When an Adventist school in Antigua turned a child away from the classroom on her first-day of school on Monday 4th September, because her hair was dreadlocked, no one thought it would have caused such a stir in St Johns to the extent that the government would join those condemning the decision.
On Monday, a mother; Jordan Mason, reported that the principal of Seventh Day Adventist Academy refused her five-year-old entrant into the school because the school has a policy against wearing locks.
The child, who had already been accepted into the school, was turned away during orientation after the principal pulled her mother aside and informed her that the child could not attend school with locs.
The mother was given an ultimatum to chop off her daughter’s hair or not to return.
While the family do not present themselves as Rastafarians, the Gaston Browne Cabinet said Wednesday that the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda protects freedom of religion, freedom of association, and the freedom to hold a belief system that differs from the majority.
All Cabinet members agreed that preventing a child from being schooled because of their hairstyle is discriminatory and will not have the support of the government and according to the government, if it becomes necessary, the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda will be induced to change its policy into law.
The government said that objection to natural hairstyles on the heads of students may be seen or understood as a practice governing the school’s policy on the appearance of students but suggests that its objective is to enable discrimination against children from the Rastafarian community.
To all the people going on about obeying rules and following rules, it was once a rule that a Black person was not a human being and therefore should not share the same spaces as White people! Stop being so damn stupid and ignorant with your institutions and rules! Rules should not discriminate or take away from someones basic human rights such as their right to wear their natural hair in locks. Some of you might as well go back to being enslaved by slavers rules but please stop being so damn stupid and ignorant! No Blacks allowed was once a rule!
I agree with you 100%, my brother. It seems like these rules are being resurrected. Hundreds of years of conditioning the mind will take a long time to eradicate such thinking and behaviour. It is so sad how religion has shaped our minds. I had to get out of that and find myself again and I tell you, it was a challenge but today, I can say that my mind will not be subjected to a white man’s religion. Religion is not what we need. It seems like the more of that we have, the worse things become. It takes away our spirituality and we are not even able to think sober. Imagine all the crime and violence we wage against each other. The jealousy, hatred, uncaring manner and mistrust that still exist among us. In days gone by, we loved and trusted each other but now things have changed for the worse. When one continues to walk in the path of the enslaver, nothing can be prosperous. We MUST cast aside all religions in order for us to rise again as a people.
UAPOLOGETIC
Feller, if the rule for entering MY house is that you remove your shoes, and wash your hands. You can say what you want. Jump high jump low. you will follow my rules or stay outside. Right? So what makes this instance so different. These are MY rules for MY place. you are free to go elsewhere. or stay outside.
For a guy who fainted to see the England queen in the 60s, you don’t get it. It’s the rules that discriminate against us as a group, and there are still many British ones on the books. For example as mentioned by “Truth be Told” At one time a Black person was not a human being and therefore should not share the same spaces as White people, the U S gov’t in March 2022 passed a new bill “The Crown Act” to stop especially businesses, and it own people like you from discriminating against the rest of us. Educate yourself, you’re not too old, sorry we are not our parents/grandparents, we find lots more information than was easily available to you before. Listen an learn!
These are white European religions, they control, so what’s our problem?
The fact that this is even an issue, is evidence of the colonial power still controlling the Caribbean.
How can seven days even have the audacity to tell a black child that something wrong with her natural black hair in a ‘supossedly’ black controlled country?
The fact that they have the freedom to victimize black children like this with no consequence shows that Caribbean infrastructure is still bowing down to European rule.
I will always say it, Caribbean authorities are unanimously sell outs. Everything is always Eurocentric, no respect for the needs of Afro descendants!
No dreadlocks allowed but you are welcome to purchase hair, add it to your own and come back. Really. You accept weaves, braids and straightened hair but dreadlocks bother you.
Exactly. How foolish and disgusting.
ADMIN, I think the Adventist in Dominica needs to tell us their stance on this. And at
Yep Really, it is real. Let’s just hope this opens the can of colonial era worms, and our leaders legislate those uncivilized racist rules out of society.
So if i have a private school and i have rules that pertain to the appearance of students. Parents will want to be mad at me and force me to want to change my rules just so they children can be enrolled? why dont they do the same at their job and still expect to be employed? the entitlement is too much. it would have to reach a state level and let the law be passed nationally. But nobody not telling me who to accept in my private institution that i operate. If you child doesnt conform to the rules and policies of the institution, then my place is not for them. END OF STORY. That is like me forcing you to let me in your house and eat because i am hungry and need food. Then still complaining because i didnt let you have your way.
But what nonsense is this? I thought the Adventists embraced all things natural. What the heck is wrong with the child’s hair. So natrual and beautiful.
Shame on the school for such a policy!!!
The government should not just talk, legislate against this act of discrimination immediately
I think all parents and school children should adhere to the schools policies regarding wearing uniforms and being well-groomed. That being said, elementary and high school students should always look presentable at school. By that I mean, no dreadlocks or platted hair on boys head, their hair should always be combed out and not looking disheveled and untidy – the same goes to the girls that they should not be wearing dreadlocks, no bracelets and rings all over their fingers and should always be uniformed. If you decide to flout the rules, then you should be suspended and if it continues, you be expelled. It is sad to see today how parents and kids, especially parents, are deviating from what was once thought of as proper and school-like. The decadence of society today. I guess for them it is ok for boys to be going to school with their pants falling down and their hands in their crutch and girls going to school wearing inviting and voluptuous clothes. I guess no more frowning.
I fully agree. I dont care if it a child or an adult, if my private institution has rules, law, policies what are clear open and evident for all, dont try to force your way into my institution by breaking my rules then cry like you are the victim. Im sure there are other school the child could have gone to. Some parents are too entitled.
Dude get a life. You are only remnants of our uneducated parents and grand parents that wallow in European isht. You been to see the queen of England in the 60’s tells us all we need to know. We are not our grandparents whom the whites took advantage of their ignorance.
“When an Adventist school in Antigua turned a child away from the classroom on her first-day of school on Monday 4th September, because her hair was dreadlocked.” That is the issue, this is all, Black people hair. Black people being discriminated against for their natural hair. Why don’t you talk about that, just that Black natural hair instead of all the rubbish that you are listing to distract here? If it was a White school in a White country we would be screaming Black Lives Matter, but is Black people doing it to Black people so it is okay? No! No more colonial discrinination against Black beauty! Stop it!
“I think all parents and school children should adhere to the schools policies”(ds)
Devils Son “ds” you are such a delusional person that I could not expect anything different from you! what is the difference to some seven-day-wearing a stinking wigs on her head daily even in their place of worship; remember the wigs is not natural, the child’s hair is a natural given by God.
Why should one bind themselves to a stupid rule which makes no sense!
Our people are so hypocrite it’s pitiful, I met an American woman who lived in Dominica in Goodwill now employed in a Bank here, she told me her purpose in Dominica was on assignment covering Dominica writing for a magazine; she told me she went to a Church one Sunday sporting her locos, when some member of a Church told her she is not a Christian, if she is wearing dreadlocks.
How stupid are our people, Dominica has one of he highest crime rate, thievery murder why not preach against against that than attacking a little girl!
Let me correct this before dem say me doh can talk English.
“wearing a stinking wigs:”
That should be singular wig!
“the wigs is not natural,”
That should read: ” the wigs are not natural.”
Hahahahahahahahahahhahahaha!
You are just an uncle Tom, a white supremacy sympathiser, someone who has been taught to self hate! People with your mindset need to die out so the next generation can rise up and push forward black pride, black wealth and black progress!
I think that any institution that does not respect Afro features should be kicked out of Afro population countries! The person who made the decision to victimize this child should be hunted down vigilante style and dealt with accordingly. Name and shame them!
We African descendants have to stop tolerating this oppression!
Hmm…Not seeing any locs in this images. This little girl’s hair is well groomed…So what is this principal insinuating…..
That teacher is wrong and should be ashamed of herself for refusing the child an education. The government must really steep in.
the mistake was with the school for not informing the parent of the policy prior to accepting. Noone refused the child anything but acceptance into the school. Im sure there are other primary schools that would accept her.
No, you are wallowing in ignorance. At your age you can still read on the issues you missed.
If my memory servers me right,the Dominica Grammar School was the first school to accept students with DREADLOCKS in the 70ties.I also think it became a mix school in the 7oties.IBO is a man of history,maybe I am wrong.
DGS is a public school and thus had to accept all religious backgrounds. However schools like SMA, CHS, Community High School to name a few were private schools and could definitely deny anyone not fitting the criteria. that is why certain girls who went to DGS, could not go to CHS, same for SMA. Thats why the Trotter children of Mr. Garner Trotter went to DGS and not SMA or CHS in the 80’s and 90’s, even though rastafarians also read and worshipped from the same Bible as all other christian religions.
You are dead wrong. This story has nothing to do with rules but remnants of colonial racism that need to be eradicated and non-racist rules legislated. From the wigs our judges still wear etc, to setting affermative rules requiring white children to only wear locks instead of putting spit in their hands to slick their hair that you accept.
The decision to turn away a child from a proposed “Christian” affiliated school, based on a rule that neither reflects, nor embodies the principle of inclusion, as practiced by Christ himself, is both lamentable, regrettable, and disturbing. It also reflects negatively on the Seventh-day-Adventist church, of which I have been a member all my life. Many spiritual leaders(both in academic and church settings) in their zeal to purge their adherents of “worldly customs” are invariably demonstrating that they themselves are plagued with hypocrisy and intolerance, and they are not following the dictates of the Master Himself, who scathingly declared to his erring disciples, “Suffer the little children to come to me, and rebuke them not, because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such little children”. Matt. 19:14 KJV. It is my honest opinion that the leaders of the church, both in Antigua and the rest of the Caribbean recalibrate this policy for the good of God’s cause. Pastor Henry…
Rastafarian or not, do not apologize for removing the remnants of colonialism and self indoctrinated colonist minded among us.
That is discrimination in the highest order; the parent should sue the institution, and seek relief from the court, sanctioned monetarily, with punitive damage added.
Now that is religion; but the same Adventist principal forgot that Samson in the Bible they play with on Saturday’s pretending to keep the Sabbath parents was told not to cut Samson’s hair.
People should have a right to self-expression; lots of people the world over have locus, who are not Rasta-man nor woman, it is simply a hair-style they have chosen. In America I believe there is a Federal Law prohibiting employers from denying employees going to their jobs sporting the hairstyle the chose.
This is not discrimination. Parents and pupils should adhere to schools’ policies regarding uniforms and looking presentable and school-like. I can see you Francisco have gotten americanised. You have chosen to ignore the way your parents and teachers brought you up. Instead of imparting the good principles to the kids of today and instilling them into our youth today, you have decided to go the other way and turn the next cheek. I know you have gotten to be an old man today who does not give a damn.
@ds, It tells me you are regular church Christian. In 1960s when European religious leaders noticed an increase in curiosity about Africa, its people and truth, they used that African selling African as their trump-card to spread more lies to hide their atrocities. It worked on you, think for yourself.
This has never happened. We had indentured servitude (J.H Clarke). Africans have never need to sell anyone, not even selling whites. That happened in Europe under feudalism in it’s dark ages. Africa had everything, thriving communities, stocked shops, gold, ivory, copper, pueter, iron, tin, you name it. Only after conquest by Europeans was complete and Black people became interested in African HISTORY that Christian missionaries began the narrative of Blacks selling Blacks. Think for yourself! Read Dr. John Henrik Clarke who also told us “Europe could have got a lot more from Africa in trade and labor” than evil committed. Read, U should kno better. Don’t keep drinking the co
DNO, Thanks in advance for posting this. I am aware that ‘Africans not selling Africans’ is not popular view due to tremendous work done by Christian missionaries and other European so- called historians into selling us that dream that we are the ones that sold each other. I recall DNO cautioning a commenter that our great ancestor Chancellor Williams stated that. But Dr. Williams first informed readers that he was relying on accounts from Jan Vessina, a Portuguese historian who did a lot of work on aural traditions. Well, he almost immediately went into Africans selling each other. But, Dr. John Henrik Clarke tells us from years of research that that wasn’t the case. That it was indentured servitude, freed after serving time, some married into the same family, even become kings etc. Some European historians and Clergy claim, without evidence, that Africans sold each other when that was not the case. The Dahomey myth comes to mind. It was war. To the Victor the spoils.
ADMIN: Thank you for being an ardent reader and contributor on this forum.
We do not publish comments based on whether or not we agree or disagree with their content. However, at times we will respond to clarify misconceptions. Bear with us as this post is more substantial than our usual responses.
-Jan Vansina was only one of many varied sources Chancellor Williams cited.
-Dr. Williams also spent 2 years of his own life exploring and recording African oral traditions in Africa.
-Dr. Williams points out in his book along with many of the oldest European historians before him that Europe’s religious traditions had African roots leading up to and including christianity itself.
-There is a distinction between what became known as chattel slavery introduced by the Europeans and the form of slavery (or indentured servitude as you refer to it) that existed in Africa and other parts of the world before Columbus made his voyages.
Additionally, your statement is accurate based on the available history that children of slave servants in Africa were allowed to become monarchs and leaders and had upward mobility within African society.
However, semantic differences aside, there was historically a slave industry in Africa before and after chattel slavery. (Traditional forms of slavery, human trafficking and forced labour still exist in Africa today – it can be argued that “Africans are still selling Africans”.)
What is unclear is whether or not the African people who directly or indirectly allowed the procurement of African slaves by European slavers (many slaves were taken by force) ever knew about the horrors of chattel slavery that differed so greatly from the practices and traditions in Africa at the time.
This lack of awareness from the slow to non-existent news from the Caribbean and Americas during those times is no way limited to the African people. Neither the British public at large nor the Indian public were initially aware of the conditions of the slaves or indentured servants respectively. In both situations once awareness spread sentiment eventually turned against both practices and they were subsequently ended (albeit after several years and an arguable decline in the economic relevance of both practices).
This is why we believe news should primarily focus on the dissemination of facts ,especially when contrary to personal belief, as it informs the basis for intelligent (and hopefully humane) decision making.
Dr. Williams perhaps put it best: “We wanted to know the whole truth, good and bad. For it would be a continuing degradation of the African people if we simply destroyed the present system of racial lies embedded in world literature only to replace it with glorified fiction based on more wishful thinking than the labors of historical research.”
*edit* The book “Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D” by Chancellor Williams is available for purchase on Amazon there may also be free versions available on the internet.
Thanks for the informed response. It has become common practice for some to use their social media and internet footprint to spew tremendous amount of lies about victims of the most brutal holocaust like it was a walk in the park, just because we were fed the lies as part of our education. It’s like the rape victim being blamed for wearing mini skirt or short shorts. Some of us must stand up, research our ancestors’ accounts and conterract these loud and malicious Eurocentric views.
Thanks, great points ADMIN, nuff respect for having read this masterpiece. Our great ancestor Dr. Williams was a stalwart in research, this area seemed exhausting, took him 20yrs. Tired, he may have just let Vessina and other European historians lead in that area without substantiating some of it. However, some of our ancestors such as Dr. John Clarke dug deeper with evidence that poke holes in the stories and myths of those state-sanctioned European historians that use this issue as a trump card to shut up any activism. European historians and Egyptologists still are some of earth’s greatest liers. No Euro military power ever sat around waiting for so-called naked Africans to bring them slaves. In my research it was military ops under heavy canon fire, dropped off the vicas/priests with crosses; prayed, raped, looted, then fired/burned towns down. War, total conquest.
Great points you made, appreciated, though I’m getting different info from other Black ancestors/historians.
Oh these hypocrites. How dare the school authorities think that reverence to God Almighty is based on how one looks. I fully support the government of Antigua for taking a swift stance against discrimination. Shame on the Adventist school and they are getting what they deserve.
Where did you hear that before? Just the implementation of the white man’s system now being duplicated in Antigua!
Apparently Karl Marx was right when he said religion is the opium of the masses.
Spiritualism and religion are two different entities. Spiritualism functions within the realm of God, while religion is the institution with commercialization of God!
It’s about time! We are so brainwashed as a people that our hair, natural hair, worn as grown has been looked down upon and condemned by so many in our very own society. It’s been well overdue. Time for us to take some pride in who we are and not delve further into the brainwashed mentality fed to us. The very mentality fed to us to tell us that we are inferior because of our looks. Hair alone played a major part on our women hating how they looked. About time. Long may it continue
IBO,stop your stupidness.In the days of Sampson there was no Adventist.There are laws,rules and regulations everywhere.This no locks business is foolishness.The school is talking about DREADLOCKS,Sampson did not have DREADLOCKS,Just as goldilocks did not have locks.
You that liar, you that Roosevelt yard-foul, you that uneducated ….., always getting on lbo case, when you are a know nothing scoundreal, kindergarten graduate read this!
“In the Book of Judges, we are told twice that Samson has “seven locks” of hair. In Chapter 16, beginning in verse 13, we read: 13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.”
You see how much you think you know clown?
Okay, start reading from the 19th verse of Chapter 16 of the Book of Judges in the King James version of the Bible, you will read verbatim:
“And she made him sleep upon her knees, and she called for a man, and she cause him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.”
So, if people want to call it dreadlocks that’s a matter for them; but that little girl I am sure is not into dreadlocks, as in the that sense.
The Adventist who told the child she cannot attend their school is simply an idiot!
Dominica needs to follow. B.s
If we break the rules for everyone who has an issue,the world is going to he lawless.The parents are Rastafarian but want their child to have locks just for style.Isnt that disrespectful to the Rastafarian community.In the last days people will just be lovers of themselves.Learn to abide and respect people people rules and regulations.No wonder people don’t want to repent from their wicked ways because they don’t want to keep GOD commandments.Put your child in another school that accepting locks .is the mother that wanted to put locks in her child hair .I am sure the child didn’t decide she wants locks.Some mothers like to live through their children.Its a shame that mother using the child as a scapegoat for her own insecurities.Poor child on news for foolishness.Grow up
I hope you are not a lover of yourself!! Stop with all that nonesense and try to get some sende in your brain-washed mind UNAPOLOGETIC
“When an Adventist school in Antigua turned a child away from the classroom on her first-day of school on Monday 4th September, because her hair was dreadlocked.” That is the issue, this is all, Black people hair. Black people being discriminated against for their natural hair. Why don’t you talk about that, just that Black natural hair instead of all the rubbish that you are listing to distract here? If it was a White school in a White country we would be screaming Black Lives Matter, but is Black people doing it to Black people so it is okay? No! No more colonial discrinination against Black beauty! Stop it!
Why haven’t you suggested some rules for white kids or people hair? You fraid?
Amen i fully agree. To enter Financial Center you must be dressed a certain way. When you go to church you consciously dress a certain way. when you go to work there is a dress code. To enter certain night clubs there is a dress code and you adhere to rules regulations and policies. This is absolute nonsense and entitlement. And for those supporting this mother you are part of the problem as well. PUT YOUR CHILD INN ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT WILL ACCEPT YOUR STANDARD. OR HOME SCHOOL YOUR CHILDREN
How is that infringing on freedom of religion? The child is free to have locks at any other school. What about when people had problems with the vaccine and the masks and all the other b.s.? So freedom all of sudden back on the menu now? What a load of b#!*$#!t
@smh: So Channel 1, you dropped the JJ and find a new nik name smh to spew Trump idiot stuff on this blog. Don’t ask us, ask the bi-partisan group in the U.S gov’t why they passed the “Crown Act” to force your companies to stop this discrimination that ONLY allow white people hair styles. Not because you guys marry a white chick to start finding everything of Black people to be offensive. In most cases your white chick’s are more aware than you guys and laugh at you condescendingly. Snap out of it, or just go back to Breitbart and Qanon web sites with these idiotic views where they will be accepted with open arms. I do not think you are white, I think you are Black, they always find some of you typically to stand right behind Trump in their coon photo ops. Go back there you Chanel 1/J Jon Charles/smh.
Sorry Admin, you must av had tons to moderate ..so I re-posted under a different moniker to see if it came thru. 😉
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This little princess looks so excited, beautiful and cute in her uniform. How could anyone with a soul turn her exuberance into sorrow?
I hope she grows up to become an eminent member of society. When people put obstacles in your path to progress use them as stepping stones.
Best wishes little one in your new school.
Ibo, it’s called white supremacy. They historically find many strategies to have our leaders and institutions participate automatically, thru the use of their religion and education.
What does this little princess’ hair have to do with her education? How have we allowed the ways of the oppressors to be our guide for so long? We have been oppressed for so long that we have accepted it as the norm and we turn around and oppress each other. She is wearing her natural hair and she is being discrimanted against. I bet if her hair was fried it would not be a problem. People, we need to wake up. I have heard in the past that African people can’t grow long hair but that’s untrue. When our hair is locked it does grow. Let’s not call the hair dreadlocks because as one person said, “there’s nothing dread about the hair.” I am elated that the government has taken a stand against such discrimination. Our eyes must be opened, else we will continue the ways of our oppressors which is destruction.
UNAPOLOGETIC
ignorance. Not in my school if that is my rules. find another school for your little princess.
I have followed this news item which has exploded all over the Caribbean. This is not unique to Antigua.
For me, once the hair is well groomed, not smelly, nor so ridiculous that it can cause a distraction, there should no problem in attending school..
Two things in life that I hate wth a passion, POLITICS and RELIGION. These two have been responsible for the most deaths, wars, tension, confusion, division and many of the vices in life.
We people of African descent engage in self hate, show disdain for our complexion, kill each other eh masse like rats; bleach our skin. It’s disheartening and shameful.
Last!y, we have to refrain from referring to the Rastafarian hairstyle as dread!ocks. The word ‘dread’ connotes fear. It is simply locks. We have to embrace all of our God-given natural attributes
My brother, these two were deliberately forced on us so that our African-ness would disappear. We’re talking about hundreds of years of conditioning the psyche. We have held on to the slave masters, oppressors, suppressors, thieves, robbers etc., ways of life like glue. They taught us to hate ourselves (Spirituality, names, melanin, Our-story, etc.,). The same political system that they put in place still exists but is reformed. Unless we educate ourselves no one is going to do it for us. The political system in Dominica continues to advocate division. Just take for example, the radio stations. DBS radio station is Government owned which means that someone from the oppostion can’t be heard talking about the injstices going on in the county. As far the speaker of the house, he is sooooo biased. What have we become as a nation?
Religion has become the opium in society and has been used for centuries against people who differ, especially against others’ belief in a god up in the sky and a European jesus. Tell me, after the Europeans waged war against Africans, how could they turn around and give us the same European to deliver and save us from “sin.” Who, in life, has committed more “sin” than them? The amount of slaves who were captured and sold, beaten, maimed whose heads were cut off and put on sticks,
raped and the list goes on and on.
When a religion teaches that a child is born in sin and shapen in iniquity isn’t there cause for concern about that religion? People, we must think for ourselves. How can a baby, just born into this world commit sin? Religion has us bamboozled and it is so hard to let it go because we are afraid of going to a hell that they have created for us. We need to let the religions go in order to find ourselves again. Our ancestors were spiritual. They were not religious.
Truth, spoken as a true leader.