Valerie June...a little late

When I blogged about a student being expelled from school for wearing locs I used the photo below:
Many people asked about the photo, it was not a photo of the actual student. I choose it because the woman pictured had beautiful locs. The woman pictured is Valerie June . She is quite beautiful and so is her hair. Here are a few more photos:

She is a musician and can be supported through her site linked above.

Girl asked to leave school because of locs.

Looking at this picture makes it hard to learn, huh?

For those of us who like to fantasize that everyone on the continent of Africa embraces natural hair. In the articles here, a South African 10th grade student attended school for two years before being suspended for wearing locs. Her parents advocated her and she was allowed to return but they are now suing the school for a public apology.

I find this disturbing for two reasons 1) I assume she was already wearing the locs when she enrolled so why was it a problem two years later 2) an administrator told her she was being difficult and should just wear artificial hair like the other students. I find it galling that an administrator felt she could address a child that was not hers in that manner and had she never seen the girl in the two years she was at the school. This girl had obviously not caused any major disruption (with her hair) in the previous 730 days she'd been attending.

To add insult to injury this child and her family are practicing Rastafari, her hair is an expression of her religious faith.