Okay…..I’m so over it! I know. I know. I was supposed to be blogging about reading strategies and how to close the gap when it comes to literacy but I just have to get my thoughts out about the case here in my own state of Texas over the young man with the locs! Ya’ll this is getting ridiculous!! This is 2024 and we still have to deal with this nonsense! In case you were wondering what I’m referring to let me give you a little recap:
A Texas school district suspended Daryl George over a dress code policy that they claim he violated. The judge this past week ruled in favor of the school district. The school district claimed last year that Daryl’s loc’d hairstyle violated the district’s code.
Now, let’s break this down…
First of all I have a problem with locs being described as a rope (I’m referring to the article). It is exactly what it is a loc. When curly hair locs together. Point blank period. I also have a problem with this idea of “well groomed”. What in the world does that mean??!?!? These micro aggressive terms really get under my skin!! So if a person wears locs and has a beard he’s not well groomed?!?!? If it’s not “neatly” in place that’s not well groomed!?!? Sorry (but not sorry) but our hair don’t just naturally lay down! That’s not how God created us!!! Another reason why representation matters. Statements like that is also how ignorance is spread. For some they’ll think they can repeat it and well you already know. I mean let someone call your hair a rope! We’ll be summoning the ancestors!!!
I was this many years old when I found out when our ancestors arrived that the slave masters would cut us bald or “groom” us because they didn’t know what to do with our hair. Sound familiar? Have ya’ll seen that image circulating on FB showing the timeline between slavery, segregation, integration? Mind blowing but also puts us back in reality that we aren’t that far out of Jim Crow, Civil Rights, etc. We do have to keep the mentality of willing to fight and not get complacent. Let’s face it, no matter how middle class, upper middle class or even wealthy we become there will always be something to fight for.
I gotta question. What was the point of the Crown Act? Here we are celebrating Texas for passing the Crown Act (I have to admit, it shocked me and made me suspicious at the same time) and the judge said that he wasn’t protected under it? That local laws have presidence…..Hmmmmmm. Okay, do I need to get on my soap box about voting in local elections!?!?!? Let me say that again….The district’s dress code holds more weight than the state law!! Ya’ll better wake up!!! Then told them to go back to the district to get it rectified. Ooooooo weeeeeeee!!!! Now for those of you that are into “local control” ummm where was the local control when the government took over HISD? Don’t get me started on that…whew!
We are going to have to start paying as much attention to our own communities as we do nationally. Why? Because there are organizations out there, planting their people in these positions who are making this policies that are affecting OUR children. And I know that many of us are now in the position to homeschool and I applaud that, but we still need to be the voice for those who don’t have that choice. Public education needs to be a safe place for our children to learn, thrive and express themselves without any repercussions. It is election season and we need to get out and vote!!!!! Vote like your life depends on it!!! Vote like someone else’s life depends on it!! Because it does!!!
This is a shorter blog I know but I really wanted to get this off my chest. As a mom of a son and a daughter, heaven forbid if my son wanted to wear locs or any other “ethnic” hairstyle and it becomes a problem. Same for my daughter. I empathize with the family and I’m praying for them and fighting along with them. We’ve got to do better, folks! We’ve just got to! It’s not gonna cut it!!!!
BlackTeachingMama2 