Race

parents upset after a kentucky high school bans natural black hairstyles

August 11, 2016

With a ban on cornrows (“cornrolls”, wtf), dreads, twists, afros longer than two inches, and fade designs, a Louisville, Kentucky school (Butler Traditional High School) just became the latest example of institutionalized environmental hostility, in public education, towards black students. According to the high school, locs and fades are more detrimental to a student’s education than not being allowed to attend class.

The school’s ridiculous, culturally insensitive policy of forced assimilation went viral after a parent named Attica Scott (who has locs herself) tweeted a copy of the policy and expressed her daughter’s frustration over it. The policy itself policing many of the most popular protective hair styles in the black community, implying that they are too distracting and unkept to be in the classroom. Since then, the school district superintendent, Donna Hargens, has backtracked and expressed a desire to open up dialogue around the subject with parents. Butler Traditional High School has suspended the policy, for now.

By Erin White*, AFROPUNK contributor

PHOTOS BY NINA WESTERVELT

*Erin White is an Atlanta-based writer and AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.

Related