Tiffany Brown is outraged after her son Jonathan’s elementary school demanded that he cut his dreadlocks off.
Spring Valley Elementary School sent the 6-year-old with a letter home ahead of Christmas break saying that his hair was against the dress code and that he returns to school with a hair cut.
Brown, who is also an author, shared the disgusting letter on Twitter asking what does his hairstyle have to do with his ability to learn.
Retweet, so this won't happen again!
This is the note the school sent home in my son's backpack. I will not cut his hair. He does not want it cut, so why should I cut it? How does his hair affect his ability to learn? #notmyhair pic.twitter.com/kv5e9EOSaY
— RogerBrownBooks (@books_roger) January 5, 2019
My 1st grader was asked to have his hair cut before returning back to school on Jan. 8th! #notmyhair pic.twitter.com/Qk2fhFy6jL
— RogerBrownBooks (@books_roger) January 5, 2019
“Hair must not be lower than the bottom of the ears or collar in the back,” the letter dictates, accompanied by a handwritten note stating “please cut by Jan. 8th.”
“Children of color have been targeted for many years, because of what others see as the norms in our society,” Brown told Yahoo Lifestyle. “Because of these norms that are blinding people in our society, some people have stated that dreadlocks are a fashion statement and my child should conform and express himself when he’s older. Dreadlocks are part of my African culture, not a fashion statement.”
Jonathan returned to school with his dreadlocks still intact and was called into the office to have a discussion about his Christmas break. But of course, the conversation was about his hair.
“My son Jonathan went from loving his hair yesterday to opting to cut his hair today, after this meeting,” Tiffany said. “Yesterday, he loved his hair and didn’t want it cut; today he’s frustrated and doesn’t, after speaking with a school official.”
