School Dress Code
Clothing is a way to express yourself. It is an art form through which humans are able to display their personality and build a career on. But many schools attempt to limit their student’s creativity and basic self-expression with a racist and sexist dress code. When girls are singled out of their male classmates due to their everyday clothing, it creates a toxic environment for young women. Although it can be taken too far, dress codes are a systematic injustice unfairly targeting young women and especially black women for their individuality and expression. One example of this unfair dress code is the “finger-tip policy”, which I myself have had to adhere to not long ago. Pubescent girls often have a difficult time finding clothing that fits their ever-growing bodies. Families that struggle with income are also a victim to this rule, as some cannot afford a new pair of shorts for every inch their child grows.
Many girls are targeted due to their evolving body, and are expected to cover-up
Due to these rules, girls are being taken out of class and even suspended for what they wear. This hinders girls learning and takes away their class time. A school has a duty to teach and actively engage their students. With a strict dress code, many are not given the same opportunities to learn, and are singled out and the victim of bias by their administrators and superiors. Another example of an unfair dress code, particularly relating to people of color, is school administration reigning authority over the culture-rooted hairstyles many tend to wear. Box braids, dreadlocks, and even the natural afro has been discriminated against in schools, with many students facing possible suspension if unwilling to comply. These hairstyles are not only part of the African American identity, but are easy and protective styles for their particular hair type. A specific instance occurred just north of Boston, where two twin girls were written up, and subsequently banned from participating in school wide extracurriculars, such as clubs, team sports, and even prom. This harsh punishment was simply due to the fact their hair was done in the style of box braids, with extensions throughout. Preventing these girls from being alongside their peers due to their hairstyle creates a toxic environment that teaches young African Americans that they must change in order to fit in, and even adhere to the rules.
The twins who were punished for their (pictured) hairstyles
We can relate this issue to Ortiz-Cofer’s “My Body”. Ortiz-Cofer discusses how her body was sexualized from a young age and constantly under scrutiny by adults in her life. The same is happening but in the context of a school, where girls are being victimized and objectified by adults. Targeting young people of color due to their self-expression is a systematic injustice we can trace back even to Cofer’s past experiences. By telling girls they are dressed “too provocatively” or their natural hair is a “distraction”, they are being sexualized and shamed by adults. These adults base their rules and regulations often times on their own beliefs, or the old-school modesty system that is begging for change Dress codes are an old school system that unfairly targets girls and minorities, and reformation must be made internally to fix the systematic sexism and racism inside of educational institutions. Schools must learn to acknowledge and celebrate each other’s differences, and encourage their young impressionable students instead of doing the opposite.
Source Articles:
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/07/17/534448313/when-black-hair-violates-the-dress-code
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/when-school-dress-codes-discriminate#:~:text=Student%20dress%20codes%20continue%20to%20unfairly%20target%20girls%20and%20students%20of%20color.&text=These%20things%20are%20distracting%20to,a%20form%20of%20victim%2Dblaming
Image Source:
https://www.hhstoday.com/opinion/2016/09/14/dress-code-trials/
Hi Kelly,
Thank you for sharing this post. I have seen so many of my female friends fall victim to these demoralizing policies. I have had friends be sent home due to their tank top not having a thick enough strap. On the other hand, I have seen many males in my high school where shorts that are also short but a faculty member would not even blink an eye. When you brought up the example of hair I immediately thought about the wrestler who was forced to cut off his dreads before his fight. This continues to be a problem in our country where it seems we pick and choose who to criticize for their style.
Hi Kelly,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your systemic injustice on school dress codes. I really liked how you mentioned the “my body” concept by Ortiz-Cofer as it discussed the oversexualization of young children. My high school had extremely strict rules for girls as we were not allowed to show our shoulders and our skirts/dresses had to be below the knee because it would be “too distracting” otherwise. This is undoubtedly a systemic injustice and it promotes the objectification and oversexualization of women everywhere. I agree with you that schools must begin to acknowledge the problem and celebrate each individual’s style and not create such harsh discriminatory rules. Thanks for your analysis!!