Here at the National Women’s Law Center, we hear stories about problematic school policies all the time. But this story out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is particularly egregious: a charter school’s policy around hairstyles left seven-year-old Tiana Parker feeling alienated and her father with no choice but to transfer her to a new school.
Here at the National Women’s Law Center, we hear stories about problematic school policies all the time. But this story out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is particularly egregious: a charter school’s policy around hairstyles left seven-year-old Tiana Parker feeling alienated and her father with no choice but to transfer her to a new school.
Tiana Parker was sent home from Deborah Brown Community School due to her dreadlocks. According to the school’s policy, “hairstyles such as dreadlocks, afros, mohawks, and other faddish styles are unacceptable” because they might “distract” students. It’s not clear to me why dreadlocks and afros are considered “faddish” – these are common natural hairstyles in the black community that have been worn for centuries. What is clear to me is that this school may need some education about the federal laws prohibiting programs that receive federal funding from discriminating based on race, color, or national origin – Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. And let’s not forget Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in education.
The experiences of girls of color like Tiana highlight how important federal protections against discrimination in educational environments – like Title VI and Title IX - are. All girls deserve a safe and healthy school environment. If you stand with Tiana, you can sign a petition asking Deborah Brown Community School to change its policies and share a photobook that has been made in her honor.
And to Tiana I say: your hair is beautiful.