Posted on 06/21/2004 11:13:17 AM PDT by UnklGene
SCHOOL BARS TEEN OVER RACIAL HAIR ROW -
Jun 21 2004
By Tom Parry
A TEENAGER was sent home from school for wearing her hair in braids, even though other pupils are allowed the style for cultural reasons.
Jade Fitzjohn, 14, had the trendy plaits done while on holiday in Spain. But back at school, she was told to take them out or be barred.
Jade refused so staff excluded her from lessons, saying she could not return until she was braid-free. When she pointed out that two black girls had an identical style, she was told they were allowed to wear them for cultural reasons.
Jade's two younger sisters removed their braids after a warning from staff at St Edmonds Catholic School, Southsea, Hants. But Jade refused to back down.
Her mother, Amanda Fitzjohn, supports her, saying the ruling was racist unless it applied to everyone.
She added: "I was stunned when I heard Jade was being excluded for her braids because two other girls wear them. But apparently it is fine for them to sport them because of their culture.
"If a school is going to have a rule, it should apply across the board, not be discriminatory towards my daughter because she is white rather than black.
"Jade's hair is tied back and is neat and tidy. It does not interfere with her schoolwork. She gets good grades and is a good student. The hairdo was done as a treat as Jade had been having a hard time. It was expensive, too."
But headteacher Neil Brett said there was a zero-tolerance policy towards flouting school rules.
The restriction was waived for the two Afro-Caribbean students in the name of cultural integration.
He added: "Jade's mother says it will take six weeks to get her money's worth out of the braids. She is obviously more interested in getting her money's worth than her daughter's education."
But Mrs Fitzjohn, of Southsea, said: "The braids did cost £46 but that's irrelevant. All that matters is that my daughter is missing out on vital lessons because of a silly, discriminatory rule.
"I won't send her back unless she can wear the braids as she feels very strongly about this matter."
Did you sign up today to say that?
burlfire
Since Aug 14, 2004
If you'd forbid white girls from wearing braids -- which are NOT just a black thang, white folks have had them for millenia too -- would you also ban black girls from having straigtened hair?
your point being? about the date of me signing up?
I can't believe there people are actually in charge of educating children. For shame.
There = these.
Is the school making an exception for these two students or not? They are being culturally biased and that is a fact. If two students can wear braids then for what reason are other students not allowed to wear braids? It has nothing to do with hair care.
Is this why you joined FR? Just to point that out?
I did not say that the school was right to ban the white girls from having braids, nor did I say it was exclusive to black culture, my point is that most/ majority (exception of wife) black people at some point will have their hair braided, plaited or even straighten because it is a necessity, I admire your wife if she has never had the need to have her hair braided/plaited as a black person but she is the exception not the norm, can I ask what oils and conditioners she uses ( as this may be of use to me).
Having braids is not an absolute necessitity. It's about as much a necessary as ponytails.
Nothing wrong with a good debate. Just that you are wrong on this one, and that's just too bad. I am well aware of how black girls take care of their hair. However, if the school is going to allow two girls to wear braids then if another girl wears braids she should be allowed. Of course within a private school, the administration can do whatever they want.
Please. My best friend is a black African girl and she does not braid her hair. She attended private school in England. Her hair is probably more nappy than a lot of people in this country. BTW, my mother is from the West Indies and half 'afro-caribbean' and a lot of my aunts are straight African, blacker than shoe polish with brillo pad hair so I DO know a lot about 'afro hair'.
Yes white hair DOES hurt from being brushed and combed but not like you'd know that. You're making generalizations yourself about types of hair. Someone will view their hair as 'difficult' only if they WANT it to be difficult.
Remind me not to *ever* piss you off.
what exactly do you know about black hair? please enlighten me, besides don't you think it is a bit rude to refer to your relatives as being blacker than shoe polish, and how does your best friend have her hair, all natural you say, how does she cope in the winter, as when afro hair in its natural state and exposed to cold air it mats even more and is more uncontrollable than usual. you say your mother is half Caribbean, is her hair natural, if so how does she cope with the pain of combing or brushing, because my niece is mixed race, and she had to have her hair braided, because it was so painful when being combed or brushed. (It might be of help to my niece. What do your aunts do to their hair?
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