Sean Major-Campbell | The politics and religious order of hair

RELIGION CONTINUES to have much appeal to a largely conservative population in Jamaica. Politicians and religious leaders know this! Writing in The S unday Gleaner of September 11, 2022, under ‘Human rights and the MOEY’s dress and grooming policy’, I observed, “The dress and grooming policy guidelines for the Ministry of Education sounds good. It has some of the best and most appropriately sounding words as may be expected from a context blessed with highly educated minds. However, when read through human-rights lenses, it is fraught with weaknesses.”

Once again, we have an updated draft policy. It again lacks the power to protect students and teachers! It further lacks any measures for accountability on the part of those with the power to follow, or not follow, the guidelines. However, in a religiously sensitive context, it sounds good to suggest in draft that Rastafarians be allowed to wear their locks without any stated necessity for a tam or hair cover.

Who is ready, though, to move beyond religious speak and recognise that a student should be able to wear their locs without having to declare a religious position? I also noted in that September column, “There are school administrators who lack the capacity to think beyond their academic qualifications and religious views! That is why it is so important for the creation of a standard that is consistent with human-rights principles, and those around universality and indivisibility in particular.”

GENDER DISCRIMINATOR POSITION

The education ministry in St Kitts and Nevis has done well with clearly affirming Afros, cornrows, and dreadlocks. It, however, presents a problematic gender discriminator position when it declares a different length for weave based on gender. Meanwhile, back in Jamaica, the hair police are likely to zap some child of African ancestry for presenting with Afro that someone feels needs cutting. Much of this will take place as some administrator wields power and shows a child (usually a boy) that he will not be allowed to graduate or take graduation pictures, since his abominable Afro will not be tolerated.

I recall being able to hold my hair straight down my nose, and even to my chin, when I was at Dinthill Technical High School. I also recall pics of many of Jamaica’s high achievers donning Afros in their school magazines of 40 and 50 years ago. Why did we move away from accepting our various identities? When will we work towards making our motto a more meaningful one? Do we understand now why we have a bleaching epidemic?

The grooming policy speaks of regard for self-expression. This sounds good, until you realise that caveats based on religious declaration or principal’s discretion are built into the ‘draft policy’ which end up working against some of the great ideals envisioned by the policy. Herein lies the challenge when politically correct statements are the order of the day.

REALITY OF RACISM

We do not acknowledge the reality of racism in Jamaica, so let us use the term ‘classism’ which, by the way, is often informed by phenotypical presentations! To break this down, many of Jamaica’s children who are survivors of classism in school, present with strong African features, inclusive of an unapologetic familiarity with the Jamaican language. This continues to be the elephant in the room which we avoid naming.

It is problematic when teachers are using the Bible to tell boys in school that it is shameful to wear long hair. It is rather primitive to just tell children to follow rules for the sake of rules in a country whose history has used rules to kill our prophets and freedom fighters. While the social construct of gender conformity has much religious and cultural appeal, its application to hair policies lends for discriminatory practices. There is no reason why Afro length should be determined based on gender. However, it is not easy to navigate these truths in a political climate that depends on finding favour with religious dictates for gender conformity.

Regardless of the necessary anticipated contributions from stakeholders to the MOEY’s draft national grooming policy, we would do well to be guided by human-rights principles of equality and universality.

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human dignity and human rights. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and/or seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com.