GA Servicewomen Protest Against Army for Racially-Biased Hairstyle Rules

For months, several African-American women in the U.S. Army has led a petition against a new ruling on how hairstyles should be worn. According to several reports, the Army implemented this ruling in March – detailing its guidelines under Army Regulation 670-1. The regulations outlined unacceptable hairstyles along with rules about tattoos, grooming, and uniforms.

In particular, hairstyle regulations stated that the Army no longer accepts cornrows bigger than an inch, braids, dreadlocks, and twists. Many African-American servicewomen felt as though the regulations specifically targeted Black women. This caused an outrage to many, but Sgt. Jasmine Jacobs of the Georgia National Guard took her grievance to the next level and started a petition.

Her petition pointed out that women have the tendency to wear a natural hairstyle because of the low-maintenance when deployed out in the field. Sgt. Jacobs also stressed the health risks with wearing wigs or hair extensions, of which the Army has proposed as the acceptable alternative.

More than 30% of females serving in the military are of a race other than white. As of 2011, 36% of females in the U.S. stated that they are natural, or refrain from chemically processing their hair. Females with natural hair take strides to style their natural hair in a professional manner when necessary; however, changes to AR 670-1 offer little to no options for females with natural hair. In the proposed changes, unauthorized hairstyles include twists, both flat twists as well as two strand twists; as well as dreadlocks, which are defined as “any matted or locked coils or ropes of hair.” These new changes are racially biased and the lack of regard for ethnic hair is apparent. This policy needs to be reviewed prior to publishing to allow for neat and maintained natural hairstyles.

An Army spokesperson stated that the need for the new rules was to maintain uniformity within a military position. Also, the Army says that headgear must fit snug and wearing braids or twists prevents a person’s head from fitting properly in the gear.

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE THE ARMY HAIRSTYLE RULES RACIALLY-BIASED?