African American Women Hairstyles - Army Bans Common <b>Black Hairstyles</b>, Including Corn Rows and Twists - Blog Black Hair Styles |
- Army Bans Common <b>Black Hairstyles</b>, Including Corn Rows and Twists
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- Army's updated hairstyle rules seen as offensive to some <b>African</b> <b>...</b>
| Army Bans Common <b>Black Hairstyles</b>, Including Corn Rows and Twists Posted: 22 Apr 2014 04:49 PM PDT
The new hair regulations, whose goal is to make clear the professional look of soldiers, requires that hair be of "uniform dimension, small in diameter (approximately one-four inch), show no more than one-eighth (inch) of the scalp between the braids." Also banned are dreadlocks, including "unkempt" or "matted" braids and cornrows. It is the words "unkempt" and "matted" that indicate racial bias to some African-Americans, as it indicates a lack of understanding of the characteristics of natural, black hair. Imani Perry, a Princeton University African-American studies professor, states that although it is reasonable for the military to expect some amount of neatness and conformity in hairstyles, those expectations should consider the wide range of natural hair textures that people have. Common black hairstyles such as cornrow braids and dreadlocks are the easiest grooming options for many black women with tightly curly or kinky hair. He goes on to say that female black soldiers are put in a difficult position by the new hair requirements, which are both racially biased and unfair. Critics say the new regulations are among grooming standards intended to help reduce the size of the army from 570,000 to 420,000. Loren B. Thompson, a Lexington Institute military expert says that during wartime there is a tendency to allow more variation in personal style simply because there are more important things to worry about. The rules on tattoos are also criticized, especially since they have become popular among soldiers who are deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, but it is the Army's ban on common black hairstyles such as cornrows and twists that have raised charges of racism. More than 17,000 people have signed an online petition to the White House, asking that the hair regulations be overturned. In addition to a lack of understanding of the characteristics of black hair, critics say that the regulation uses the hair of white women as its baseline, which rules out common black hairstyles. The texture of black hair, much of which is very curly, makes it difficult to meet the regulations unless it is chemically straightened, a particular problem when the women are deployed since the hair products necessary to maintain straightened hair are expensive and difficult to get, especially in Afghanistan. Sgt. Jasmine Jacobs, the woman who started the petition to the White House, says she was deployed to Iraq in 2008 and 2009 with a woman who had to keep redoing her cornrows to keep them neat enough to meet the current Army regulations. She says the woman's hairline had receded an inch by the time they returned to the states. The Army insists that the new regulations were cleared by a focus group that included black women. An Army spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Alayne P. Conway, says that the new female hair standards were developed with the involvement of African-American female soldiers. The Army's senior female soldiers involved in the decision-making process banning cornrows, twists, and other common black hairstyles were considered a representative sample of Army populations. By Beth A. Balen Sources:  |
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| Army's updated hairstyle rules seen as offensive to some <b>African</b> <b>...</b> Posted: 08 Apr 2014 12:46 PM PDT
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The U.S. Army's new ban on many types of ethnic hairstyles has African-American women who wear their coifs in dreadlocks, braids and cornrows in a twist. The Army's regulations stipulate such guidance as hair "must be of uniform dimension, small in diameter (approximately ¼ inch), show no more than 1/8 (inch) of the scalp between the braids." Dreadlocks "against the scalp or free-hanging" are banned. "Unkempt" or "matted" braids and cornrows are also considered dreadlocks and "are not authorized," according to the regulations that were updated this month. It's that type of language, words like "unkempt" and "matted," that read to some African Americans, as code for racial bias. "These new changes are racially biased and the lack of regard for ethnic hair is apparent," Sgt. Jasmine Jacobs of the Georgia National Guard wrote in a White House petition she started in late March asking the Obama administration to reconsider the policy. Currently, the petition has more than 13,000 signatures. "We feel let down," Jacobs told the Army Times. "I think, at the end of the day, a lot of people don't understand the complexities of natural hair. A lot of people, instead of educating themselves, they think dreadlocks and they think Bob Marley, or they see women with really big Afros and they think that's the only thing we can do with our hair." The updates in appearance standards were crafted, in part, with the help of African-American female soldiers and are intended to clarify the professional look of soldiers, said Troy Rolan, an Army spokesman. Previous regulations did not specifically address things such as braid widths or numbers, or the definition of twist styles. "Many hairstyles are acceptable, as long as they are neat and conservative," Rolan said, noting the Army has banned dreadlocks since 2005. If soldiers aren't happy, they can go through a formal process to request changes to the hairstyle regulations, the Army said. "We encourage soldiers to make use of this process by sending recommendations and examples of hairstyles which could present professional appearances and conform to the regulation," Rolan said. The rules' conciseness isn't the problem, say some African-American women and black studies scholars. The problem, they say, is a perception that ethnic hair that is "natural" or not straightened with heat or chemicals is somehow unruly, unkempt and must be carefully regulated to fit within white cultural norms. "In a broad sense, it's just another example of U.S. institutions policing black style," said Mark Anthony Neal, an African-American studies professor at Duke University. "And it's not that there aren't other examples of such policing among other racial and ethnic groups. But, given the fraught relationship between black identity and culture and what some Americans might perceive as 'normal,' it strikes a particularly dissonant chord among some blacks." Mandating what should be done with black hair is a particularly sensitive matter. During slavery and for generations after, hair texture, along with skin complexion, was used to classify which slaves were more valuable, given jobs in the master's house rather than the field, and — by default — deemed beautiful. Straighter hair, lighter skin and features that looked white were considered preferred traits, African-American scholars noted. Those values were internalized and perpetuated within the black community for years in a way that was particularly damaging to the self-esteem of black women, African American scholars said. "The gender dynamic here is also important; hair is so tied to the idea of black womanhood and self-esteem," Neal said. "There have been many stories, for example, of the extra scrutiny black women with locs or dreads face going through airport security. The Army's ban is just another knock from the dominant society that somehow black women are out of step with the so-called status quo." Black pride and natural hair movements have emphasized that all hair types and the rainbow of skin hues are all beautiful. However, the Army's regulations, some natural hair advocates and African American scholars fear, might suggest to black soldiers that their tresses must be straightened or closely cropped in order to fit in and be valued. That type of pressure is "both unfair and racially biased," said Imani Perry, an African-American studies professor at Princeton University. "While it is reasonable for the military to expect some degree of conformity and neatness in hairstyles, those expectations ought to take into account the variety of natural hair textures people have," Perry said. "For many African-American women who have tightly curled, coily or kinky hair, cornrows braids and locs are styles that allow for ease of close to the head grooming. Hence, banning those hairstyles puts black female soldiers in a difficult bind with respect to the requirement." That type of pressure is "both unfair and racially biased," Perry said adding that the Army conformity isn't absolute because female soldiers are allowed to wear their hair long. "Likewise, consideration ought to be made for different textures of hair," Perry said. "Otherwise, a burden is placed disproportionately upon some soldiers due to an immutable characteristic, natural hair texture that is tied to race." |
In a controversial new regulation characterized as discriminatory, the Army has banned common black hairstyles popular with African-American women, including large cornrows, dreadlocks and twists. The 16 women of the Congressional Black Caucus have asked Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to overturn the new directive on behalf of the 26,700 black women who are active duty in the Army. Another new Army rule bans tattoos on neck, face, lower arms, hands, and fingers of recruits.
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