Racism in Christianity: A thread (1).
We live in the suburbs of Atlanta. Our children go to a small, private, Christian school that goes from daycare to 12th grade. Our 6 year old, 3 year old, and 1 year old all attend.
We live in the suburbs of Atlanta. Our children go to a small, private, Christian school that goes from daycare to 12th grade. Our 6 year old, 3 year old, and 1 year old all attend.
Thread (2). Our 6 year old looks up to 2 people: His Daddy and his Uncle Sol (my brother). Uncle Sol, a school teacher, has long beautiful locks. My 6 year old told me he wanted to be twins with Uncle Sol and wanted locks. During our shelter in place I made it so.
Thread (3). My 6 year old loves his locks. I try to explain that his grammy's (my mom) grandmother immigrated from Jamaica and that is why so many family members on grammy's side of the family wear locks. That may be lost on him, but he really likes his locks.
Thread (4). On Friday of the first week of school his teacher (Black woman with natural hair) sends a uniform violation notice home that states our 6 year old has to cut his hair by Monday. My husband and I look at each other as he says, "That's not happening."
Thread (5). I follow up with her and the president of the school. They provide a policy that says that boys can't have hair past their eyebrows (ok), past their shirt collars (ok?) And explicitly says no braids or twists.
Thread (6). We call a meeting with the president. I tell him that the policy is vague and unenforceable and more importantly, has a disparate discriminatory impact on Black boys. The president's response is "no one ever said that about the policy before,"
Thread (7). He used to wear an afro in his younger days (he's white), and compares our 6 year old's "violation" to too long hair or student's dying their hair bright colors (another violation). He refers to our son's hair as a fad; my husband checks him at the gate. He refers
Thread (8). To some court case that gives Christiam schools the right to make these decisions. I press further and learn the court case is about employment decisions based on freedom of religion. We leave the meeting with the ultimatum: cut his hair or withdraw for $500.
Thread (9). Later, I send him an email memorializing our discussion and requesting 2 weeks to make a decision. He says there is nothing more to discuss and gives us until the end of the week. He says something about maintaining a Christ-like environment.
Thread (10). After some research we find another private Christian school that has no such hair policy. The administrator there notes that alot of kids and teachers from our 6 year old's current school have the transferred to the new school.
Thread (11). But all of this drama is not why I wrote this. Today is Thursday. I pick up the 6 year old from school and his teacher brings him out per pandemic protocol. My 6 year old told her tomorrow is his last day. The teacher says she understands, she really understands
Thread (12) but is sad. As we are driving away the 6 year old starts sobbing. He says he wants to keep his locks but he wants to stay with his teacher (whom he adores). He tells me some other teacher told him that God/Jesus told them to tell him to cut his hair.
Thread (13). He tells me they made another Black boy in 2nd grade cut his locks too. He says it's no fair. He says he reads his Bible everyday and God and Jesus don't care about his locks. He says that the words (policy/rule) is a big fib and is stupid!
Thread (14). At this point he is sobbing. I've pulled over and I'm comforting him. I tell him we just want him happy and if he wants to stay, we won't cut his hair but I have to comb out his locks, but i will put them back in every break he has and then after this year is over
Thread (15). he can have them back permanently. I tell him if he wants to keep his locks, I already have it set up for him to go to the new school and they have cool stuff there and he will make new friends. I tell him we want him to be happy and Daddy and me will make the
Thread (16). Decision for him. He says he wants to keep his locks and stay with his teacher. At this point I start crying and tell him he's right, this is wrong, it's not want God or Jesus wants. I tell him God doesn't like people treating people differently because of their
Thread (17). Their color or hair. I tell him he's right to cry and feel sad and be mad. I tell him he is a beautiful Black boy and no matter what he does with his hair he is wonderful. I tell him there is nothing wrong with how his hair grows out of his head and that the
Thread (18). president of the school is wrong, the policy is wrong, and it's racist. We cry, I rub his back. His 3 year old brother and 1 year old brother are in the car; they are silent. My 6 year old is angry. I'm raging.
Thread (19). It's not that my husband and I don't have options: The new school is great and better academically and the public school he went to before is also fine. It's not that the policy is legally unenforceable and disparately impacts Black boys. I've come to expect
Thread (20) and have made it my life's work to combat racism, discrimination, and oppression when I see it. What is is that as a Black mother I watch my 6 year old baby try to wrap his young mind around why his beautiful Black self, his natural Black self, as a Black boy
Thread (21). Is somehow unacceptable. And it's that I could not delay for at least a couple of years the inevitable "first experience" with racism. Until he could better understand and I could better explain. It was 35 years ago, when I was 6 and I experienced my first racist
Thread (22) with purported Christians. I would experience racism in secular and non secular places. But it hurts me to my core that my baby is even having, at least in his mind, to make an impossible decision. The advocate in me says fight; the mother in me asks him what will
Thread (23) make him happy and adjusted and still proud of who he is. The #CrownAct was introduced in Georgia by #KimSchoffield this past February, and I'm asking GA reps to push this bill through. My baby won't benefit, but the next babies will.
