*Some black parents at a Massachusetts charter school say their daughters are being unfairly singled out and disciplined over a hair policy that prohibits “distracting” styles, including dyed hair and extensions.
According to the Boston Globe, Mystic Valley Regional Charter in Malden, Mass., said its hair policy aims to “promote equity by focusing on what unites our students and reducing visible gaps between those of different means.” According to a statement by school officials, hair extensions, which apparently includes braided styles with added hair, “tend to be very expensive” and could make students who can’t afford them uncomfortable.
But some of the parents aren’t buying that explanation, believing instead that the policy seeks to punish black girls who choose to wear natural styles.
“I was kind of shocked because for years everyone has been able to wear braids,” said 15-year-old sophomore Maya Cook. After she and her twin sister got their hair done at a local salon, they were singled out and questioned about their hair when they returned to school.
Deanna Cook, who’s been banned from the track team since refusing to remove the style, said the school’s policy is anti-black. “It makes me feel like my culture and my hair was not important enough to be represented around the school,” she said.
While the school is sticking by its claim that its policy is colorblind, the Cooks’ mom Colleen Cook told reporters that her daughters, as well as the other black and biracial girls with braids, were separated and questioned about their hair.
“All the little black children were marched down for a hair inspection, whether they had braids or not, and asked, ‘are those extensions’ ‘are your braids real or not?’” Colleen told Fox 25 News.
Here’s the official statement on the matter from Mystic Valley’s Interim School Director, Alexander J. Dan:
The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School serves a diverse student population from surrounding communities that include Everett, Medford and Malden, among other cities. The school consistently ranks among the top schools in Massachusetts in MCAS testing, SAT testing and college admissions. We send students from all walks of life, including those of color and those from limited means, to the best colleges and universities in the nation. One important reason for our students’ success is that we purposefully promote equity by focusing on what unites our students and reducing visible gaps between those of different means. Our policies, including those governing student appearance and attire, foster a culture that emphasizes education rather than style, fashion or materialism. Our policy on hair extensions, which tend to be very expensive, is consistent with, and a part of, the educational environment that we believe is so important to our students’ success.”
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