A South African school has been accused of racism for allegedly telling black girls to straighten their hair and not wear afros.
Pupils at Pretoria high school for girls have said they were forced to chemically straighten their hair and not have afros that were deemed untidy. Over the weekend, students donning afro hairstyles and braids held a protest at the school to voice anger against the alleged longstanding rule.
An online petition against the school’s alleged policy has gathered more than 10,000 signatures since it was created on Friday. The policy was suspended after the protest.
Disagreements over students’ hairstyles have previously arisen in South African schools, with some parents accusing education authorities of racism. Watch the girls protest for their rights donning afro hairstyles that are quite rad.
