Black Student Fighting Mormon University’s Hair Policy To Keep His Locs

Photo: BackyardProduction / iStock Editorial / Getty Images A Black college student is locked in a months-long dispute with his Mormon school over the length of his locs, which he considers an important cultural symbol. According to The Guardian, Kanaan VyShonne Barton is fighting with Brigham Young University (BYU)-Hawaii over their hair policy, which requires students to keep their hair “neatly trimmed” under an “honor code.” Barton alleges Jonathan Kalaonalani Kau, the vice president of student life, called his locs a “distraction” and then instructed the student to cut his hair. The official allegedly accused the Black pupil of “pushing his own agenda and being defiant.” Barton pushed back against his school’s demands, saying his locs are an integral part of his Afro-Guyanese American heritage. “Regardless of the length of my hair, I am spiritually involved. I am actively going to church,” he told the Salt Lake Tribune. “But my locs mean something to me. They are culture. They are family. I shouldn’t have to cut my hair to get an education here.” Kanaan Barton said he hopes pushing back against the rules for hairstyles will see them changed to be more culturally inclusive for students of color on all...