dreadlocks
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The Big Payback: Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade and Matthew Cherry Give Hair Love to Student Told to Cut Dreadlocks to Walk at Graduation
Texas high schooler Deandre Arnold may not be walking with his graduating class at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas, this year, but he will be walking the red carpet on Oscars night, thanks to Hair Love director Matthew Cherry, producers Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, and personal care brand Dove. Deandre, a…
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An Open Letter to the White Couple Who Wrote a Penn State Football Player About His 'Awful' and 'Disgusting' Hair
Penn State University has responded to a letter that was reportedly penned by a stale two-pack of allegedly college-educated Saltines condemning the player’s “awful” and “disgusting” natural hair. WPXI reports that Antonio Shelton tweeted a photo of a letter on Monday that was reportedly addressed to Penn State’s sophomore safety Jonathan Sutherland who—aside from serving…
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Wrestling Ref Gets 2-Year Suspension for Forcing Black Student to Cut ‘Unnatural’ Dreadlocks
The racial slur-spewing New Jersey high school wrestling referee who forced a black student to cut his dreadlocks has been suspended for at least two years after a civil rights investigation resulted in implicit bias training, a legal warning from the NJ Attorney General and a rule change for black athletes across the state. In…
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NJ Officials Are Still Targeting the High School Wrestler Who Was Forced to Cut His Dreadlocks
A New Jersey high school student whose dreadlocks were lopped off after he was forced to choose between forfeiting a wrestling match or cutting his hair, is still being scrutinized about his hairstyle, according to the teen’s attorney. NBC reports that Buena High School student Andrew Johnson is still getting grief about his recently shortened…
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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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NJ School District to Boycott Matches Officiated By Ref Who Forced Black Kid to Cut His Dreads
By now you’ve seen the viral video of the New Jersey teen who had his dreadlocks cut before a wrestling match. It was disturbing, unsettling and uncalled for, considering that the teen, Andrew Johnson, was wearing a head covering that is allowed during wrestling matches for people with longer hair. The referee, Alan Maloney, who…
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Referee With Racist Past Forces Black Student to Cut Dreadlocks or Forfeit Wrestling Match
A New Jersey high school wrestler was reportedly told by a referee with a history of racist behavior to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit his match during a competition Thursday. A now-viral video shows Buena High School wrestler Andrew Johnson having his locks sheared off by what is most likely an athletic trainer as he…
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Teacher Apologizes After Banning Afros, Other ‘Outlandish Hairstyles’ From Student Concert
District officials at an Ohio middle school have clarified their dress policy after a teacher’s letter banning Afros, barber’s designs and other “outlandish” hairstyles from an upcoming student performance sparked outrage. Parents at Pleasant Run Middle School outside of Cincinnati received a memo from vocal music teacher Steven Reeves, who is black. The letter outlined…
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Loc’ed Out: In Jamaica, a Battle for Equality Rests on a 5-Year-Old Girl’s Head
Come January, Jamaica’s highest court will hear the case of “Z,” a little girl with dreadlocks who was told she couldn’t attend a prestigious public school unless her hair was cut. Z’s mother, Sherine Virgo, wasn’t having it. As the Washington Post reports, Virgo refused to cut her daughter’s hair, telling the paper that the…
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The Dress Code Is Discrimination? First Grader Denied His First Day of School for Dreadlocks
Imagine this: You escort your son to his first day of first grade, all buttoned up in his brand new uniform and eager to begin the school year, only to be turned away because your child has dreadlocks. That’s what happened to Clinton Stanley and his son, Clinton Jr., when they arrived for their first…