referee in Chesapeake, Va., has been barred from reffing future games in the city after making negative comments about a young black player’s hair. As local news team WAVY reports, the unnamed but veteran referee singled out the 10-year-old…
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In Another Case of Dreadlock Discrimination, Texas Elementary School Insists 1st Grader Cut His Locs
In a disturbing case of déjà vu, another six-year-old is being turned away from school for wearing his natural hairstyle. Texas-based writer T.L. Browning posted to Twitter in early January, understandably furious that her son Jonathan was ordered to cut his locs over the winter break before being allowed to return to school when classes…
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Let Go of Our Hair and Let Our Girls Learn
In recent weeks, there have been a number of news stories about black girls being discriminated against at school for wearing natural hairstyles. In July 2016, a news story went viral about a school in Pretoria, South Africa, banning black girls from wearing natural hairstyles like Afros because they were “untidy” and “unladylike.” In March…
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Fla. Teen Was Asked by School to Change Her Natural Hair Because It Was Against Hair Policy
Another day, another dress code hair policy in need of a change. This time, a Florida teen was caught off guard when she was asked to change the hair that grows out of her head naturally because it was against dress code. “People say they love my hair because it’s so diverse, curly and Afrocentric,”…
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Mass. Charter School Students Sent to Detention, Banned From Prom Because They Wear Braids
Why black hair in school environments is still an issue in this, the year of our Lord 2017, is beyond me. But here we are, yet again. This time, in an apparent sudden enforcement of the “rules,” black students at a charter school in Malden, Mass., have been subject to punishment over braids (yes, the…

