Black Hair Discrimination Research Paper

Discrimination and Clothes

Throughout generations clothes have been styled differently representing different meanings. Years ago, girls would be covered from head to toe because of the fear that all men were a threat. Today girls will be wearing half a shirt and a short skirt to school while men will have their pants down representing that nothing matters to them. As life has gone by, humans have had different ideas as to what is appropriate and inappropriate. Womens clothing have become more provocative, short and tight, making it harder for them to choose clothing where they won’t get the negative attention. They complain about the fact that they can not wear what gives them confidence or be able to express themselves. On the other hand, some women are wearing the clothing they chose for the attention, yet when they get the attention they complain. In the article, “These are not girls who are battling for the right to come to school in their bikinis-it’s a principle” by Liz Zhou (The Atlantic), talks about the fact that girls are the cause for “distracting” their peers at school. They feel as if they are being treated as sex objects, those who

wear sexy clothings are “asking for it.” The principal wants a distracting free school zone. On the next article, by Li Zhou, “This isn’t occasional; This isn’t just some students. This is something that happens quite regularly”(The Atlantic). Explains the problem of transgender students being sent home because of the appropriate female outfit that does not fit their original gender. The third article, “When black hair is against the rules”(The Atlantic 13) ,expresses that straight hair and light skin is considered professional.
Schools have dress codes to prevent students from harming each other. However, females students have been feeling as if schools are crossing the borderline as to where the dress code is being treated equally for everybody. According to Educators and Sociologists “Women are the ones who need to protect themselves from unwanted attention and that those wearing what could be considered sexy clothing are “asking for” a response”(The Atlantic 5). In other words, women need to hide in order to not get the negative attention, and those wearing sexy clothing are asking for it. Protesters argued “Many of these protests have criticized the dress codes as sexist in that they unfairly target girls by body-shaming and blaming them for promoting sexual harassment”(The Atlantic 2). To summarize, girls have been feeling uncomfortable with the schools dress codes, they feel as if they are seen as anything else besides a human being who has the same rights as any other.
It is not just girls who are targeted. Transgender students are being called out, because of the outfit that is the appropriate length. LGBT students are also being sent home because of the clothing that does not fit their original gender. According to recent GLSEN study, “ 19 percent of LGBT students were prevented from wearing clothes that were thought to be from another gender and that number was even higher for transgender students”(The Atlantic). The GLSEN are saying, that the school code is being unfair. Even with students wearing an appropriate length of clothing , it is not appropriate if the clothing is not on the right body type.
Many people have different ideas as to what is professional and what is not.

The United States Army had rules for how students at West Point and those serving in the R.O.T.C should appear. Black hair was against the rules. Having curly frizzy, black hair was a distraction, and putting cornrows, braids, twists or dreadlocks was not considered appropriate. “Enslaved and free blacks who had less kinky, more European-textured hair and lighter skin--often a result of plantation rape--received better treatment than those with more typically African features”( The Atlantic). Most black people had the idea that their natural hair was not accepted, so they would burn their hair or wear wigs. Women are being judged for the fact that they have to look professional, yet no matter what they do they are still are going to be

judged.
In conclusion, females are being treated unfairly. Women have not reached the appropriate line for them to not be pointed out, having black hair, wearing what is appropriate female clothing on a LGBT student, and not being able to wear what makes you feel comfortable without someone saying something negative.