I remember the demonstration and protests of the 1960s and 1970s in Europe and the USA over hair styles.
The 1960 was the decade of the hippies, Woodstock festival and protests against the Vietnam War. Make love not war was one of the most famous slogans.
Until 1967, a Dutch soldier who refused to cut his hair risked a one-and-half year prison sentence. During the 1970s, the Dutch Army reviewed its stand on this “in-disciplined”, “unhygienic” hair styles and allowed it as long as it didn’t disturb the duty of soldiers.
Soon after that, France followed and Germany several years later as well.
The whole “fight” was rendered useless after the fashion changed from long to short hair in the 1980s.
Schools in the Netherlands, but also in other parts of Europe and the USA had become much more relaxed over hair styles and hair length during the 1960ties already.
During the 1970s everyone was having long hair simply because that was “en vogue”.
Long hair got out of fashion and today only few people in Europe and the USA are still having long hairstyles. Beards have replaced clean shaven faces and short hair became the norm again.
Although I know my country Ghana, I really don’t understand the completely outdated and overrated discussion about the length and style of someone’s hair over 45 years later.
Are we that old fashioned?
The most ridiculous argument I always hear is that short hair is part of school discipline.
The fact that all these outdated disciplines measures have never and are still not working is that the day we leave school we are one of the most undisciplined (FREE) people in the world. That’s maybe why I love Ghana.
My wife was expelled from her secondary school because of her hairstyle. My son’s school refused to give him his final report because of his hairstyle and my daughter was forced to cut her hair entering Aburi Girls.
Luckily, I could prevent that from happening so when I took her out of that completely outdated old fashioned school she still had her beautiful curly gold colored hair.
My old school wanted to force me to cut my hair and take my earring out in 1972, I refused but changed schools. My brother two years younger entered the same school after the “hair battles” and nobody talked about it anymore.
To all supporters of the Rasta Boys at Achimota School, I say never give up because I even think that these GES and School laws are against several articles of our Ghanaian Constitution.
To all of us who fought against colonialism, black lives and rights matter, I am black and I am proud, natural hair promoters and any other Ghanaian supporting this short cut and shaven hair I ask you:
How was African hair cut before Ghana became a British colony?
What is the natural African haircut?
Which person with long hair has worse results than a person with short hair?
Argument against girls are mostly: “their attention will go to their hair instead of studying”. I never heard a more lousy excuse than that.
Every Ghanaian girl who enters a Ghanaian university a few months after leaving Senior High School concentrates on her hair. But they still graduate.
Being a Dutch what I pity most is that Ghana didn’t become a Dutch Colony because that all these Bullsh….. discussion wouldn’t have taken place. The Dutch never had school uniforms, official haircuts etc. And Ghanaians would have been more happy without losing time over hair discussions.
Nico C.M. van Staalduinen is a concerned Ghanaian and a columnist of African Entertainment
Do you have a story, video for African entertainment? WhatsApp Us on +233543452542
You can also email us at info@AfricanEntertainment.com
