Despite progress in the fight against hair discrimination, recent incidents at Barbers Hill High School in Texas highlight that this issue continues to affect students, sparking outrage and calls for change.
In August, a student named Darryl George was given one week of in-school suspension for violating the school’s dress code due to the length of his loc’d hairstyle. Upon returning to school on September 18, wearing his hair in a twisted and tied style, he received the same punishment, resulting in two consecutive suspensions for wearing locs.
Barbers Hill High School is located in Texas, where the CROWN Act, prohibiting discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles, was signed into law in May and went into effect on September 1. Despite this, the school administrators issued suspensions based on their discriminatory dress code.
This is not the first time the school has faced national backlash over its prejudiced dress code. Similar incidents occurred in 2020 when students DeAndre Arnold and Kaden Bradford were targeted. Arnold’s case led to a federal judge ruling that the school district’s hair policy is discriminatory.
Despite the growing recognition of the need to protect students from hair discrimination, incidents like these persist. The superintendent of Barbers Hill High School, Greg Poole, defended the policy, stating that conforming to the dress code is a form of “sacrifice” for the betterment of the whole.
In the broader context, some politicians, including Rand Paul, have opposed the federal passage of the CROWN Act, arguing that it is unnecessary. Such resistance to protecting Black citizens from discrimination is disheartening and infuriating.
Schools should be safe environments for learning and self-discovery for all students, and hair should not be a source of discrimination. The recurrence of these incidents underscores the need to continue advocating for change and holding institutions accountable for discriminatory practices. Each case serves as a reminder of the importance of making hair discrimination illegal and ensuring that Black students are treated with dignity and respect for their natural hair. Barbers Hill High School now faces scrutiny from the world, serving as a reminder that discriminatory practices will not be tolerated.
