Monday, August 4, 2014
Unauthorized Military Black Hairstyles
Recently, I was in my local VA office when I ran across this
article in a military magazine. I was stunned by the article. African American
enlisted females worry about family members they leave behind, the threats of
war, being targets of rape, and now they are being attacked for wearing
hairstyles like braids and twists that do not meet military guidelines and
standards.
The Pentagon said the military would review controversial grooming policies that led some to accuse the Army of racial bias. Grooming guidelines released in late March, known as Army Regulation 670-1, included rules on hair grooming. Among the "unauthorized styles" were natural hairstyles popular among African American women, including twists. A White House petition, asking the Army to reconsider the ban, gathered more than 10,000 signatures.
Thank you to the women members of the Congressional Black Caucus for standing up for African American military women and Secretary Hagel for asking the military to review the guidelines. Click here to read the article in the Washington Post.
The Pentagon said the military would review controversial grooming policies that led some to accuse the Army of racial bias. Grooming guidelines released in late March, known as Army Regulation 670-1, included rules on hair grooming. Among the "unauthorized styles" were natural hairstyles popular among African American women, including twists. A White House petition, asking the Army to reconsider the ban, gathered more than 10,000 signatures.
Thank you to the women members of the Congressional Black Caucus for standing up for African American military women and Secretary Hagel for asking the military to review the guidelines. Click here to read the article in the Washington Post.