IN KENTUCKY A SCHOOL CALLED THE BUTLER TRADITIONAL HIGH
SCHOOL, AND LOUISVILLE RELEASED THEIR NEW DRESS CODE AND A
LOT OF PARENTS ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
WHY?
BECAUSE IT CALLS OUT CERTAIN HAIRSTYLES THAT MIGHT BE
MORE DISCRIMINATORY TOWARD AFRICAN-AMERICANS THAN
OTHER RACES.
WHEN PEOPLE GOT THE STRESS CODE IT SAID THINGS LIKE THIS.
WE HAVE A TWEET.
IT ALSO POINTS OUT NATURAL HAIR COLOR IS ONLY ALLOWED, NO
TWO-TONE HAIR OR SEVERE CONTRAST.
THE ACLU ñ NO, ONE MOTHER TWEETED OUT.
>> WOMEN I GUESS CAN DYE THEIR HAIR, NO MALE CAN DYE THEIR
HAIR.
>> MALES HAIR LENGTH SHOULD BE KEPT AT A REASONABLE LENGTH.
>>AND NO MOHAWKS.
SHAWN KING OF THE NY POST IS RIGHT ABOUT THIS SAYING
THAT MAYOR DIBLASIO'S SONS AFRO WOULD NOT PASS HERE.
>> IT HAS TO BE 2 INCHES OR SHORTER.
>> DREADLOCKS ARE THE MOST NATURAL HAIR STYLE YOU CAN
HAVE BECAUSE ALL YOU DO IS NOTHING.
>>ONE MOTHER OBJECTED.
>> I WOULD SAY I
HAVE
TO AGREE
IT HAS TO DO WITH SAFETY
AND FACILITATING LEARNING, THEN SURE HAVE RULES.
BUT A 2 INCH AFRO IS NOT GOING TO BLOCK THE CHALKBOARD
FROM PEOPLE BEHIND HIM.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT THIS IS A
PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, NOT A PRIVATE INSTITUTION WHERE YOU
CAN HAVE RULES THAT ARE OF YOUR IDEOLOGY OR MISSION STATEMENT.
TO ME, THIS INFRINGES ON OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND
RIGHTS AS STUDENTS.
YES, I UNDERSTAND THEY ARE UNDER 18
YEARS OLD, BUT STUDENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTROL THEIR OWN
BODIES, THEY ARE STRIPPING AWAY CONTROL FROM THEIR VERY BEING.
IT IS NOT ABOUT A TEACHER, IT'S ABOUT HAIR.
THE OTHER THING THE RULES MISS IS THAT SOME AFRICAN
AMERICANS REPORT THAT KEEPING HAIR IN BRAIDS IS THE BEST
WAY TO PROTECT THEIR HAIR BECAUSE IT IS PRONE TO
BREAKAGE, AND THAT COMPLETELY IGNORES THIS FACT.
>> NOBODY CHECKED WITH ANYBODY BEFORE THEY PUT THIS OUT.
>>NO.
IT'S LIKE THE VOTER RIGHTS, HOW CAN WE MOST SCREW OVER
BLACK PEOPLE WITHOUT USING THE WORD BLACK.
>>I THINK CORNROWS ARE ONLY OFFENSIVE WHEN WHITE PEOPLE
HAVE THEM.
>> THAT IS THE OTHER ISSUE AS WELL, RIGHT?
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION IS ñ
>> THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT
OF BLUNT PEOPLE IN THOSE SCHOOLS, THAT IS NOT NATURAL.
IF YOU ARE MAKING THAT RULE YOU HAVE TO GO TO EVERY PERSON
WHO GETS HIGHLIGHTS PUT IN THEIR HAIR OR DIES IT BLONDE AND
SAY SORRY YOU HAVE TO BE BRUNETTE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS ALSO A RULE THAT SAYS THERE CAN
BE NO TWO-TONE CONTRAST, SO THOSE GIRLS ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO SHAVE THEIR HEADS.
>> A LOT OF THIS ñ ISN'T IT RECENTLY THAT THE ARMY
DECIDED THAT SIKHS COULD WEAR TURBANS?
THERE IS A LOT OF PLACES WHERE WE MAKE EXCEPTIONS AND
UNDERSTANDINGS FOR CULTURAL HAIR CHOICES.
I THINK THIS SMACKS OF GOING AFTER A VERY TARGETED COMMUNITY.
>>LIKE THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM.
FIRST OF ALL, IT IS IN RESPONSE TO NOTHING, OF YOU BEING
SCARED OF A COUPLE OF KIDS WITH DREADLOCKS.
I UNDERSTAND A SCHOOL DISTRICTS DRESS CODE.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH MANDATING A DRESS CODE.
BUT YOU CAN PREVENT PEOPLE FROM WEARING THEIR HAIR A
CERTAIN WAY.
YOU HAVE CLEARLY SINGLED OUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
>> YEAH.
IF YOU WANT TO ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS FROM THE
CLASSROOM, YOU ARE DEALING WITH HIGH SCHOOL KIDS.
EVERYTHING IS A DISTRACTION.
THERE IS THAT ONE TEACHER THAT WAS LIKE I HAVE TO HAVE MY
STUDENT WEAR A BRA BECAUSE IT IS DISTRACTING TO ME.
YOU JUST SAID I AM TOO ATTRACTED TO THIS 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
IF YOU WANT TO ELIMINATE THOSE DISTRACTIONS, PASS A LAW
THAT SAYS NO BOOBS ALLOWED IN CLASS.
>> IT'S KENTUCKY, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO COLLEGE ANYWAY.
>> WELL, >>MY FAMILY IS FROM KENTUCKY.
>>GUYS, LET ME GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
THEY MET ON FRIDAY, JUNE 29 AND DECIDED TO SUSPEND THE
PORTION OF THE DRESS CODE ñ SORRY JULY 29.
>>SO, TODAY?
>> CORRECT.
THEY DECIDED TO DISMISS THE PORTION OF THE DRESS CODE
POLICY THAT INCLUDED ANYTHING ABOUT HAIR.
AS OF NOW IT IS NOT ENFORCEABLE.
I THINK THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE POWER OF SPEAKING OUT,
ESPECIALLY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND REACHING PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED HAD THE MOTHER NOT
TWEETED OUT AND OTHER PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THE CONVERSATION.
>> SHE WAS NOT JUST A MOTHER, SHE WAS A STREET
REPRESENTATIVE, OR ABOUT TO TAKE OFFICE.
I MADE THE KENTUCKY JOKE FOR A SPECIFIC REASON.
>>WHY DID YOU DO THAT?
>>BECAUSE KENTUCKY GETS INCLUDED IN INSULTS WHEN IT HAD
NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FIGHT.
SO, MY EX-WIFE WAS FROM OMAHA, RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER IS IOWA.
THE HIGHFALUTIN PEOPLE OF OMAHA WOULD LOOK DOWN ON THE
LOW-RENT PEOPLE FROM IOWA AND CALL IT COUNSEL TUCKEY.
I WAS ALWAYS LIKE, WHAT DID KENTUCKY DO?
KENTUCKY IS THE BUTT OF JOKES NO MATTER WHAT.
I JUST ENCOURAGED IT, BUT NONETHELESS IT IS COUNSEL
TUCKEY.
TUCKEY IS A GOOD THING TO PUT ON THE END OF SOMETHING TO
MAKE PEOPLE THINK LESS OF IT.