A Texas Teenager with Dreadlocks Is Fighting to Attend Graduation

A teenager at a Texas high school and his parents say administrators plan to stop him from walking at graduation because of his locs.

DeAndre Arnold is a senior at Barbers Hill Independent school district in Mont Belvieu, a suburb of Houston. The 18-year-old started growing his dreads in junior high. The Atlanta Black Star reports that Arnold and the school district had an agreement recognizing the cultural and spiritual significance of his hairstyle, but it was recently amended. According to the teen and his parents, Arnold was informed of the change after Christmas Break.

Sandy Arnold says her son’s father is from Trinidad and the dreads are part of his heritage. The family is planning to fight the school district’s dress code policy which doesn’t allow male students’ hair to touch the collar, ears or eyes.

“We had several meetings with the superintendent and the school board,” Arnold says during an interview with KRIV-TV. His mom says they have “done everything possible” to work with the school district.

Houston Texans star receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, offers his support to the teen, tweeting: “Never cut your locs Deandre Arnold.”

Californa’s CROWN Act

Arnold’s plight is one that resonates with other Black Americans around the country. In California a new law that went into effect at the start of this year prohibits discrimination based on hair style and hair texture. The CROWN Act was sponsored by State Senator Holly Mitchell and passed by both chambers of the California Legislature in June 2019. California is the only state to ban discrimination against natural hair.

Oprah is honoring Mitchell for her extraordinary legislation. The media mogul is celebrating Mitchell as a visionary in the February issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.