Louisiana school hits Rastafarian teen with ‘unlimited suspension’ over his dreadlocks

Holy smokes, you should post here more often. Your humility in stating an opinion is much needed in this forum....and impresses upon me that you're wise; which is far more impressive to me than merely being smart.

 

Hair length, Beards, tiny beanie hats, are all just a religions way of marketing itself...

So that they can spread their mythos to other people and grow their donation base.

DD

 

The majority of the society will find a reason to fear or be scared of black men and it has nothing to do with the hair. Many black men can tell stories on how a white woman grabbed their purse when they got on an elevator even though the man was clean cut and well dressed and or getting racial profiled by the police.

I don't know the economic situation of that community in Louisiana (very racist and poor state) but in my community the schools don't put BS rules like that in place because parents have money and the means to put their children in another school. And that's what that young man's parents may have to do because minorities in this country (particularly black Americans) are use to being controlled by the majority _ telling them what religious faith to have, how they should look, what music they should listen too, etc. so he may not get any support from black folks and or other minorities.

 

So what the heck do you call Christmas

 

I call it Festivus.

 

You mean a paganistic festival don't you...???

 

I do not care wether he has that hairtype as a result of religion. I think it is stupid that a school can determine someones hairstyle. I do no think the school should have any right to determine what hairstyle someone can or can't have.

 

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20...y-reconsiders-booting-corpsman-over-hairstyle

Rocket River

 

I don't totally agree, but... POST. MORE.

 

Per the article, the guy has confirmation from his parents AND his church.

Parents + Church = enough confirmation for me that he's a legitimate Rastafarian

How would I know that you're Jewish or Christian? I'd know it if your parents and your pastor/rabbi/priest confirmed it.

I find it amazing that this is even being debated. A dress code requirement that does not directly impact safety should not trump this guy's right of religious expression. Especially keeping the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (USC 2000bb-4) and the Constitution in mind.

Would the school in question apply the same sort of standard to Orthodox Jews or Sikh's and ask them to cut their hair?

In the words of the federal courts in Cheema v Thompson...

http://openjurist.org/36/f3d/1102/cheema-v-h-thompson

Unless there is a real and meaningful safety issue with his hair, then the school is in the wrong.

A dress code with hair length is as arbitrary as saying no outward jewellery including rings, necklaces, ear studs and bracelets. Would you be okay with that restriction? What if it also required the removal of crosses?

The whole purpose of religious protection under the constitution is to protect the "minority" religions from having the customs of the "majority" religion imposed upon them.

To do so goes not only against the RFRA, the US Constitution, but the very foundations of the Republic.

Contrary to popular belief the US was NOT founded as a religious majority nation. I refer you to article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, signed by President John Adams and the US Congress....

*Musselmen - antiquated term for Muslims

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/bar1796t.asp

Still not convinced? Here's a few more Founding Fathers weighing in...

Thomas Jefferson

James Madison

John Quincy Adams

People seem to love to conveniently forget the foundation of this nation.

Unless there is a legitimate and demonstrable threat to safety by having this kid wear his dreadloks, then he is entitled to do so under the auspices of the Constitution and the RFRA.

Tyranny doesn't always come at the behest of a King.

 

I agree good post. I think I understand what you Pouhe and to a lesser extent Remii are saying but I find it troubling in 2014 that black men are still saying this about black men. You're right that Richard Sherman is successful athlete but given that he is clearly intelligent and a very hardworker even without his athletic talent he likely still would be successful. I don't know if that meant he would've had to cut his hair in order for him to be succeed outside of sports but would like to think that he wouldn't.

Just speaking from personal experience I'm a professional in my 40's and recently have let my hair grow out after having it very short for most of my life. I now wear it in what can best be called a Samurai top knot. If anything I've found it's improved my business and July was the busiest month my business had in years with me personally managing some complicated projects. I'm a 5'-7" Asian guy so I don't come with the same racial baggage that large black men have but at the same time I would hope that we've gotten past obsessing about looks to respect competency.

Given all of the stuff we hear about Ferguson, Trayvon Martin and etc.. yes I can accept that there is still a lingering fear of the black but does that mean that black men must conform to some ideal to the extent that they have to give up a religious expression that they find important but otherwise doesn't affect their ability to learn? For example how much difference would it make in a business meeting for a clean cut black man wearing a suit with proper diction and well versed in the subject matter versus the same black man with dreadlocks?

 

Drug test?

 

Idealistic vs reality. In the context of real world interactions, appearances DO matter in how people perceive and judge you, particularly in making first impressions. We don't live in utopia. To ignore this fact is just being intentionally naiive and out of touch with reality.

The same reason an asian man dressed in a nice suit will be taken much more seriously than an asian man in a bummy worn-out wrinkly suit, bleached, spikey hair. By the way, the point isn't about dreads being "natural" or organic, while an asian with bleached hair "is not". That's not the point here. The parallel drawn is whether the person is professionally presentable.

 

I understand that but I am trying to understand the extent to which it is regarding black men. Pouhe seems to be saying that black men need to be more careful about their appearance than others.

True which is why I used the example of a black man in a suit. I'm not saying people should dress however the feel in every situation. If this was a case of the kid insisting on wearing pants hanging halfway down his butt and tons of gold to school I can see how that could be disruptive. From what I gathered in the article this is just about dreadlocks otherwise he is willing to wear the school uniform. We see that situation all the time with devout Sikhs and Jews who otherwise than turbans and yarmulkes still conform to dress codes.

 

Good point. Good Post.
The 'need' for black men to cowtow and bow down and make himself small so others can be comfortable around him.
He should 'smile' more. He should make an effort to show his good intentions.
to prove he is 'not like the others'

This comes from black people and white people alike.
While all will say it is wrong to expect it . . . they all expect it
and push it and support it through quiet agreement.
This is the nature of the New Racism
It is a machine that feeds itself. . . .

Rocket River

 

Who are we to dictate how someone should live their lives?

To you, me, and most reasonable outsiders looking in your logic is sound. The problem is that your train of thought isn't universal. Belief isn't something based on logic in many instances. Your mother chose to prioritize your education over her beliefs, that's the beauty of this country - she had the freedom to make that decision.

In this particular instance, this aspect of the child's belief isn't disruptive to society at all. How is order being upheld by limiting how this child expresses his religion? Who is turning this into a hurdle - the child who by law is protected in instances like this, or the institution which refuses to respect the constitution?

Various religious groups have come to this country specifically to avoid persecution. By allowing this child's constitutional rights to be violated in this manner we're perpetrating an injustice that violates the foundation on which this country was built on.

Just as a disclaimer, I know that you don't necessarily agree with the actions of the school and I understand the point that you're making. I just feel that if the child's education really was the issue here the administration would have resolved this issue rather than strong arm suspending the child for 2 weeks while simultaneously trying to cover it up.

 

I disagree. As an Asian with THICK asian hair, I can tell you I don't just wake up and go to work without styling my hair. It'd look like a mess if I did. Most Asian men have to use wax, gel, etc to make their hair professionally presentable and "clean cut".

I'd imagine it's the same for white men, who either comb or style their hair before heading to work.

I'm pretty sure "being careful about appearance" isn't exclusive to only black men.

Most of us "have to do something about" it. So I don't buy the argument of dreads being "natural" or "organic". Putting wax or gel in our hair is neither natural or organic as well.

 

Except as an Asian myself as I stated earlier I've let my hair grow out and tie it up now so I look sort of like Toshiro Mifune


and it hasn't affected my business. Yes I still dress professionally and in an important client meeting I wear a suit but hair style doesn't seem to be a big issue.

Anyway that is somewhat tangential to the point. The issue here isn't just one of fashion but one of religious conviction complicated by race. There are many Sikh professionals who wear turbans and have long beards yet few question their professional ability based on their hair and except the fact that that is an important religious expression.

 

Do they make concessions for other religious traditions?

If so, then why not in this case?

If not, they are going to deal with bigger issues.

 

Exactly.

Also . . . I have a problem when this is a big issue
but the little girl next to him has blue hair
or some rainbow
Artificial things are allowed and encouraged
and more than any weed argument .. . Dreds are NATURAL

how do you determine one is disruptive and the other is not

Rocket River