‘I Won’t Cut Her Hair!’ - Parents Of Dreadlocked Girl Incensed At ‘Systemic Racism’ After Court Ruling. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20200801/i-wont-cut-her-hair-parents-dreadlocked-girl-incensed-systemic-racism
Considering the recent Supreme Court ruling on the matter of the Kinsington Primary school and the parents of the 7-year-old student on the eve of Emancipation Day 2020, this has left many Jamaicans shocked.
I grew up with my mother having locked hair for fashion/styling purpose, a father who is Rastafarian and other family members and friends who had this hair style. What is startling though, is the fact that there are still laws which back the nonsensical and redundant notions of how one’s hair should be groomed in-order for it to be deemed acceptable. DISCRIMINATION! This now leads me to wonder what are legislators (House of Representative and the Senate) doing? are they only reviewing laws or a section of it when the “crime is committed”
Back to the fact, how is it that we are a free country and a minor is being barred from her constitutional right to an education because of the styling of her hair? We aren’t able to express ourselves with how we choose to style our hair and being accepted in public places?, how is it that a teacher can go to school and teach our nations children with locked hair?, how is It that a doctor with locked can see a patient?, how is it that a member of parliament can represent their constituency with locked hair?, how is it that a lawyer can go to court and represent a client with dreadlocks? but a child cannot be accepted in school with clean, well-groomed locks to be educated.
THERE ARE KARENS IN JAMAICAN! First it was the afro, now it’s the locked hair, “oh those styles are unkempt” but if the hair is straight like a horse’s mane and blowing all over the place, the comment would be “it's ok because you have nice hair”. RACISM
We market ourselves as a reggae nation to which dreadlocks are highly associated, but we cannot use these symbols of reggae and Rastafari to express ourselves. On a day like today, this should not be an issue! Instead of celebrating we are fighting with the masa to be free after “we have gained our independence”, how redundant.
We must come together as a country and demand that these laws be reviewed and amended and wish good riddance to these colonial thinking and ideologies so we can start doing as Bob Marley said- “Emancipate ourselves from mental slavery”.
# BLACKEXCELLENCY #EMANCIPATETHELAWS #NOTORACISM #NOTOCOLORISM #NOTOOPRESSION # LETSRESOCIALIZE #EMANCIPATETHELAWS #BLACKEXCELLENCY# POWERTOTHEPEOPLE
ROMEL MCKENZIE
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The written court judgement can be found here: https://supremecourt.gov.jm/sites/default/files/judgments/Virgo%2C%20Dale%20v%20ZV%2C%20Board%20of%20Management%20of%20Kensington%20Primary%20School%2C%20Minister%20of%20Education%2C%20Attorney%20General%20of%20Jamaica%20and%20Office%20of%20the%20Childrens%20Advocate.pdf
Gleaner article can be found here: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20200801/i-wont-cut-her-hair-parents-dreadlocked-girl-incensed-systemic-racism