Treyvion Gray, a Needville, Texas, high schooler, was told he wouldn’t be graduating in 2022 – because the school said his hair was a “safety hazard.” The wildest part is that long-haired white boys WEREN’T banned from graduation!
None of this is new. “Dress codes” and hair requirements have long been sneaky ways for racists to get away with enforcing white supremacy.
Gray isn’t the first to experience this cruel hair discrimination – it’s been happening in the U.S. for centuries.
In 1700s Louisiana, Black women wore beautiful hairstyles that showed their kinks and coils. Whites, jealous, created “Tignon Laws” forcing them to cover their hair with scarves.
In 1976, Beverly Jenkins worked for insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield – and was told she “could never represent Blue Cross” with her afro. She sued.
In 2018, a referee gave high schooler Andrew Johnson ninety seconds to cut his locs or forfeit a wrestling match!
This discrimination shows up in racist dress codes in schools and workplaces, which perpetuate stereotypes of Black hair as “unprofessional.”
Bans on our Blackness are rooted in white supremacy – and we don’t have to live up to them!
We must continue advocating for changes in education to protect Black youth, support the CROWN Act, and most importantly, create our own spaces to continue affirming the divine beauty of our Blackness!