We are sure that, like us, your heart BROKE for that adorable seven-year-old in Tulsa who was sent home by school officials because they disapproved of her locs. Tiana Parker’s parents even ended up changing schools after an embarrassing dismissal that led to this. Get your Kleenex ready.
It was a sad story, worsened because the poor baby was actually crying over a rejection that stems from a backwards policy at Deborah Brown Community School banning “faddish” hairstyles including braids and afros.”
Yeah, like someone’s actual hair coming out of their scalp (in the case of the afro and locs) is a fad, right? I wonder if ponytails are allowed, ‘cuz you know, nobody is born with a scrunchie holding together their follicles.
At any rate, there is some good news coming out of this otherwise upsetting development.
Beautiful brown women from all over banded together to create this online message of inspiration, aka, a care package for little Tiana. The curator who came up with the concept, Professor Yaba Blay of Drexel University, said she was moved to pull this together within the last 24 hours after watching the segment.
“I was so busy that I hadn’t clicked the link prior to that time,” said Blay, a former consulting producer for a riveting CNN “Black in America” segment and the mind behind an equally uplifting effort to boost the collective self esteem of dark-skinned children. “But when I saw Tiana crying, I put everything else aside to work on this.”
Click HERE to see this beautiful statement from 111 girls and women who responded to Blay’s call to arms. If you want to lend your voice in support, submissions for the virtual love fest are now closed, but you can weigh in at this new Facebook page started by Kurly Klips : We Love Tiana and Her Hair.
We certainly hope she sees it, and we want this straight A-student to know that she has our support too. Keep rocking your hair and upholding your culture, Tiana!
Updated/Required Reading:
Check out our sister publication, Ebony, and an exclusive interview with Tiana’s father HERE.
