South African students at Pretoria High School for Girls are leading a movement against their school’s racist policy against black people wearing their natural hairstyles. The teenage girls began their peaceful protest at the end of last month after one of their colleagues were told that her afro was “unruly.” This was not the first case, but it would be the last time the courageous students would allow themselves to follow such a discriminatory and intolerant hair code.
This incredibly unreasonable situation reminds us of how important it is not only for black women and girls to be able to express themselves through whatever natural hairstyles they may choose but of how the media continuously sees these same hairstyles worn by white and white-passing women while they’re called “trendy” and “unique.”
With that being said, here are five reasons why what the Pretoria High School girls are doing is extremely important and necessary.
1. Everybody wanna be [black], but don’t nobody wanna be [black]. – Paul Mooney
Women are being fired from their workplaces and girls are being threatened to be expelled from their schools for wearing the same kind of cornrows that Kylie Jenner takes on and off anytime she wants to sport a cool new look. We see you, Kyles. That’s called cultural appropriation.
2. Racism. Still. Exists.
Malaika Eyoh, a 12th grade student at Pretoria High School for Girls, says that white students refer to the school as the “most fair and just” school they know. She explains that white students tell black students that racism doesn’t exist because they’ve never experienced it. Eyoh also tells The Daily Vox that black girls live in fear and discomfort at existing in their skin in the very same environment. Need we say more?
3. Self-expression within the black community is vital.
Black people have so many negative stereotypes working against them that hold the purpose of erasing their self-expression and policing their lives. Expressing your self-identity within black culture is often written off as “ghetto” or “ratchet.” However, these are only two of the insults that black people will endure for simply wearing a durag or having long colorful nails. It isn’t fair, but it’s the unfortunate truth.
4. Peaceful protest is effective.
If it wasn’t for the brave girls at Pretoria High School and their willingness to rise against their tremendously unfair and ridiculous treatment, we’d have no idea what was going on at the extremely bigoted school in South Africa. Heaven forbid their movement not permit change within the obviously prejudiced code of conduct, but if it doesn’t, their voices were still heard all over the world. Their videos are posted all over major news outlets. They still accomplished something amazing. How about that for a résumé builder?
5. These girls are being the change that we need to see in the world.
So many of us are guilty. We want to see some form of radical change, but for some reason, we can’t figure out where to start. “Should we make a petition? Should we write a letter?” These inspirational teenage girls show us that it starts at home. You go outside and force feed the public the information that they need to know. You literally make people confront these issues and even if they disagree, it won’t be dismissed because like the girls at Pretoria High School, you won’t stop trying until justice is served.