Black Immigrant Daily News

The year is 2022, and Barbadian children are still being told that locs or loc extensions are not acceptable or appropriate for school.

Yet to Barbados’ north, 672 miles away in the same Caribbean Sea lies Anguilla, a country which has taken the decision to amend its National Code of Discipline and Dress, “to reflect the changing attitudes towards hair globally and within our community. This change will outpace most Caribbean territories who still require permission for wearing locs to school.” This is according to Anguilla’s Minister of Education Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers back on April 13, 2022.

On Instagram, Kentish-Rogers wrote:

“When I was first elected to office a young man turned to me and asked, how can the Head of the Ministry of Education wear locs, but the students in the system can’t? The truth is that children are watching. They’ve always been watching and they are now finding their voices to express what they believe.”

In neighbouring Antigua, after a Rastafarian child was discriminated against due to hairstyle, in early September 2022, just a few weeks ago, the Ministry of Education in Antigua and Barbuda is now working on a draft policy on hairstyles for schools. But so far, the ministry has made it clear to schools that rules pertaining to hair should be made within the framework provided by the following guidelines:

1. Rules should not discriminate against students based on the natural texture, length or colour of their hair.

2. Hair should be :

a. Clean, that is, free of foul odour and/or contagions.

b. Neat, well-groomed and orderly presented.

3. Hair should not:

a. Pose a health and/or safety risk to self or others.

b. Be a distraction to the general school population.

In Jamaica, provision is made for locs due to religious and medical reasons. Back in 2018, a five-year-old girl was denied an education at a Kingston school because of her locs. Two years later, in 2020, the Jamaican Supreme Court finally ruled that the then principal and school did not breach the child’s rights and upheld the decision to ban her from the school citing hygiene as the reason and cause for concern. However, Rastafarians could wear locs to school, but not students who would be sporting the style for fashion or personal reasons.

At the time, August 2020, the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica reported prime minister Andrew Holness as saying: “This Government does not believe that there should be any law which could be interpreted to deny access to a citizen merely on the basis of their hairstyle. We have, as a rights sensitive Government, always maintained that our children must not be discriminated against, nor deprived of their right to an education because of socio-economic issues – such inability to afford school fees, or socio-cultural issues such as their hairstyle.”

Yet today, September 21, a Bajan mother is still confused as to why a teacher verbally told her daughter at an urban secondary school in Barbados, that she could not wear her locs to school after seeing her on the first day of this new term September 19. He told her that she has to have them out by the next day of school.

In a country where the former Education Minister, now Deputy Prime Minister was appointed initially while having a locs hairstyle, a former DLP Senator wore her hair in a locs hairstyle, the Speaker of the House for the last term and current term, who is also a senior member in the legal fraternity has locs, a former Barbados Consul General to New York also had locs, and most recently, Barbados’ sole female gold medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games has locs, this edict from the teacher to the student has the mother flabbergasted.

Speaking to Loop News, she said that her daughter has been wearing this same style since June 2022 when classes returned to face-to-face. Her teacher has not changed with the new school year, yet this rule is now being brought to the fore. Her daughter’s hair has loc extensions. The handmade locs act as a semi-permanent to permanent solution to help a person embark on the loc journey while avoiding the fuzzy, untidy stage which can occur with locsing. The mother said that she asked the teacher on the second day of the term to explain the rule and his verbal response was that children cannot wear extensions, weaves etc and cautioned that other teachers may tell her daughter about hairstyle.

Loc extensions

Photo caption: Handmade loc extensions being installed

The mother, who is refusing to cut her daughter’s hair, shared photos of her hair on social media in bewilderment without any expectations, but to her amazement, she has since received hundreds of messages from Bajans up in arms on the matter.

Amongst the overwhelming number of responses on social media in less than 24 hours are persons saying that the hair is “neat”, “pretty”, “sweet” and “tidy”.

Livid, about this situation in 2022 Barbados, one person quote tweeted, “Why can white boys in Barbados grow their hair to their shoulders but black boys have to cut theirs?” This got some 126 likes.

And many took issue with the fact that locs and such hairstyles are frowned upon except in February which marks Black History Month/African Awareness Month. Someone tweeted, “What’s upsetting is that February will roll around and they’ll have “hair competitions” and African awareness and all the embrace your roots talks… Then turn around and embrace the archaic colonial rules for hair right after.”

The mum asked if her response was too dramatic. “Am I tripping?” To which someone tweeted, “It’s so sad how colonialism continues to impact us as a country cuz how you mean a black girl can’t wear locs to school in 2022?!? I hope you go to the ministry!”

Many called for teachers and schools to get with the times and understand the culture.

“My friend has two daughters with locs and they wear this hair style often …so it could bevr be the style And ppl need to learn loc extensions are semi permanent and not to be taken out like braids are faux locs”

“I swear Secondary schools be trippin’. We don’t live in 1700s. Get with it. Like nothing is wrong with her hairstyle.”

Some questioned the elaborate updo style, but the mother replied that the issue is the loc extensions, saying the teacher did not take issue with the actual arrangement of the locs. Though on those grounds, she would have acquiesced and styled it differently, she admitted. “But that’s not the issue!”

Editor’s Note: The student, mother, teacher, nor the school have been named in an effort to avoid the student being targeted. Also, please note that loc extensions and faux locs such as boho locs, butterfly locs and crochet locs are not the same.

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Speaking at a high-level event during the United Nations General Assembly side, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F. Etienne highlighted the aggravating effect of COVID-19 on the health of women, children and adolescents in the region, which have placed these groups at greater risk and threaten to reverse gains made in the past decades.

“It’s clear that we must act now to protect the future of our Region,” Dr. Etienne said today in a video message to the 11th Accountability Breakfast, organized by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH).

Widespread disruptions to maternal and newborn care left expectant mothers and their babies without support during one of the most critical periods of a woman’s life and a baby’s growth,” the Director said in her statement.

Young women were left particularly vulnerable, she added, as “disruptions to family planning services fueled one of the largest increases in teenage pregnancy we’ve seen in more than a decade.” The Americas have the second highest rate of adolescent pregnancy in the world.

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The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) side event, Tackling Conflict, Climate Change and COVID-19: A Triple Threat to Women, Children and Adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean, brought together high-level speakers to review the impact of current crises and the way forward to address these.

The PAHO Director participated in a panel alongside Kersti Kaljulaid, UN Secretary-General’s Global Advocate for Every Woman, Every Child and Former President of Estonia, and Martin Chungong, Secretary-General, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Participants also included Helen Clark, PMNCH Board Chair and Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health of Jamaica and Rossana Briceno, Chair of the Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network.

Dr. Etienne also warned that gender-based violence is on the rise in the Americas, and that school interruptions triggered “the worst educational crisis we have ever seen”, as “our kids missed more school days than children in any other region.”

Children and teens across our region are at risk of becoming the generation that missed out on the health, education and economic opportunities they needed to reach their fullest potential,” she cautioned.

Looking forward, the Director reminded the panel that Latin America and the Caribbean have made remarkable progress in recent decades to reduce childhood mortality and expand access to health services, and urged leaders to “lean on these past experiences and refocus our efforts as we rebuild from this pandemic.”

This includes stepping up efforts to restore children’s annual check-ups and routine vaccinations from preventable diseases like polio, measles and rubella, which have lagged during the pandemic.

She also called for comprehensive, evidence-based programs to empower schools, communities and families to care for young people so that these can thrive, and urged countries to “bring women, children and adolescents to the table and work with them to shape the interventions that are intended to reach them.”

As part of PAHO’s participation at the UNGA, interim Assistant Director Marcos Espinal also joined a high-level Round Table on Global Solutions to Face Infectious Diseases on 21 September, organized by the Wellcome Trust.

Established in 2005 and hosted by the World Health Organization, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) is the world’s largest alliance for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being. PMNCH brings together 1,250 partners, including governments, NGOs, adolescent and youth groups, private sector organizations, health professional associations, academic and research institutions, inter-governmental organizations, and UN agencies.

SOURCE: Pan American Health Organization

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PARAMARIBO — president Santokhi heeft donderdag tijdens een ontmoeting met de premiers van Aruba, Curaçao en Sint-Maarten hen meegedeeld dat

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A resident of Pluck Road, Woodland wades through her porch and yard after thundershowers triggered flooded in parts of south Trinidad on Thursday. – PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB

THE Met Office during the course of Thursday toned down its warning to the general public about the impact of bad weather from a topical disturbance from the Atlantic Ocean.

Initially in its 11 am update, it warned of “a high chance of showers and thunderstorms until the evening”, with floods and landslips likely.

It had forecast: “Mostly cloudy with showers and the 70 per cent (high) chance of thunderstorm activity over varying areas. Gradual improvement likely during the evening/ night, becoming mostly settled despite few lingering showers and the 30 per cent (low) chance of the isolated thunderstorm. Adverse weather alert No 3 (yellow level) including riverine flood alert No 1 in effect!

The alert said showers and thunderstorms continued to affect TT with most of the activity expected over marine areas.

“Some heavy overland showers favouring the afternoon period, can still lead to street and/or flash flood events and landslips. Localised flooding can be exacerbated.”

The alert said a riverine flood alert was in effect for south Trinidad. The Met Office warned flooding could reduce people’s access to property and advised people to monitor official updates.

“Tree branches and loose objects can be displaced during strong winds. Flooding, landslips and waterlogged soils can lead to infrastructure damage in areas so prone.

“Avoid flooded areas and exercise precaution in areas with land slippage. Follow the instructions of government officials.”

However by 3.49 pm, the Met Office downplayed its forecast for the rest of Thursday, saying, “Generally settled conditions interrupted at times by periods of showers with the low chance of isolated thunderstorm activity.”

For Friday the Met Office predicted, “Partly cloudy periods with showers will likely interrupt sunshine over a few areas, mainly during the morning and early afternoon. There is a 40 per cent (medium) chance of isolated thunderstorm activity. Generally fair night apart from a few showery spells.” It said the adverse weather alert #3 remained in effect.

Otherwise the forecast reported more rainfall in Trinidad than Tobago on Thursday, in a reversed trend from Wednesday. It reported rainfall as Piarco – 20.4 mm and Crown Point – 12.0 mm.

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