It’s more than just about hair

The hair scandal at Pretoria High School for Girls is more than just about hair, if we are being honest with ourselves. It is about identity. If hair is our crowning glory, who are these school administrators to dictate what these crowns should look like?

For me, this hair debacle is, once again, about black people having to conform to western standards. We have to be “neat” in accordance with what is dictated to us by standards that do not understand the beauty of natural hair or braided hair.

We are dictated to by people who have made a conscious decision to not accept who we are, but would rather use us as a canvas to mould and shape us into who they want us to be. You have got to be kidding me!

For someone who does not understand my rage in this matter, bear with me for a second. Imagine if President Jacob Zuma woke up tomorrow and said: “No more blonde hair is allowed in South Africa.”

The Samanthas and Melanies of this country would lose their minds. Tears would stream down their faces and the United Nations inbox, phone and fax lines would be inundated with messages about the victimisation of the white minority in South Africa.

But because today the impassioned plea comes from black girls to fellow South Africans, it’s just lawlessness and a misunderstanding on the interpretation of the school policy.

What is this white privilege before my very eyes?

But like I said, this is not about hair, it’s about us being allowed to be who we have been denied to be for so many years.

Do we not have the right to also freely express ourselves and define our image according to how we see fit?

Have we not been controlled for long enough to allow us simple liberties like personal style?

White privilege is real. Only such a thing can allow one the bravery to think they can overstep their authority by making such calls on a people’s way of being.

I read the other day that some folk can see aliens and the like, but can never see racism, white privilege and bullying. Why is that?