When will black people be able to just live their lives? I’m so sick and tired of hearing about people policing black people’s hair, especially children. The most recent incident I heard about is when an eight-year-old student in Jackson, MI, was not allowed to have her school picture taken at Jackson’s Paragon Charter Academy because she had red braid extensions added to her hair.

Dozens of photographers reached out when they heard the story, and the young lady ended up having an awesome photoshoot. It should have never come to this. It’s not okay to ban hairstyles that are common among a certain group of people. This is discrimination and racism. Since people can’t figure this out, legislation has to be passed to help get it through the thick skulls of some people.

If you think I am overexaggerating, read the following pieces I have written thus far on this topic:

• Why is Black Hair Still Being Policed?
• Stop Policing Black Students’ Hair
• So You Let Black Boys Wear Dreadlocks, but When Are You Going to Stop Kicking Them out of Class?
• School Leaders Need to Pay Attention to World Afro Day
• Regulating Black Hair is a Way to Control Black People & Traumatize Black Children
• If Schools Don’t Like Black Hair, We Shouldn’t Give Them Our Black Children

Senator Holly J. Mitchell introduced The CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act in the state of California, and California was the first state to pass this law against hair discrimination. New York is the only other state to pass the CROWN Act, and New Jersey is currently trying to pass it.  

Why did it have to come to this? Challenging a black person’s hair is attacking who the person is. Our hair is part of what makes us wonderfully beautiful. The school is the last place a child should feel rejected for having his or her hair styled in a way that naturally suits and accommodates the child’s hair type.

Although I wish we didn’t have to pass laws like this, I am glad lawmakers are fighting for this cause. Forget having a law in each state; I wish it could just be federal regulation. That’s probably wishful thinking. A lady can dream, right? Just in case that dream doesn’t come true, I will be here advocating for black hair to exist however the person chooses to style it.