Since When Did My Hair Define Me? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Since When Did My Hair Define Me?

I Am Not My Hair

34
Since When Did My Hair Define Me?
Andreas Preis: Artist Of The Day

In more recent racial news, the 11th United States Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission who filed a lawsuit against Catastrophe Management Solutions, forcefully ruling that refusing to hire someone because of their (dread)-locs is now legal. As if being young black and educated was not already hard enough, now we have to worry if someone will hire us because we rock loc's.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit on behalf of Chasity Jones. Jones' job was recently revoked from Catastrophe Management Solutions located in Mobile, Alabama. As stated by the case file, Jeannie Wilson, a human resource manager for Catastrophe Management Solutions, commented on Jones' Locs during a hiring meeting to discuss some of her scheduling conflicts, Wilson told Jones' "they tend to get messy, although I'm not saying yours are, but you know what I'm talking about." Wilson then told Jones "that CMS would not bring Jones on board with dreadlocks."

In the lawsuit the EEOC stated that CMS violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964's Title VII, arguing that Loc's are a "racial characteristic" that have been historically used to stereotype African-Americans.

What happened to freedom of expression? Can someone please explain to me exactly how what's on the top of my head determines what is in my head?

I do agree that in a professional setting that those who rock Loc's should tend with the up keep of their Loc's on a weekly to biweekly bias. But that same general principle should honestly apply to any and everyone with hair on top of their head. I find this ruling to be nothing but another chess move in the game of how can we keep African-Americans in bondage.

A brief history lesson on Locs, are a matted pieces of hair are tangled that have not been combed or brushed. Locs date back to as far as 2,500 BC; most people think Locs originate from the Jamaican culture. But locs actually have been noted to originate from Egyptian and Indian culture, Locs shifted into Jamaican culture once the process of Indian slavery began. Once slavery commenced Locs were then began to be called dreadlocks, due to the fact that "white superiors " found them to be dreadful. Which is why you will often hear most Loc heads say "Nothing about me is dreadful."

This is a serious issue to me, because I rock Loc's. Loc's promote and teach those self-love, patience and the beauty within a journey. I have met many people with Loc's and hearing their testimony of growth and determination while growing their Loc's is nothing short of inspirational. This ruling can possibly destroy a culture and also prevent someone learning to love themselves; and that is the message in life, "Self Love."


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

2241
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

301510
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments