Hair Discrimination is Racist

Why Black Communities Advocate for Hair Peace

Abstract

Black girls are at greater risk than other girls for receiving citations due to dress code violations and talking back to teachers, as well as for much less severe behaviors, such as gum chewing, defiance, and failure to comply with prior discipline. Further, these disciplinary measures have a greater likelihood of excluding Black girls from the classroom and schools. When taking a closer look at a recent trend around the dress code policy infractions, it is clear that some policies are discriminatory, if not racist.