It was a story for about a minute. It never made the national news. The networks were too busy carrying the story of Gabby Petito. This is, of course, its own tragedy; a young woman was apparently murdered by a controlling and abusive boyfriend while on a cross country camping trip. Blond hair and blue eyes win the day for news stories.
The story that did not make the national news is that of Jurnee Hoffmeyer, a bi-racial seven year old girl who attends a Mount Pleasant Public school in Michigan. It began when a classmate of Jurnee cut her hair. It happens; kids play with hair styles and make up. Jurnee’s haircut by a fellow student was a prank and her father did not pursue it after notifying the school because the cutter was a child. Following Jurnee’s unfortunate haircut her father took her to a professional stylist to have her hair cut in a dissymmetric style.
The trouble started the next day when Kelly Mogg, the school’s librarian, and Kristen Jacobs, a teacher’s assistant, took it upon themselves to cut Jurnee’s hair without the parent’s permission. The story only became news when Jurnee’s father filed a lawsuit for $1 million dollars alleging racial discrimination. According to the Daily Mail the suit also alleges ethnic intimidation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. The suit further alleges that the teachers violated Jurnee’s constitutional rights. While the teachers’ actions were in violation of school policy, the lawsuit states that school personnel met the father’s complaint with deliberate indifference. A note was placed in each of the employee’s files, but no further disciplinary action was taken. The principal was, according to the Daily Mail, only interested in what she could do to make it “go away.” Other teachers were aware of the incident but failed to report it, even though it went against school policy.
According to the Daily Mail, “The school board said the independent investigation found no racial bias and included interviews with district personnel, students and families and a review of video and photos including posts on social media. District administrators also performed an internal review of the incident.”
But Jurnee’s father said “the district never questioned him or Jurnee.”
This is classic white privilege at work. The white principal and white school employees were given a pass for their behavior. Code words like “investigation” and “proper procedure” hide the reality that they did nothing. There was no genuine accountability for anyone. When people of color are victimized, often the only redress available is the legal system, which may or may not proffer a better justice. This story would not have become news at all if it were not for the lawsuit.
Let’s be clear; this never would have happened if Jurnee were a white girl.
The “it’s only hair” argument holds no sway. In Black culture, hair is of great significance. Allowing their hair to be natural is a reminder to some that they are descendants of enslaved people. According to the BBC, “in early African civilizations, hairstyles could indicate a person’s family background, tribe and social status.” “Just about everything about a person’s identity could be learned by looking at the hair,” says journalist Lori Tharps. According to CRResearch.com, every Black woman has “their own personal stories, experiences, and journeys with their hair.” Jurnee’s journey with her own hair was decided for her by clueless teachers.
This was as much a violation of Jurnee’s personhood as unwanted touch or sexual assault. The trauma of a person in a position of power and authority is not mediated by others’ evaluation of the seriousness of the event. Trauma is trauma. And given the cultural issues related to hair in the Black community the trauma is clear and unmistakable.
The Michigan school district where the incident took place is about 4% Black. There are 25,000 students in the district. In a predominantly white environment it is likely that little cultural sensitivity taught. There certainly is none expected.
Jurnee will have years of work ahead of her to absorb and process this experience. The violation of personhood is not something easily left behind. This is its own tragedy. A young girl was traumatized by insensitive teachers and school administrators whose main concern was making it go away.
It is a whole different tragedy that there is such cultural insensitivity, lack of compassion, understanding and lack of accountability for those who acted out of their privilege and judgement about what would “look better.”
Second, educators are in a position of power over their students. Whenever there is a power imbalance, it is the responsibility of the person with more power to use it in service of the one with lesser power. The good intentions of the teachers were irrelevant. They misused their power and authority to impose their will on a young child.
Without specific training and the unvarnished addressing of white privilege followed by accountability, there are probably countless more incidents that will never make the news because the next blond hair blue eyed woman who goes missing will make the headlines.
The Irreverent Reverend 