Free Republic

A mother has slammed her daughter's teacher for combing her locs out of her hair without permission and replacing them with braids. Micaela Varlack, from Columbus, Georgia, claimed four-year-old Londyn was left with painful inflammation following the bizarre incident. She said she and her daughter got their hair braided professionally at a salon for $150 three weeks earlier. But she told how when she picked Londyn up from pre-k at Childare Network on May 6 she was shocked by what the teacher had allegedly done. 'Monday, on May the 6th, I go to pick her up from the daycare,' she...

Vice President Harris is entering into hairy territory — sharing the history of her hair. The vice president opened up about her much-photographed locks in BuzzFeed’s Cocoa Butter video series “Hair Story,” released Monday. “As long as I can remember, my mother would part our hair down the middle and put it in two tight braids,” she said. “I wanted to wear it out,” Harris, 59, said, recalling the work-around she devised as a grade schooler. “It’s so funny because I’d go to school — so [my mother] would put it in the two braids — and then as soon...

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Three Idaho women are suing the state in federal court over its expensive training requirement for professional hair-braiders. The women, represented by the Institute for Justice, filed the lawsuit against the Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board in Boise’s U.S. District Court on Tuesday, the Idaho Statesman reported. Idaho is one of five states that still require cosmetology licenses for professional hair braiding. The licenses require 1,600 hours of training and can cost up to $20,000, even though cosmetology schools aren’t required to teach braiding techniques for naturally textured hair. Scott Graf, spokesperson for the...

Sadly, this type of disciplinary action is just as common as it is outrageous, as girls of color face many overlapping barriers to succeed in school, the workplace and even in society. National data shows that Black girls are 5.5 times more likely to be suspended from school than white girls, and that rate balloons to 8.5 times in my own state of New Jersey.

NEW YORK — Willie Nelson says the Dixie Chicks "got a raw deal" from a disapproving public following their criticism of President Bush. "I think the fact that they were overseas and onstage had a little bit to do with it because you're speaking to other people about our business," the 73-year-old country crooner said in an interview in this week's Time magazine. The trio caught harsh criticism after lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience in 2003 that the group was "ashamed" Bush was from their home state of Texas. Nelson said he was surprised his remarks about...

REALLY? THE FACTS Many Americans are quick to plop down large sums of money for trendy haircuts or trips to upscale salons, but some hairstyles can carry unforeseeable costs. Tight ponytails, cornrows, buns, chignons, twists and other hairstyles that pull on the scalp for prolonged periods can result in irreversible hair loss, a medical condition known as traction alopecia. There are no figures on how many people in the United States have experienced the problem, but it is probably most common in women and children. It is also prevalent among African-Americans and East Indians, groups that are more likely to...

SCHOOL BARS TEEN OVER RACIAL HAIR ROW - Jun 21 2004 By Tom Parry A TEENAGER was sent home from school for wearing her hair in braids, even though other pupils are allowed the style for cultural reasons. Jade Fitzjohn, 14, had the trendy plaits done while on holiday in Spain. But back at school, she was told to take them out or be barred. Jade refused so staff excluded her from lessons, saying she could not return until she was braid-free. When she pointed out that two black girls had an identical style, she was told they were allowed...

<p>Body piercing, earrings and school uniforms came under attack at Tuesday's Discipline Policy Review Committee meeting, where members discussed whether to allow boys to wear braids.</p> <p>The committee briefly discussed the school system's earring policy, but quickly changed the subject when Ruby Smith, district director of child welfare and attendance, raised the issue of body piercing.</p>