Massachusetts Group Home SHAVES 7-Year-Old Girl’s Hair W/Out Mom's Permission
Who does this!!!! This is sooooo not OK!
In Dracut, M.A., a seven-year-old biracial child is nearly bald because her teachers claimed that her natural hair was unhygienic. They took the liberty of SHAVING ALL OF HER HAIR OFF at a nearby salon. The girl’s mother, Denise Robinson, is absolutely appalled and is suing the program.
Black women’s hair is often seen as unprofessional or unkempt. As far away as South Africa, black female students are told that their natural hair isn’t proper enough. School leaders make up all sorts of reasons to justify this violation — they say that the hair is a distraction, that it’s not clean, or that it’s against school rules. All of this trauma is inflicted onto black girls because people don’t want to take a few minutes to learn about their own biases against black hair!
The people who cut this girl’s hair were supposed to be keeping her safe and happy in her mother’s absence. As Robinson said to Fox 25 Boston, “what else are they doing that the state doesn’t know?”
To force a child to cut their hair is a truly violent act that’s reminiscent of the days when Native American children were forced to cut off their long hair.
As if the haircut wasn’t bad enough, program employees actually said to the girl that her hair would grow back straight. Not only is this obvious NONSENSE but it also implies that curly hair is some sort of downgrade from straight hair.
Employees responded to Robinson’s concern by explaining that they are allowed to cut children’s hair without permission for hygienic purposes.
It seems like the meaning of “hygienic” is up for debate. Prior to her haircut, the seven-year-old had long curly hair. At the time of the haircut, they were braided into two side ponytails. Robinson says that her daughter had no mats or bugs in her hair.
So far, the program has only responded to say that they are investigating the circumstances and will take appropriate action if necessary. Hopefully, the controversy will lead them to think twice before ever touching a little girl’s hair without consent again!!!
