TOLEDO, Ohio — A group of youngsters gathered to fight discrimination Saturday. Specifically, discrimination that targets people of color for their hair.
There are many ways to wear your hair; length, texture and style. Embrace Your Uniqueness is an event encouraging youth to be proud of the way they choose.
"People kind of look at you differently, back when I had shorter hair, I could walk into a room and people would kind of give me smiles and stuff. Now, people want to look away, you can tell the energy is off," event panelist Adrian Traynum said.
Traynum is a painter and musician. He said his hair is part of his personal expression and he's proud of it because it reflects his style. But he said he has had co-workers tell him he should cut it off.
"It's almost like the clothes you put on in a way because it's part of what makes you uniquely, that's why I want to keep it." Traynum said.
Panelists at the event talked about how they believe people of color are far more likely to have their hairstyles policed. It's something that's backed up by the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, which says black women are twice as likely to be sent home from work because of their hair.
So Precious Tate, Founder and Executive Director of Youth For Change, decided to bring the conversation to Toledo.
"I got the idea after 16-year-old Malachi Wattley was suspended from Central Catholic High School due to his dreads," Tate said.
In that 2017 case, the school said he was violating the school's hair policy and that he couldn't return to school until he cut his hair.
"It can definitely be disheartening on yourself, but as you grow older, and in situations like this where we can all come together and discuss it, I feel like it kind of gives you the confidence to own who you are," event moderator Amber Thomas said.
They were there to talk about why they're proud of their hair and what they can do to help others become proud.
This includes supporting legislation like the Crown Act, designed to change federal law when it comes to race-based hair discrimination.
"Don't feel like you always have to appease everybody or conform to something that you necessarily aren't," Thomas said.
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