The Jamaica Observer newspaper reported:

“THE Supreme Court yesterday dismissed arguments for children to be allowed into schools with dreadlock hairstyles, whether or not the hairdo is for religious reasons.

When the matter was called up in the downtown Kingston court the arguments were raised by attorney-at-law Isat Buchanan, who is representing Dale Virgo — the father of a five-year-old girl who was given an ultimatum to cut her dreadlocks before being enrolled in a St Catherine public institution last year.”

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/court-dismisses-lawyer-s-argument-in-dreadlocks-case_175532

It seems the court responded narrowly in the case where the arguments presented involved anticipated potential impact, and religious impact being an issue that was introduced too late into the argument, etc.

But it seems to me this response would have been more appropriate several years ago, than today.   I think the Court could have addressed the actual issue more actively today, because dreads have grown over the years to become a Black Panther -level racial identification issue. 

 

Today dreads are a Pan-African identification item.  People are wearing dreads and feeling a part of a Pan-African consciousness without even thinking about it ( that is, not always being as conscious of it as Whoopi is  😉  ).  Further, this is in the context of a neo-colonialist reality that is equally pervasive ( that will be another article in the near future ).

Consciousness and pushing back against neo-colonialism in every way has to be on everyone’s agenda.

Ok, now that the Court has made the ruling, it’s up to everyone to do what they can.  In the US we need to discuss the issue with our friends and family.  We need to check the status in our neighborhoods, in our states.  We need to become aware of groups working on related issues, and join them or send money if we’re not doing so with other groups doing other work yet.

We have to tend our Garden, or expect weeds.