When she found out the reason why the principal refused to let her daughter graduate, she was at a loss for words. How dare they discriminate against her daughter?
After all, it was none of their business what kind of hairstyle her daughter liked to wear. She decided enough was enough. It was time to teach the school administration a valuable lesson.
Banned
Kienna Hooper was furious when she found out her daughter K.J. had been banned from her own senior graduation ceremony because of her braids. As an active campaigner against all discrimination, Kiena thought she had seen it all. Sadly, she was wrong.
Kiena knew exactly what the principal meant by that. And she wasn't going to let him get away with this.
Devastated
K.J. was devastated when she found out she couldn't attend her graduation ceremony. She didn't understand why she was being singled out. After all, she had never gotten in trouble at school before and had good grades.
So why wasn't she allowed to attend the ceremony then?
Difficult Year
K.J., who is a student at Gladewater High School and a National Honor Society member, went through a difficult period in 2020.
But this wasn't even the worst part. In March, her school went into total lockdown due to the virus, and the senior prom had also been canceled.
Isolated
The 18-year-old was totally isolated from her friends and classmates, and she hated staying home all day. Fortunately, she still had her job at a local carwash to keep her occupied.
After working full-time for several weeks, K.J. had saved enough money to get a special hairstyle for her upcoming senior photoshoot. She was very excited about her makeover. But, little did she know what she was in for.
New Hairstyle
K.J. decided to get long burgundy braids at the salon. It took over 10 hours for the hairstylist to complete her new look, but K.J. couldn't have been more excited about the end result.
K.J. couldn't wait to get some beautiful photos at her graduation ceremony wearing her flowing braids. Sadly, her happiness would be short-lived.
Cathy Bedair
A few days before the graduation, Kienna received a phone call from Cathy Bedair, the principal at her daughter's school. She told Kienna her daughter wouldn't be allowed to attend her own senior graduation.
And when the principal told Kianna the reason, she was speechless.
Not A Violation
K.J.'s school didn't have a uniform or a particular hairstyle, so she didn't violate the dress code. All they asked was that "hair shall be cleaned, trimmed from eyes and well-groomed" and "hair coloring shall resemble a natural color."
But the teen's braids complied with all the school rules. So what was the problem?
Not Fair
K.J.'s mother began to argue with the principal, but she wouldn't change her decision. "K.J. has to take the braids down" in order to walk on stage and graduate," Cathy explained.
Kiena couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her daughter had worn braids for several years during the school year! So why hadn't they said anything before?
No Reason
“No, ma’am,” Kienna responded. “There is no reason she should have to hide or take her hair down when she’s worn her hair in braids throughout the school year.”
But Cathy wouldn't give up. So, she quickly came up with another excuse as to why K.J. couldn't attend her graduation ceremony.
Unusual Color
"K.J.'s hair is an unnatural color," Cathy snapped. But Kienna wasn't satisfied with the principal's answer. She wanted to know the real reason why she wouldn't allow her daughter to attend the event.
She had a suspicion but didn't think it could possibly be true. Unfortunately, she was wrong.
"A Distraction"
When the outraged mother shared her story with the BLM protestors, they all took her side. “She’s saying my hair is a distraction. But from what?” K.J. said in an interview.
"Really, the whole thing is really dumb to me, to be honest."
Racist
K.J. thought that the principal's excuse was stupid. "Why does it matter about my hair that I can't walk across the stage?" she said.
"I'm not going to say, 'oh, she's racist,' but people have been calling her racist. Even before this whole hair thing, people were saying that."
Final Decision
Kienna told the news that her daughter will not attend the ceremony because she doesn't want to remove her braids or put them under a cap during the event.
K.J. might not receive her diploma in person, but she will get it eventually because she has completed all state graduation standards.
Not The Only One
Kienna said she knew of other girls at her daughter's school who faced similar problems with the principal. "A lot of other people have told me they have moved from Gladewater because of it because they can let white girls dye their hair, bleach their hair, whatever, but when you see a black girl do it, you have to go to (in-school suspension) until your hair is changed," she said.
"We haven't been in school since March, and I decided to do something different. I wore it for my senior pictures at school and in the parade, and no one said anything about it. Nothing was said until now."