Faith Fennidy, a sixth-grade student at Christ the King Elementary School in Gretna, Louisiana outside of New Orleans was kicked out of school for her hairstyle. A video of the aftermath, filmed by her brother, showed her father pleading with school officials while Faith sobs quietly.
“I don’t want this to happen” a school official can be heard saying not he video. “Yes you do,” her father replies. “What’s wrong with her hair?” a woman asks. Faith, her hair in a ponytail, then tearfully leaves the school.
Christ the King is a Catholic school and the Archdiocese says her hair violated the school’s policy that all students have natural hair and Faith Fennidy was wearing extensions.
In a Facebook post, Steven Fennidy said his sister has gone to the school for two years while wearing extensions, but the school changed their policy over the summer to ban any artificial hair extensions or weaves.
“I hate that I have to post this. But this just isn’t right. This is an issue we tried to resolve with the school, but they won’t compromise at all. My sister Faith and many little black girls wear extensions. She’s been attending this school for two years and wearing extensions. Over the summer the school has sneakily added in a policy, that no extensions, clip-ins or weaves are allowed. Faith got a notice on the first day of class and it’s ridiculous that these schools that we are PAYING for, will go in and make policies without consulting or trying to figure out how this will affect your life or your child’s life. Extensions make the hair easier to maintain. It allows my sister to have access to the swimming pool without having to get her hair Re-done every night. How do you make a policy without even having a discussion. It’s because you don’t care and it’s just one more barrier to entry for black people. This decision is going to affect black children more than white children.”
This is the second time in recent weeks a black child at a Christian school was denied entry because of their hair. A young boy in Florida was sent home for having dreadlocks, which was captured on a video that soon went viral.
Fennidy’s video has gone viral as well, after being Tweeted out by activist Shaun King, and people are calling out the school’s racist policy:
It just happened again.
Christ The King Middle School in Gretna, Louisiana expelled this beautiful young Black girl saying that her hair style was "unnatural."
She was humiliated and removed from the school over it.
Let's be clear – this is Christianity as White Supremacy. pic.twitter.com/22IIKD9UCk
— Shaun King (@shaunking) August 21, 2018
This sobbing girl breaks my heart. What is wrong with people? Truly—why do they do this to young black girls. https://t.co/0hEBV0iHkW
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) August 21, 2018
Black children shouldn’t have to continue to live in a country or a world that tries to crush their spirits, simply because they’re Black. Heartbreaking for this baby. Inhumane and unacceptable actions from the school. https://t.co/WRMNGdrDdl
— Be A King (@BerniceKing) August 21, 2018
Again I ask, where can we exist? Schools are actually refusing to educate young black people because of our hair. You are not educators. You are the problem. This will not stand. https://t.co/SG3EMqego8
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) August 21, 2018
This shit is evil. https://t.co/t4D2fBlsAA
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) August 21, 2018
As Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos continues her push for “school choice,” it’s worth pointing out that for many African-American students, private schools aren’t a choice at all.