A Texas school has punished a Black student over his hairstyle for months.

Mike said:
In the link to the story, there is a picture and his
hair which is tied up, is dreadlocks, so yes it is
racist to deny him an education.

Dreadlocks can look very dirty sometimes, but
in the picture, his hair looked clean and shiny.

Leave him alone, or he will develop bad habits
and regard all white people as racists.

Mike.
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The pic in the article shows his hair tied up. I'll mention this again. IF the article showed a pic of him in "long Locs" like the school is claiming he is not following policy. Maybe the idea of race would go away & be discussed on what he looked like to the school officials.

This is a web site showing what "long Locs" look like

long loc men styles - Google Search
 

PeppermintPatty said:
Exactly. I have to use a comb or a plastic brush . If I use a regular brush it looks like this. I’m not overly fond of curling gels. It feels like dried egg whites . Oh the joys of. lol.Note: this photo is NOT me. I’ve never had my photo taken with it being as frizzy
View attachment 332010
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That looks exactly like my hair too. In the 60's I used an iron and ironing board to try to straighten it. It was futile.
 

Della said:
Yes, it sounds more like his mother was using him to try and win a law suit.

I've had people complaining about my hair all my life, but I've never deliberately broken any rules. In college one of the women teachers called me into her office to tell me one of the male teachers had complained about my hair as being "unkempt." It was actually as kempt as I could make it. Washed and conditioned every morning, blown dry and then set on large rollers for a while to try and calm it down a little. I wore it long, mid back, and parted in the middle like many of the other girls but it has a natural frizzy quality many people hate.

One of my first jobs was as a waitress. I wore it skinned back in a bun, but when I stood in the light you could still see a halo of frizz and my boss complained about it. Other than taking a tip from Alfalfa and slicking it down with a handful of lard there's nothing I can do about it.

The last time anyone made a big issue over it was in the mid eighties when my date and I were walking through the mall with another couple. Suddenly the other man suddenly stopped, turned around , put his hands on my hair and pulled it back asking if I couldn't brush it or something. The more I brush it the more electricity and the wilder it gets.

Women I know are always recommending conditioners to me.

So I understand how the boy feels when people seem to want his hair to be a completely different texture, but length is something we can control, and if it's part of the rules we have to conform if we want to stay.

Hair like mine, as kempt as it's going to get:
Light-Blonde-Hairstyles.jpg
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Here’s a tip to tame that frizzy hair. After you brush your hair in the morning or finger comb, wet your hands and add a small drop of hair conditioner. Scrunch in the conditioner until the frizz is tame and leave to let dry. It takes a bit of experimenting to know how much conditioner to add.

Sorry everyone. 😅
 
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DebraMae said:
That looks exactly like my hair too. In the 60's I used an iron and ironing board to try to straighten it. It was futile.
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Like a real clothes iron?. I’ve heard of people doing this but wasn’t sure if they were pulling my leg or not. Didn’t the iron melt your hair?

Since my hair was so thick, I could get away with adding leave in conditioners, shea butter or jojoba oil etc. My hair was usually left down shampoo day and braided most of the time. The braids helped keep it tame.
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
No it’s not a race issue; it’s a sexist issue.
Why should girls be allowed to wear their hair long and not boys? We don’t need a pic of the boy to know these rules are unfair. This isn’t a woodworking or machinery class.
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Yes exactly.

that would be the issue here i n Australia - whatever the rule is for boys and girls needs to be the same. So long hair must be tied up is reasonable for both. One can have long hair but the other can't is not.

that would go for the Army reg's somebody posted too - it cant say "for women" - the same has to apply to everyone.
 
He wears his hair to school gathered in a bun as pictured. He does not wear it full length to school. There is a length rule and a no bun run for males. There is no similar rules for females.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Like a real clothes iron?. I’ve heard of people doing this but wasn’t sure if they were pulling my leg or not. Didn’t the iron melt your hair?

Since my hair was so thick, I could get away with adding leave in conditioners, shea butter or jojoba oil etc. My hair was usually left down shampoo day and braided most of the time. The braids helped keep it tame.
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Oh, yes. A real iron and ironing board. It helped if you had someone to help you but I often did it by myself and ended up with a burn or two. And it only lasted until the humidity hit it. Then we started getting regular boxes of perms. Remember those? We would put the concoction on our hair and comb and comb and comb it. It did last longer than ironing. :LOL:
 
DebraMae said:
Oh, yes. A real iron and ironing board. It helped if you had someone to help you but I often did it by myself and ended up with a burn or two. And it only lasted until the humidity hit it. Then we started getting regular boxes of perms. Remember those? We would put the concoction on our hair and comb and comb and comb it. It did last longer than ironing. :LOL:
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Preasuure put on curly girls is staggering. I’ve never permed my hair but my brother got my mom to do his once. It looked hideous. 😂
Even those other ways of straightening aren’t healthy for the hair.
 
againstthegrain said:
Apparently a review of prior yearbooks from the school indicated that white male students were NOT held to the same standard.
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Usually there is a way to read what you are claiming. Do you have an article & web site address where I can read what you are posting ?
 
as against the grains post showed direct quotes, you can copy and paste a direct quote into search engine like google and it will give you the sources from which it is quoted.
 
January said:
as against the grains post showed direct quotes, you can copy and paste a direct quote into search engine like google and it will give you the sources from which it is quoted.
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Thank you for that way to see what the poster didn't give as a way to verify his post. You did notice his info was in 2020 not 2024. Obviously I checked post #49 to get a direct quote.

I typed this in google

"The decision [in 2020] from the U.S. District Court in Houston overturns the grooming policy from the Barbers Hill ISD.

The reference at the end of my post is from 2024. As you can see this reference is from 4 days ago. Unlike post 49 I included the web site for verification of what the court decided. Not the "feeling" that this is a race issue. Please note this is from 2024, 4 days ago. It's relevant to the OPs post.

[Texas judge ruled Barbers Hill ISD's hair policy did not violate CROWN Act]

FEBRUARY 22, 2024
Texas judge ruled Barbers Hill ISD's hair policy did not violate CROWN Act
Judge Cain ruled that the Barbers Hill ISD's hair policy didn't violate the CROWN Act. The judge said because the act didn't specify "length" as one of the exemptions, the school district was not in violation.

"The CROWN Act is clear and (Barbers Hill) ISD's dress and grooming code policy is clear regarding male students," he said.
Timeline: How Barbers Hill ISD's hair policy became a court battle in the national spotlight.
 
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Naturally said:
There are those who follow laws and rules and those who don't and may never will.

When I was in the 10th grade, 3 boys were expelled (following several suspensions) because they refused to cut their hair within school grooming standards ... hair not below the collar. They had very long hair.

The 3 boys were white. Was that racism or failure to follow appropriate school standards at the time?
That was at a city public school. The boys transferred and completed their high school education at a county school.
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We had the same rule for hair, but no one was punished if their hair went just over their collar. The school just didn’t want any hair going down a person’s back, unless they were a female.

Myself, I never gave two cents about a person’s hairstyle and still don’t.
 
seadoug said:
No, there is no racism in our country. We are just fine. :rolleyes:

A Texas school has punished a Black student over his hairstyle for months. Neither side is backing down.
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It will come as no surprise, but I'm going for a contrary view.

I can appreciate the racial overtones some may put on this, and I've not read into it enough to know if it's valid or not. However, what does strike me is that the family of this child are prioritizing his hair over his education. They are also teaching him that drawing lines in the sand over petty nonsense is okay.

It's hair. It grows back (or you can get hair extensions later). It's not a life and death thing, and it's not worth jeopardizing the child's education over. These cases often come down to someone suing someone else for cash. All for no step forward.

I went to a normal comprehensive in the UK (High School). We had a uniform. Black pants, black shoes (no trainers), white shirt, and a school tie. You had to sing hymns every morning, say the Lord's Prayer daily, and keep that tie not only on, but pulled right up. If you didn't do these things, you'd end up in front of the head master. If you didn't comply, you were caned.

Now, I'm not saying that's right or the way to go. In fact, I hated it. But was it the end of the world? No. Why is it that we don't celebrate conformity? Why is it we look to react against being part of a group of people living by rules, and having standards? That we don't always get what we want, and there is a time and place for everything? No wonder society is all over the place.

Still, 2024, huh?
 
There was another lawsuit at the same school a few years ago, but *that* student actually sued concerning the policy, which was the proper way to go. If it says no long hair, that's the rule and it doesn't matter what skin color you have, you're breaking the rule if you're a male with long hair... so rally to have the rule changed!
 
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@VaughanJB

It's always valuable to consider different perspectives, and you bring up some thought-provoking points. You're right that hair is ultimately not as important as education, and it's important for children to learn the importance of compromising and weighing the consequences of their actions. A certain degree of conformity can help maintain order and foster a sense of community.

It's equally important to balance conformity with individual expression and the cultural setting. The example you shared from your school experience in the UK shows strict adherence to rules and traditions, may not necessarily be the best approach for every student or every situation. As society evolves, it's natural for people to question and challenge the status quo, striving for more acceptance and understanding of different backgrounds.

Here we are, in 2024—still messing with these complex issues. It's through discussions, and actions that we can continue to improve as a society, right?
 
Paco Dennis said:
@VaughanJB

It's always valuable to consider different perspectives, and you bring up some thought-provoking points. You're right that hair is ultimately not as important as education, and it's important for children to learn the importance of compromising and weighing the consequences of their actions. A certain degree of conformity can help maintain order and foster a sense of community.

It's equally important to balance conformity with individual expression and the cultural setting. The example you shared from your school experience in the UK shows strict adherence to rules and traditions, may not necessarily be the best approach for every student or every situation. As society evolves, it's natural for people to question and challenge the status quo, striving for more acceptance and understanding of different backgrounds.

Here we are, in 2024—still messing with these complex issues. It's through discussions, and actions that we can continue to improve as a society, right?
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When it comes to my own experience, part of the reasoning for it wasn't just conformity - it was equality. No wearing $200 shoes, no blinging up your clothes. The student from the richest family looked the same as those from the poorest (within limits). Didn't stop me hating it. :D

Still, for me, the school is the cultural setting. It's a learning facility. It has a syllabus. And THAT is the purpose. It's not to be "culturally aware" (outside the learning syllabus), or to allow opportunities for individual expression. No-one is at the school 24/7, so they enjoy personal expression when they are not mandated to be learning.

Is this the best way forward for every student? Unlikely. But they're going to be a small minority. I'd also say, "I don't want to cut my hair" is not a legitimate one, imo. I mean, good grief. What life changing event is going to happen if he complies with the rules of the school?

I may be coming across as being harsh on this, but honestly I am trying to see both sides. I know as a kid, I wanted hair like Brian Connolly from The Sweet. I simply wasn't allowed, for various reasons. So I was denied that joy in my life. I survived.
 

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