De La Salle has long had an institutional practice of discriminatory policies in regard to Black hair. The current 2019-2020 student handbook states the hair must be, “neat, clean, combed, shaped, and styled in an even conventional manner” and the proceeds to state that, “...braids, twists, cornrows, locks [sic] of any kind, sponged hair” are not conventional styles and therefore unacceptable to the dress code. These policies unjustly target traditionally Black hairstyles the majority of which are protective in nature. Additionally, these policies implicitly and explicitly communicate that De La Salle as an institution does not deem these styles to be presentable. This is, simply put, an ignorant statement as all of these hairstyles are able to be properly maintained and made presentable. 

De La Salle cannot establish a “task force to address the issues of race and culture” while still upholding discriminatory hair policies that disproportionately target Black students. Numerous student testimonials show that Black students feel discriminated against by the De La Salle administration. In one instance a student shared that a faculty member told them they wouldn’t be successful on the sole basis of how their natural hair appeared. The fact that such a statement was allowed to be said to a student is inexcusable. In order to prove its commitment to diversity and inclusion, these policies must be changed. Additionally, such discriminatory practices regarding traditionally Black hairstyles will soon be in violation of the CROWN Act.