Can The #BlackHairChallenge Combat Racist School Hair Policies?
The #BlackHairChallenge is trending on Twitter. The hashtag, started by @melaninmamis asked for users to share four photos of themselves in different hairstyles. The goal was to show the versatility and beauty of Black hair.
Twitter users took it from there.
https://twitter.com/AarynChristine/status/868286440152514560
Had to #blackhairchallenge pic.twitter.com/TphwyDSanS
— 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣 ➫ (@oceanjus) May 27, 2017
#blackhairchallenge yes I'm so here for this challenge 😌 pic.twitter.com/lYNiMYV5RH
— Alexus Crown (@alexuscrown) May 27, 2017
If only y'all could 4c the rest of the styles I'm cooking up for this year #blackhairchallenge 😏😆 pic.twitter.com/BowyOKmLsf
— Nneoma (Nne) (@nneunfiltered) May 27, 2017
#blackhairchallenge I just do anything with my hair lol pic.twitter.com/NMEhPztThC
— Drea (@DreaMissLady) May 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/syaindigo/status/868826942648274945
While on the surface the viral challenge is a celebration of Black hair and its versatility, we can’t help but hope it will also address the most recent wave of racist hair policies seen in the media. While the stories of young Black students being suspended from school due to their hairstyles isn’t new–nothing is being done to address the issues overall. Instead cases that reach public awareness are addressed individually between the victim’s parents and the school. Until standards are put into place for both public and private schools these type of racially insensitive policies will only continue to impact our youth.
#TheBlackHairChallenge may have started as a Twitter trend but maybe we can also use it to enlighten our educators.
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