The only secondary school on the island, Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive, also updated its national code of discipline and dress. “Although it is not a law yet, it was set by the executive council which has the force of the executive arm of the government,” says Kentish-Rogers. The minister for education and social development, Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, fought for the implementation of the new hair code, which allows braids, locks and twists in all Anguillan schools. In April 2022, Anguilla became the first Caribbean island to introduce a national policy against hair discrimination. There have been some successes in challenging what are widely regarded as outdated rules. Centuries later, the legacy of slavery continues to manifest in workplace and school settings, where afro-hair is often deemed unacceptable. Enslaved people had their hair forcibly cut off, a dehumanising act also aimed at severing their ties to African culture. Hair discrimination has a long history, notably rooted in the European slave trade. One Twitter user said: “People with this colonial mentality don’t belong here.” Another wrote: “This is disgusting and indicative of the nation we live in.” The outcry prompted Trinidad and Tobago’s minister of education to recommend that cornrows be allowed in the classroom from September. The incident sparked anger on social media with comments condemning the school’s decision.
It was really a bad experience for a very special day,” Bryce said. They had to walk all the way in front of the stage to see us. “They put us on a bench far in the corner where our parents couldn’t even see us. The 17-year-old, who had a low afro, was one of more than 20 boys who were not allowed to collect their certificates on stage at Trinity College in Maraval. Yet despite a wave of legislation, there is a long way to go to overturn negative attitudesĪ boy called Bryce from Trinidad was barred from his graduation ceremony because his hair did not meet the school’s definition of “neat and tidy”. Last month, students in Trinidad spoke out after being barred from a graduation ceremony. By Nyima Jobe Stock image of boy with afro
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