Here we are, February 2024 and folk who claim to care about the education of learners in the United States of America are still doing the dumbest ish imaginable. I need to vent – hang on to your hat. I have 2 dumb things to talk about. Here we go!
Hair
or… why do y’all continue to give a damn about our hair?
Back in August 2023, a young man in Mont Belvieu, Texas was removed from his learning environment and placed in In School Suspension (ISS) because of the way his hair was styled. He wears his hair loc’d and the argument was, he was violating dress code. His “hair was hanging to his shoulders”. So he had it pinned up in a style that fixed that problem. He came back to school and was suspended again. Several times.
As of February 2024, Darryl George has not been in school, but placed in an alternative environment because of his hair. His mother has retained an attorney and they’ve filed a complaint in the Texas courts and a trial date has been set. The Houston Chronicle recently wrote an editorial about the situation which was quickly (and apparently at taxpayers’ expense) rebutted by the superintendent of the district. In an full-page ad taken out in the Houston Chronicle, superintendent Greg Poole justified the school’s response to George’s dreadlocks as a matter of being American. And, according to Poole, being American “requires conformity.” (Yahoo News) I will make no other comment on this noise.
California had to write a law to protect Black people from abuse and discrimination because of our hair. The CROWN Act, an acronym for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” is intended to prohibit race-based hair discrimination and bars employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including Afros, braids, dreadlocks, twists or Bantu knots. Texas is one of 24 states that have enacted a version of the CROWN Act.
I just don’t understand why the length of any male child’s hair is an issue. As long is its clean, combed and styled, why do you care? I am not a big fan of about 90% of what most “dress code” documents are really about anyway (I mean, the rules for young women are archaic in some districts), but trying to force black and brown children to conform to Eurocentric ideas of grooming is tiresome. Indigenous boys/men have for years, been harassed about the length of their hair when culturally, hair length is a deeply embedded lifestyle choice for them.
What the HELL does any of it have to do with a student’s ability to learn and interact within a school environment. What the hell does any of it have to do with being AMERICAN?
Optics
or… why are we discussing planning BHM events the first full week of February?
Optics:
Noun
2. NORTH AMERICAN
(typically in a political context) the way in which an event or course of action is perceived by the public.
Oxford Dictionary
I love the teacher team I work with. We’re of a mind to do the best we can for our students. Teaching them about life and each other is part of that education we give. But when the superintendent comments in the weekly newsletter that we should all “do something interesting” with Black History Month…. on February 4th and then that same discussion comes up in our weekly teacher meeting on February 6th, I’m not going to hold my tongue. And I didn’t.
I reminded the group that BHM is the first of several months in the year where the heritage and accomplishments of the different cultures that live in our country are celebrated. The celebration rolls around same time every year. You don’t wait until the month arrives to announce “teach about this culture, ok?”. As one colleague politely noted (cus she could tell I was about to become very impolite), if its about optics for the organization, this is not acceptable.
The millions of ways Blacks are disrespected in this country and quite honestly, around the world, is astounding. Some of the comments I’ve seen on social media, some of the things overhead in department stores where BHM displays are set up, even among our student population, hurt me to the core to think we’re still fighting the battle to be treated like people who have contributed and continue to contribute to the overall culture of this nation.
Nothing screams “you don’t count” more than educators waiting until the last minute to plan activities for the month. Nothing announces your abject hatred of a people than to mutter quietly when asked to embed some acknowledgement or contribution in a lesson or two. Nothing is more disrespectful than a grade school lesson on slavery where you make the black kids dress up as slaves. (slow burn)
Optics be damned. I swear, the adults in classrooms need more cultural education than the children.
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Ok, I’m done.
Well wait, because I’m a “woke” mofo and love learning about the cultures that make the United States the amazing place it is and can continue to be, I’m gonna give you the list for all the heritage celebration months for the year. Start planning for Women’s History Month NOW.
- February – Black History Month
- March – Women’s History Month
- April – Arab American Heritage Month
- May – Jewish American Heritage Month/ Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
- June – Pride Month (LGBTQ+)
- July – August – I like to call these two months White History Months since SOME FOLK are mad they don’t have a month
- Sept 15 – October 15 – Hispanic American Heritage Month
- October – Americans with Disabilities Month
- November – Native American Heritage Month
Solve4Why 