1y ago

Black student at Hawaii Mormon school says he’s fighting order to cut hair

www.theguardian.com

Kanaan VyShonne Barton says he’s following all other school rules but shouldn’t have to cut his hair: ‘My locs represent strength’

A Black student at a Mormon university in Hawaii said he has been told by staff to cut his shoulder-length hair because it does not adhere to school policies, he said.

Kanaan VyShonne Barton, a student at Brigham Young University-Hawaii, told the Salt Lake Tribune he has been engaged in a battle with the school since September over the length of his hair, which he has refused to cut.

The university requires students to follow an “honor code”, which states hair should be “neatly trimmed”, although the code has no official guidance on length.

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It was always weird how many Mormons and Scientologists lived in Hawaii...
Like, I get turning to a cult in Utah, there's nothing going on and pretty much everyone else is in it already.
But you live in Hawaii, just go hang out at the beach
- In my view as a haole from the mainland who's never visited our 50th state...
  A black Mormon is weird.
  A black Hawaiian Mormon is weirder.
  A black Hawaiian Mormon that still has natural hair? That goes beyond my understanding.
  
  Mormonism has very strong ties in Hawaii. They sent missionaries there when the state was annexed by the US.
  While not as strong as Utah, it very much is there.
  
  Mormon missionaries go everywhere. I have met Mongolian mormons.

What is with conservative groups and their weird fixation with hair length? It's not like its a historically set thing for men or women.
- The best part is the Mormon depiction of Jesus has long flowing locks that go at least past his collar and a beard. The church promotes being clean shaven and a stereotypical military cut for boys.
  
  Brigham Young had a long beard. Brigham Young would not be able to attend Brigham Young University because of the honor code about being clean shaven.
- Conformity and control.
  We’re all alike so I must be correct because everyone around me looks and believes like I do
  
  Exactly. Just more cogs for the machinations of religion and capitalism.
- I know, right? You'd think the long hair would give their priests better grip lmao /s
  
  You know Mormon priests are 16-17 year old boys, right?
- The tale of Samson. It's always the tale of Samson.
  Why, why why? Delilah!
- It’s about keeping people in their gender roles.
  
  Guess they never read the bit about Samson.
- I mean, it's been that way in many parts of the western world for hundreds of years.
  So yeah. It has gone long enough to call it "historically", I'd say.
- I started school in the mid 60's and we never had rules for hair.
  We did have idiotic rules that boys got to do shop and girls had to do "home ec", short for learning how to cook, clean and mend for your future husband.
  
  It was normal to sell Africans like cattle when some people were younger. What's your point?

Mormon (!) private (!!) school. You visit the private educational institution of a cult and you wonder why they wanna make you cut your hair? Wait for the cool-aid.
- Moreover he knew this requirement going in. Who cares. Go to another school if you don't like the policies of the cult school

https://archive.ph/yhf6D
During a meeting the following month, Barton said Kau was more explicit than anyone before. Barton said the man told him he needed to lose his locs, that they were “a distraction” and that Barton was “trying to push his own agenda and be defiant.”
BYU campuses are not healthy places.
- A religion running a school. Did you expect it to be?
- Definitely not a place where women should ever feel safe...

Here's what's going to happen.
At the end of the school year, his bishop--his local religious leader--is not going to renew ecclesiastical endorsement. Barton will be invited to 're-apply'. If he does re-apply, he will find that he is no longer competitive. If he's very, very lucky, BYU-H will forward his academic records to whichever school he continues his education at.
This is the way that BYU handles students when it doesn't want to make a scene by simply kicking them out.

Hawaii Mormon School is my favorite indie band
- I wonder if they have a choir, The Hawaii Mormon school music project would be an interesting alternative to the haunting Langley School music Project

Maybe kids could focus on learning if the fascion police would get off their backs. Geez.

- Filling out the school checklist like
  [ ] multiple wives
  “Oh I definitely want that”
  [ ] it’s a cult
  “Well, what isn’t nowadays?”
  [ ] have to cut your hair
  “WAIT A SECOND”
- Eh, it's a kid that was, presumably, raised in a way that made byu seem like a good choice. That's probably not a very informative environment. This is a learning moment for them. Hopefully their experience here will expose some things for them.
  
  like their ears

he has been told by staff to cut his shoulder-length hair because it does not adhere to school policies
So, none of the girls at his school have shoulder-length hair?
- Dress codes and grooming standards are always the same between the sexes true

I work with an older guy who goes to a Mormon church. I have longer than average hair and he always makes side comments about how long my hair is whenever we're talking. It never feels malicious or anything. But it's just brought up CONSTANTLY.
- Maybe he has a crush on you? I mean that's what I'd think if anyone talked about my hair that often. (Even if I didn't believe he was crushing, I'd mention it every time he brought up repetative comments about my appearance.)

Don't cut your hair off, cut yourself off ... from religion.

What about swapping school?
- Lol, look into how easy it is to get away from this ~~cult~~ religious organization. It not just the school they'd have to leave, they'd have to escape the church and hope that the church/school is decent enough to allow the student to transfer the credits they've already paid for.
  
  It's really easy to just not go to church. And credits get transferred all the time. You're letting your hate affect your perception of reality.

Religious schools have basically always been like this. When I was in a Catholic school in the 80s I remember them literally measuring boys hair and sending notes home.
- On one hand, 1 Corinthians 11:14-15:
  Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
  But, then, on the other hand...
  1 Corinthians 11:1:
  Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
  Getting some real mixed messages here, 1 Corinthians 11.

That is a total "Not the Onion" headline.

Why would you want to associate with a school that has rules about things like this? They don't care about this student. Would probably be happy that they are "out of their hair".

- Why should a school, or any establishment really, have any say over what you do to your own body?
  
  I mean I agree, but at the same time if you work in food service you're not technically supposed to let your beard grow long, and you should always have your hair (if it's long) in a ponytail/bun or wear a hat/hairnet.
  Still, I agree. I went to a private Christian high school for a couple years, and it was also the same time that I wanted to grow out my hair. I didn't get told to cut it until like the last few weeks of school, and both me and my mom ignored it. It was my last year at that school anyway.

57 comments