Have you counted the many stories we have had over the years of little black girls being chastised about how their hair grows out of there head?
I stopped counting to be quite honest because it is clear to me that there is a serious vendetta against our children that sometimes does not come from other races but from our own race. In this case a thirteen year old girl was removed from her classroom by her principal because her hair was too ‘poofy’.
The 13-year-old was doing her work at Amesbury Middle School when Tracey Barnes the schools principal instructed her to pull her hair back or she would have to spend the rest of the period in the office. The girl’s parents would like her identity to be protected for fear of backlash but when the child was interviewed she said she was surprised:
“I didn’t see what the big deal was about my hair because it wasn’t bothering anybody. I was just doing my work so I didn’t see why I had to be pulled out of class because of my hair.”
The aunt of the child spoke about the case on social media and made the point that the principal was black and that even though teachers and principals should be helping us to instill self worth and value in our children sometimes they do not care enough about themselves to do that.
Kaysie Quansah (The aunt) said the following:
“I know that as a little, Black girl, it’s hard growing up in this world. It’s hard growing up with European beauty standards kind of pushed down on us from a young age.”
“We grow up, all this time, feeling like we’re not beautiful. And so for her to see [my niece] and her natural hair and to think ‘Oh, she will never get a position or she won’t be accepted in society because of that’ feels like it was drilled in her when she was growing up and now she’s projecting that onto little Black girls who may have reminded her of herself.”
The tricky thing about this case is that their is a dress code but there are no specifics about hair. The child usually wears her hair in braids but recently wanted to enjoy her hair loose which has been a problem for the pricipal according to her parents.
You can watch the full story from“City News,” below:
Sharnettefineaswine Windley says
Smh
Caroles Page says
ridiculous
Tessica Campbell says
Sad!
Sharon Thomas says
Poofy really, just because she doesn’t understand our battle with our hair it’s unfair!
Jena says
How could she not understand…this was a black principal!
Lynnette Kyle Bradley says
That’s such bulls**t
Jocelyn Moore says
The sad thing is the principal is an African-American woman who does or ahoild know the struggle but apparently does not.
HisLovely Ness says
Maybe she’s addicted to the creamy-crack??? LOL! JK
MsLadyE says
Or the weavy weed…
Ruth Francois says
What wrong with those black people Now days they hating on their own race it’s disgusting. They start doing the same s**t that the white people did to us what a shame
Karen Nesbit says
So what her hair is too poofy. What does that have to do with learning.
Jus Carissa says
This is so sickening thats her natural hair why other races feel comfortable to wear their hair naturally and we cant what do they hate or fear so much about black people hair is it that they know we are embracing ourselves and aware of who we really are! Stop them from encouraging self hate.
Inda Williams says
Great point, we are starting to wake up! They don’t want us to know the truth
Carly Rose Agate says
I get it all the time and in white
BlessedandAssured Smith says
Curly head girls all know the struggle no matter your skin complexion:)
Ajah says
I agree. There was a white little girl with curly hair that was kicked off the squad because her mother didn’t want to straighten her hair. She tried to explain to the coach that straightening her hair will ruin her hair. The coach said it was because of the mother’s attitude that the girl was kicked off the squad, but I’m more on the mother’s side. I didn’t see the issue because she had cheered for years with her curly hair and no one had an issue, now all of a sudden they want her hair straight? What’s so wrong with curly hair?
Carly Rose Agate says
Yes i agree
Nellie Buckner says
Jealous
Carly Rose Agate says
I have extremely curly thick frizzy hair and i get loooks all the time and told how i need to tame my hair. Wtf is wrong with people? So hd ignorant.
Felice Weertjes says
I’m from the Netherlands , Europe , and I really dont understand why a simple thing like hair can be such an issue . I’m read the stories on this page all the time and I never hear about these things in my country . Here it doesnt matter what hear style you’ve got . I’m a teacher and we as a school have nothing to say about the hair of the children and why would we anyway ?
Deedeegal says
The principal is subscribing to the European hair styles that the aunt talked about. We as black women have been told for countless number of years that our “natural” hair was not beautiful, so a huge hair care industry sprung up in order to allow us to emulate the European hairstyles (straight, etc.). Now that more and more black women are returning to their natural hair, there are some that don’t believe it’s professional in order to fit into corporate America. I believe to each her own but don’t trample on someone else because you don’t agree with their style. That’s the issue…some black women are stuck in that “mentality” and can’t let go of the chemicals that they have been using for years trying to “fit” in.
Lyveno says
I don’t think “European” is the right term to use, especially when responding to someone who lives in Europe. It’s obvious from her statement that it is not a “European” standard, and I really wish people would quit saying that. I prefer to wear my hair relaxed, but even I will allow it to air dry and be curly. I don’t like my hair to be “poofy” and it has nothing to do with subscribing to anyone’s standard of beauty. I subscribe to my own standard of beauty.
Ajah says
I’m from Spain, so I agree with you I’m black with Very thick Kinky coily hair. Europe now to what Europe was waaaaay back in the day is completely different. I have never had an issue with my hair. Even when we moved from Spain to the states. I was never told that my hair was ugly. It was a topic of fascination because I went to a pretty much all Caucasian and Mexican school, so it was different, but I guess I’m one of the lucky ones that didn’t have an issue. Our issue was the lack of English that we spoke. They didn’t have translators and tutors for that like they do now.
I think that the principal was probably told all her life that her hair was ugly, so I think that she now has a negative view of natural hair and that isn’t fair to other little girls that are being taught to embrace literally what god gave you. I feel that the principal needs to go on a “love yourself retreat”, so she can see that curly, kinky, frizzy, poofy hair is not a bad thing.
Susan Cartwright says
Really b**ch your there to teach stop looking at the hair fool!!! Teach
Luwi Makuwa Funke says
Ridiculous but still sading… That principal is on some real BS! Honey don’t u care, as long as your hair doesn’t prevent YOU from learning, u’re fine!
Allison Rucker says
I liked, because of what the little girl said ”whats the big deal with my hair”. It’s in its natural state and there’s nothing wrong with that. The principal is an idiot for making such a statement, and what kind of message dose that send to all the little black girls around the world.
AshleyRebecca Belle says
Why can’t we just wipe them off the face of the earth
Kerri James says
The principal should have called her mom first, #scared
Carmen Martinez says
Wow
Katia Mendes says
No coments!!!
Washington Deanna says
Really!!!
Jestina Campbell says
So what about the child in the back of her who can’t see cause of her hair Ijs…. though they there to learn too
Yoli says
What an ignorant thing to say. When I was in high school I remember sitting behind a white, Jewish, girl who had the most beautiful, big, long, tightly curly/coily, blonde hair! It did not distract me from learning or seeing the board and she certainly was not told to pull her back or she’ll have to leave class. Why so different when it is a Black girl?
Jaime Wilson says
Switch seats if it’s that deep. They’ll be fine. ( and if I heard right the little girl said ” I wasn’t bothering anybody” so that didn’t seem to be the issue here anyway. )
Jestina Campbell says
Y should they have to switch seats honestly just because no one said nothing doesn’t mean it’s not an issue I understand I am not saying young women should have to wear there hair staight to appease people no …. but if you are in a environment where people are going to be seated behind you you should be considerate just the same it should go both ways….
FromTokyo says
I guess the ignorant need their apologists too. Many was the time in my life growing up I sat behind white girls flipping their hair in my face all day in class. I dealt and got great grades. Your argument is ridiculous and disingenuous, as apparently the rest of us know where this is even really coming from. We’ve been brainwashed to the extent that natural hair is awkward even to some black people. Since you’re likely not black, or at least not natural, consider yourself educated.
Ajah says
Well we’ll never know because no one has said anything. But it’s still wrong for her to sit in the principles office over some thing like that. Y can’t she switch seats? What’s wrong with that? Kids do it all the time. I switch seats cause I sat behind a guy who was super tall and I couldn’t see. You just ask to switch. No biggie.
Joslin Henry says
You can’t change the way your hair “grows” from scalp.
Jestina Campbell says
I’m tracking but she could slap on a pony tail holder or a clamp
Jacqy says
Why should she have to? As another commented, we’ve sat behind white girls and had them fling their hair in our faces and had to deal w/it. Got good grades and all! Some times I got slapped in the face w/hair; some times it didn’t smell so good either, but I didn’t complain. Nobody cared and I got my work done and had good grades. Put a clamp on your hair Miss Jestina Campbell.
Ajah says
Why? She did it before it’s not like she never did, but she pulled her hair out of the braids and ponytails and really liked how she looked with her hair out. A lot of people including straight haired girls that like to whip their hair back and forth can clip or pull their hair back in a ponytail, but no body really gets on them. Maybe cause it’s not as voluminous, but it’s just as distracting. Sometimes you need to stop yanking on your follicles and just let your hair hang.
Ajah says
Well that was what the girl already addressed. No one had an issue with it. Now if a child did have an issue with it, then I would tell her mother that she can wear it curly, but don’t fluff it out too much because the kids behind her can’t see. Or they could move her to the back, so her hair wouldn’t be an obstruction to any other student.
Pamela Smith says
And this same sad story continues……kids no longer can be just kids. The principal needs to be educated on black pride, especially her own. She obviously missed that parade when it came to town. This is so unbelievably sad…..
FLisa Childress says
Crazy! Another messy
Marianela Arroyo says
It is so unfair to see this kind of ignorance continue. Why can’t women with curly hair just be free to enjoy our natural given hair?! This principle clearly needs to take several seats and gain some knowledge about how we all look different and that it’s okay.
Vassey Contour says
What next ?
Jamila Kelly says
I hear stories about this maybe…once a month now compared to before when i rarely did. Ever.
Yes It’s not right, but…I mean…This is kinda like the Starbucks coffee cup thing. Idk if it’s just being brought up a lot..or if it just didnt matter so much before.
Man I’ll be glad when 2015 is over. Should seriously go down in history as the year that everything blew up. I won’t miss it.
Ajah says
When the Coffee cup hit the news, I was like, “It is just a cup! Your going to sip your drink and toss it. What is the BIG DEAL?!”
Zehra Zeezee Hammerton says
Disgusting.trying to discourage black people from loving themselves and giving them a complex about how essentially God made you!
Love yourselfs and diversity of yr hair it’s amazing xx
Michelle Palmer says
Well I hope action is taken. It is sad that a black person knowing what kind of hair we have made that comment to the girl and now she is feeling bad about her god given beauty. The principal probably straightends her hair to fit the white image we so long have done to push forward. Please do not forget our skin is still BLACK even with the relaxed hair and know what we are called.
Sade Gumbs says
It’s sad that she had to go through dat and the situation could have been handled differently especially cause the principal was black, but at de same time dis issue could have been avoid if her mom simply put her hair in one so she would be neatly attired for school and when she at home or going out allow her to wear it open its just my opinion cuz I would like to believe dat being nearly attired would also include ur hair.
Sandra Victoire says
This is ridiculous…
Mary Barbee says
Really…
Diema Shantaa says
They might as well legalize racism with all this nonsense.
Nicole Moreno-Crumbsy says
They reprimanded my daughter for her “big” hair. Called it a distraction and told her not to have me style it that way for school…smh! I sent her to school with the biggest puff for a whole week after that…lol. Don’t try my baby!!! (Teacher was black too)
HisLovely Ness says
I LOVE IT… LOL 🙂
Tamara Jerseygirl Thomas says
Mfs always have a problem with black hair smh
Tamara Jerseygirl Thomas says
The principal is a self hater
Kaysee Ebanks says
Be careful of the media y’all…to quote Dr. Phil ” a pancake can be as flat as it wants to but there are always 2 sides”….
Deedeegal says
I believe the principal needs to be sent to the principals office. I other words…she needs to get a life and recognize that this is this 13 year olds NATURAL HAIR! If it were streaked with purple, orange, green…I could understand the distraction. BUT… When are we going to accept the fact that professionalism is how you conduct yourself…not how you wear your hair? Come on…really black principal? There are many black women in corporate America that are rocking their natural hair…and running the Fortune 500 companies! She needs to get a grip and work on HER self esteem. I’m so tired of hearing about how people reject the image of black beauty. That’s what they did when our ancestors were slaves. The black woman was so beautiful and so exotic with that “poofy” mane that the white women made them cover it up because it was so fascinating to the white men! GET A REAL LIFE PRINCIPAL AND LET THIS CHILD AND OTHERS EMBRACE THEIR BEAUTY!
Jewel says
shockingly when you watch the video, the girl’s hair does not appear poofy (her aunt’s hair is big n beautiful, but the 13-year old isn’t poofy as described). I do not see how anyone seating behind her cannot see and/or how that is distracting to anyone. The fight continues!!! SMH
MsCurlyKat says
What a cute girl. I can’t for the life of me see what the big f*$&n deal is. This reminds me of something I read in recent years: I can’t remember in its entirety, but I think it was in America. A law was passed that Black women had to cover their hair in public, I think because it was “distracting”. Being the resilient folks we are if you look at old paintings all the Black women wearing a head cover looked absolutely beautiful-they decided since they had to do it they would do it with class. This is like that, all over again, and should not be happening.
Deedeegal says
Thank you. My reply was to explain to a “European” what all the fuss was about. If you will reread my response…I agree with you. You do you! If you like your hair straight…great!! If there are those who want to wear their hair the way it was given to them at birth…great! I just don’t agree witht he principal for pulling the 13 yr old from class because her hair was “poofy”! If she likes her hair that way and she is comfortable with it…who is the principal to say what her hair looks like? I also mentioned that if she had purple, orange, green and other color streaks in her hair…I would say that that might be a distraction. But “Poofy”? Really? It has all to do with the “European” definition of beauty. Their ancestors were the ones that brought our ancestors to this country…to keep them submissive made them believe that their beauty did not exist…our ancestors believed that by trying to emulate that culture we would be more accepted…read the history. It’s there…I’ve lived it…I’ve been told about it…I’ve witnessed it. You do you…I also believe that I put that in my earlier response.
Kandice Dunlap says
Lawsuit
Ajah says
See the fact that hair isn’t even covered in the dress code is wrong. That lady needs to be fired. How would she feel if she went to a job and someone didn’t hire her because her hair wasn’t natural, so they felt that people wouldn’t be able to relate to her or whatever. What is she talking about professional for? The girl is only 13; she has 3 more years before she can get a job well 2 if she gets a work permit. So dumb that a black person is going to do that to a black little girl. More and more I think about home schooling when I have kids.
MsLadyE says
It’s sad enough when white folks engage in this kind of foolishness, but when OUR OWN PEOPLE do it, it’s even sadder. This is just crazy.