In a perplexing turn of events, a Black high school student in Texas was recently suspended for violating the district’s dress code, despite the state outlawing racial discrimination based on hairstyles. According to the AP, Darryl George, a junior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, was given an in-school suspension because his dreadlocks were deemed too long, falling below his eyebrows and earlobes. Darryl, 17, wears his hair in thick, twisted dreadlocks tied on top of his head. His mother, Darresha George, expressed her disappointment with the school’s decision. Despite the suspension, Darryl intends to return to school on Monday, even if it means attending an alternative school. This incident highlights the ongoing debate surrounding hair discrimination in schools and workplaces, and it also tests the efficacy of Texas’ newly enacted CROWN Act, which aims to combat race-based hair discrimination.
The CROWN Act, which stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” is a law designed to protect individuals from race-based hair discrimination. It prohibits employers and schools from penalizing people based on their hair texture or hairstyles, including Afros, braids, dreadlocks, twists, or Bantu knots. Texas is one of 24 states that has implemented its own version of the CROWN Act. Although a federal version of the act passed in the US House last year, it failed to gain traction in the US Senate. For Black people, hairstyles carry significant cultural and religious significance. Candice Matthews, the national minister of politics for the New Black Panther Nation, explains that “dreadlocks are perceived as a connection to wisdom.” Hair serves as a connection to one’s soul, heritage, and spirituality.
In Darryl’s family, dreadlocks have been a tradition for generations. The hairstyle holds cultural and religious importance for them. Darryl’s mother, Darresha, emphasizes the significance of their hair, stating, “Our hair is where our strength lies; it’s our roots. He has his ancestors locked into his hair, and he understands that.” Historically, braids and other hairstyles in African societies served as forms of communication. They were used to identify tribal affiliation, denote marital status, and provide clues for safety and freedom among enslaved individuals. Darresha recalls that her son has been growing his dreadlocks for nearly a decade, and they have never faced any objections until now. Despite pinning up his hair, which conforms to the school’s dress code, Darryl was still accused of a violation.
The Barbers Hill Independent School District enforces a policy prohibiting male students from having hair that extends below the eyebrows, earlobes, or top of a T-shirt collar. The policy also requires hair to be clean, well-groomed, geometrical, and of a natural color. Superintendent Greg Poole defends the policy, claiming that sacrificing something for the betterment of the whole provides a psychological benefit. However, the George family’s attorney, Allie Booker, argues that the school’s position is unfounded, as the length of one’s hair is considered part of their hairstyle, which is protected by law. Booker asserts, “You can’t tell someone that hairstyles are protected and then be restrictive.” Darresha, in support of her son, refuses to conform to a standard set by someone who is uncomfortable or ignorant. She firmly believes that her son’s well-groomed dreadlocks do not hinder anyone’s education.
(Read more Black Americans stories.)
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