Rescind the Chatham County Superior Court Grooming Policy and Reinstate Suspended Employee

We, the undersigned, wish to express our disgust and anger with the newly implemented "Grooming Policy" of the Chatham County Superior Court in Savannah, Georgia, USA.

This grooming policy broadly states "twists are not allowed" and "dredlocks are not allowed" with regard to hair styles. Also stated as not allowed is hair deemed "eccentric". Which of course is open to personal interpretation and cultural stereotyping.

We demand that Ms. Inger Bostick, who was forced onto vacation leave because she wears her short, African-textured hair non-chemically relaxed and in neat, small, single twists, be immediately re-instated to her former position and her vacation pay refunded to her. In no way has her hair diminished her ability to perform her job and there is no reason other than her choosing to wear her African-textured hair naturally, for her to have been suspended from work.

Dredlocks and twists, for people of African descent, are very natural, simple, and common hair styles in the African American community. These hair styles you refer to as "dredlocks" and "twists" can be just as neatly styled and professional looking as the hair styles commonly performed on straight, European type hair.

To disallow all hair styles that come under the category of "dredlocks" and "twists" is a policy which specifically targets and discriminates against Black persons with specific racial genetic characteristics because these are hair styles which can only be neatly achieved on very tightly curled and highly textured natural Black hair.

Any grooming policy regarding individual hair styles needs to be independently assessed on an individual basis, not a blanket assumption based on an ill-informed generalization.

Since this part of the policy strictly prohibits neatly groomed hair styles for natural Black hair, we can think of no better description of this part of the new policy than racist and in violation of the rights and freedoms of Black American citizens.

We trust the policy-makers will proceed to further educate themselves on African American-type hair and the neat and professional hair styles associated thus and amend this policy decision to reflect a more accepting and fair approach to the hair grooming choices of African American citizens.

For the information of viewers, press release of this grooming policy is currently located here: http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/072602/LOChair.shtml.

In case the above link expires, information can also be found here: http://nappturality.suddenlaunch2.com/index.cgi?board=culture&action=display&num=1029034983