After reading an article about a Pennsylvania school banning braids and afro puffs, I couldn’t stand by idel and not tell my son’s story. Now, it may not siund like much, but in 2010, I tried to enroll my school. We’re Catholic, so instantly, I walked into our parish school office and asked for an application. At the time, he was two, but three was just around the corner. After gettign evrything filled out, and submitting his application, I was informed that he wouldn’t make the age cutoff date because his birthday wasn’t until October. I was a little bummed. These days, kids start school right outof the womb, what was I going to do with my boy. Through the help of several co-workers and my own research I found my son’s current school. Hewas accpeted with flying colors – and no adjustments to his physical being needed.
You see, had he gone to Catholic school, his hair (specifically, the ponytail he’s grown to love would’ve only been a momento of his past). We would’ve been forced to give my boy the BC (an un-elected procedure).
The funny thing is, before being accepted to the current school, I was prepared to chop off my boy’s hair. Having gone to Catholic school for three-quarters of my life, I’d become accustomed to such outlandish policies in my former years. I can remember a friend, who was Black, having her hair “wgipped, fried and laid to the side” for prom. Then, on Monday, at school she was called to the office.
“That’s against school policy, ” the principal told her.
“What my hair?!?” She asked, shocked and surprised.
“Yes,” he insisted. “We don’t all of those colors.”
“But what about the other girls?” She insisted. She was speaking of the White girls, who’d gone to prom and still had remnants of the ‘dos.
“They shouldn’t have it either,” the principal replied. But my friend made an instant observation.
“But, I’m the only one who is in your office.” Without hesitation, she aked to call into her mom, who called her old principal who then called our parish deacon.
After a series of calls and conferences, it was determined that she could keep her hair up for the remainder of the week, but any further violation woukd result in disciplinary action.
Yes, I’m serious and no, I kid you not.
I have another friend who works for a corporation that doesn’t permit braids or facial hair for it’s male employees. He thinks the rules are fair inplace for professional reasons.
Back to my boy, his ponytail is growing into a great little puff that he wears on a daily basis. On a morning, when I try to give his head a break from the stress of pulling, I’m normally met with one question, “Where’s my tail?!?”
His hair is now as much of him as any other part of his body as any other and getting ri of it, at least t this time, is just not an optional.
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