#ZulaikhaPatel

[beauti4soul]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Erica Johnson (@iam_msjohnson)

Regrann from @2frochicks - ♻️#Repost @badgyrl_gonegood ・・・ South African Students Protest Against Pretoria High School For Girls' Racist Hair Policy -blogged by @avah_taylor - ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Black students at the #PretoriaHighSchool for Girls in #SouthAfrica are protesting for the right to wear their natural hair after a 13-year-old student, identified as #ZulaikhaPatel, was reportedly suspended for wearing her afro. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Patel is leading the protest against the school's racist hair policy, which reportedly forces black students to straighten their natural hair. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When police threatened to arrest the group of girls protesting outside of the school, they responded by saying "Take us. Take us all. " ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Teachers at the former white-only institution, which was founded in 1902, are also accused of prohibiting black students from speaking in their mother tongue in class. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 27,000 people signed an online petition against the school's policy. The petition, titled "Stop Racism at Pretoria Girls High," says that "Black children should be allowed to just be children, without being burdened with having to assert their humanity" and demands that the "racist practices at the school are brought to an end. " ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ According to BBC, the school's education minister said the school rules would be suspending pending an independent investigation into the allegations. #BlackGirlsRock #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh @repostlyapp #2frochicks - #regrann

[islandnaturals]

#ZulaikhaPatel #SouthAfrica #zulaikha #zulaikhapatel #pretoria #pretoriagirlshigh #afro #afrotexturedhair #africanhair #blackbeauty #blackhairmatters #unkemptja #islandnaturals

[somoodygirls]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by So Moody® Entertainment (@somoodyent)

🖕🏽 european standards of beauty 13 year old #ZulaikhaPatel and other black girls in #SouthAfrica are seeing through the #racism. #zulaikha #zulaikhapatel #pretoria #pretoriagirlshigh #BeAStandUpGuy #DecolonizeNow #OrigenalMuzik #KnowYourHistory #EachoneTeachOne

[keturahariel]

Logically there's nothing threatening or distracting about hair that naturally grows up toward the sun rather than down towards the ground. I'm not sure why this is difficult to understand, but i do know that it's been ingrained in many of us to straighten our hair to appear less threatening... to fit within a European standard of beauty as if anything other than that is less than. I'm extremely inspired by 13yr old Zulaikha Patel from South Africa and what she represents for the future. Because she's fighting for her right to exist in a world that constantly tells her to conform to something she isn't when she shouldn't have to. #selflove #choices #civilrights #zulaikhapatel #naturalhair #southafrica #blackgirlmagic #blackhairispolitical #afro #keturahariel #artist #acryliconwood #inspired #pretoriagirlshighschool

[beauti4soul]

#zulaikhaPatel Regrann from @toprevolutionaryblog - - #regrann #Afro #AfroPower #SimplyBeautiful ✊🌺

[dehejia]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dehejia Maat 🧚🏾‍♀️ (@dehejia_maat)

So young and powerful! Yes to standing against your oppressor together. @Regrann from @revolutionary_poets - #Repost @loclivin with @repostapp ・・・ ☀️ Good Morning beautiful people!!!!!! Enough is Enough "South African Students Protest Against Pretoria High School For Girls' Racist Hair Policy -blogged by @avah_taylor - ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Black students at the Pretoria High School for Girls in #SouthAfrica are protesting for the right to wear their natural hair after a 13-year-old student, identified as #ZulaikhaPatel, was reportedly suspended for wearing her afro. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Patel is leading the protest against the school's racist hair policy, which reportedly forces black students to straighten their natural hair. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When police threatened to arrest the group of girls protesting outside of the school, they responded by saying "Take us. Take us all. " ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Teachers at the former white-only institution, which was founded in 1902, are also accused of prohibiting black students from speaking in their mother tongue in class. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 27,000 people signed an online petition against the school's policy. The petition, titled "Stop Racism at Pretoria Girls High," says that "Black children should be allowed to just be children, without being burdened with having to assert their humanity" and demands that the "racist practices at the school are brought to an end. " ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ According to BBC, the school's education minister said the school rules would be suspending pending an independent investigation into the allegations. � @balleralert #zulaikha #zulaikhapatel #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh #endracism #naturalhairisbeautiful #blackgirlmagic✨ #smile #lifeisbeautiful #embraceyourjourney #positivevibes #loclivin #Regrann

[2frochicks]

♻️#Repost @badgyrl_gonegood ・・・ South African Students Protest Against Pretoria High School For Girls' Racist Hair Policy -blogged by @avah_taylor - ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Black students at the #PretoriaHighSchool for Girls in #SouthAfrica are protesting for the right to wear their natural hair after a 13-year-old student, identified as #ZulaikhaPatel, was reportedly suspended for wearing her afro. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Patel is leading the protest against the school's racist hair policy, which reportedly forces black students to straighten their natural hair. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ When police threatened to arrest the group of girls protesting outside of the school, they responded by saying "Take us. Take us all. " ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Teachers at the former white-only institution, which was founded in 1902, are also accused of prohibiting black students from speaking in their mother tongue in class. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 27,000 people signed an online petition against the school's policy. The petition, titled "Stop Racism at Pretoria Girls High," says that "Black children should be allowed to just be children, without being burdened with having to assert their humanity" and demands that the "racist practices at the school are brought to an end. " ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ According to BBC, the school's education minister said the school rules would be suspending pending an independent investigation into the allegations. #BlackGirlsRock #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh @repostlyapp #2frochicks

[desirableparaphernalia]

A Personal Reflection on a Non-Progressive Institution

On April 18, 2016 I emailed a high ranked staff member of my High School to share the uncomfortable feelings that I still had, two years after graduating. 

Dear X

I was excited to see that you are writing a book on Parktown following your retirement. According to the email from the secretary, you are looking for stories from Old Girls. Recently I have been thinking greatly about my experience at Parktown and thus believe this is not a coincidence.  I presume that your book will be focusing on the history and legacy of Parktown. As you were the vice principle and a patriotic Parktonian, I anticipate that your book will be written in such a perspective. Therefore, this email may not be of use to you however, I am sharing the alternative reality of Parktown faced by some.

  The lack of decolonization at Parktown. 

This may have been the greatest strife of all that I faced at Parktown between 2010 and 2014. In 2010, I wrote a letter to the principle regarding the lack of recognition the school gave the Traditional Dance Team as well as a lack of funds allocated to the cultural activity. The letter was addressed but no adjustments were made. Years later, the Traditional Dance Team performed among Parktown's choir, orchestra and etc., at a particular event which I do not remember. It received the most praise from the audience and the authoritative figures at Parktown pretended as if they supported the activity as they did other activities.

Therefore, at Parktown, there were clear inequalities in activities; the choir and orchestra, as mentioned, were seen as more "prestigious" or "viable" as an investment than say traditional dance. The figures of authority at Parktown were responsible for this and I believe that they determined this based on Western ideals/imperialism. To an extent, I believe that this affected the racial diversity of this activity. If all activities were represented as equal, students would not join activities based on "prestige". Therefore, as traditional dance was among the least prestigious activities, I believe that students who had a background in traditional dance took it up as an extra-curricular activity and other's chose the more 'prestigious' activities.

In 2012, I had braided my hair in a style known as "Box Braids", I was soon hurled into the Head of Discipline's office. I was told that my hair was inappropriate and this raised my confusion as other girl's had braids. The response I received was, "Yes, black girls have braids". As if that explained it all. I am of black and white heritage which I have embraced equally. With South Africa's history, one can imagine the challenges I faced as a biracial female. I do not believe that our country's history justifies this, as Parktown is an academic institute with educated authorities who should be able to comprehend better than the average person. Therefore, the intrusion of my identity by determining how much of both my cultures I can embrace, should never have happened. Furthermore, it looked neat.

  Therefore, Parktown was a slave to Western Imperialism which these two personal examples only show a glimmer of. I believe that the liberation from the ideals and the affects of colonization (racism) in the psyche of those in authority would benefit the students as teachers form the mind of children and thus, the students at Parktown Girls would have a more rounded perspective.  

Feminism at Parktown.

 In 2014, student X shaved her entire hair in no particular style. This caused immense controversy among students and staff. The argument from our principal was that it did not look professional and thus, student X was not allowed to wear the school uniform. "You would not find a judge in court with a shaved head" is burnt into my memory. If a boy were to shave his hair, it would be considered neat and tidy. Thus, I believe the same should have applied to student X as it was not shaved in an abstract fashion. A core principle of feminism is that a women should not be told what to do with her body based on patriarchal values. Rather than emphasizing factors of appearance, Parktown should empower the women they raise to challenge the social constructions of society rather than conform to them.

The culture of demotivation by teachers at Parktown.

In 2010, a student teacher reported me to you for being a rowdy student that influenced the class to make his week long practical hard. I do admit that I was a challenging and defiant student throughout my High School career. I was most likely rowdy in his class as reported. Upon being scolded by you, you told me that I do not belong at Parktown. Although I was wrong and deserved to be reprimanded, fourteen year old me was not equipped to deal with such wrath from an adult. I consciously questioned where I belonged if it was not Parktown where I was happy. If I were equipped to deal with this, I believe it would have still played on my subconscious and had the same effects as it did. I have many memories like this that other students experienced from you and other teachers. 

I would like to share with you that I am now a second year student at the University of Cape Town. It is a great institution but the individual is greater. We do not  belong in the University but the University belongs to us. A culture I pray Parktown will adapt. 

I wear my graduation ring everyday and my blood is still blue. Despite these above experiences, there were many highlights at Parktown and it definitely aided me with the academic edge to meet the requirements for university. I fly the Parktown flag high but secretly hold these bitter feelings Parktown never allowed me to voice. Therefore, this email is mostly a form of catharsis and means of staying true to myself. 

I wish you the best with your book. Regards Gabriella Jacobs (Class of 2014).

[myafricais]

This is #ZulaikhaPatel one of the figures of the Pretoria Girls High School protests that refused to be silenced when the natural hair that grows out of her head, and her native language were deemed to be against school policy. #wcw #myafricais #solidarity #pretoriagirlshigh #pretoria