The parents of a seventh-grade student at Calvary Baptist private school in Slidell, LA, were upset after their son’s principal questioned him about being a gangster when he showed up to school with braids. According to The Times-Picayune, the student’s mother, Ashely Thorn, found out about the interaction between her son Dalon and principal Angelyn Mesman when she asked him about his day and if his friends liked his braids. According to Thorn, the principal pulled Dalon aside and asked him if his braids represented being a gangster. Thorn and her husband tried to contact Mesman but did not receive a response, so they visited her office the next day.
Mesman told the Thorns that she had never seen a student wear their hair in braids like that, and she had teachers personally come to her and ask about his hair and what she thought of it. She explained that she wanted to see Dalon’s heart and was concerned about the influence of the “changing youth culture” on him. She also expressed concern about young people listening to rappers promoting drugs and doing things that go against Christ.
Dalon’s hairstyle did not violate any of the school’s policies, but the family decided to transfer him to another school next fall after what they described as the principal’s “lack of cultural understanding.” The private school has a rule against locks and afros over a certain height, but Dalon was not asked to remove his braids because the school year was coming to a closeThe incident highlights the discriminatory practices of cultural expressions that students of color face in schools. Research by Brookings in 2021 found that Black students are more likely to be suspended for discretionary reasons related to hair violations. These practices hinder students of color from experiencing a diverse and equitable learning environment.
