While I can understand where Coach Cole is coming from, HBCU are suppose to be a place where black people are accepted for who we are and not by the standards force upon us by outside groups. The professionalism standard of our hair was not something that we establish ourselves, but was thus on us by our ancestors enslavers through laws (in some places there was actually laws about our hair), indoctrination, vilify our hair when it is in its' natural state, and other methods over centuries. There is a reason why many states are passing anti-discrimination laws based on our natural hair and hair styles, the Crown Act (ironically enough a state that does not even 10 percent state black population). The fact that our men and women was and are using harmful chemicals in our hair in order to meet European standards is crazy and shows how deep rooted the attack on black hair is. At some point, we have to change the narrative of what should pass for professional hair style among our people and typically when our people have takings stands it has involved HBCUs and our organizations\churches. To me there should be compromise with the length for safety concerns and make sure the hair is well kept when it comes to hair from Coach's prospective. If not, then the reality people can say and they would be right that you are upholding the same standards that is based in anti-black racism. Technically speaking if Coach was the coach in a state that does have the Crown Act, which I believe the state of Texas does, he could face a lawsuit under the Crown Act of that state. It would be a shame that if a black person would have to sue an HBCU and another black person for anti-black discrimination, but at some point someone might take that stand against Coach Cole or any other coach (if he tried to have his policy at an HBCU). We have already seen young black people and their families take a stand against others over our hair. We have already seen lawsuits against a wrestling referee (who went against school system policy in the first place), coaches in baseball, and high schools.
While I can understand where Coach Cole is coming from, HBCU are suppose to be a place where black people are accepted for who we are and not by the standards force upon us by outside groups. The professionalism standard of our hair was not something that we establish ourselves, but was thus on us by our ancestors enslavers through laws (in some places there was actually laws about our hair), indoctrination, vilify our hair when it is in its' natural state, and other methods over centuries.
There is a reason why many states are passing anti-discrimination laws based on our natural hair and hair styles, the Crown Act (ironically enough a state that does not even 10 percent state black population). The fact that our men and women was and are using harmful chemicals in our hair in order to meet European standards is crazy and shows how deep rooted the attack on black hair is. At some point, we have to change the narrative of what should pass for professional hair style among our people and typically when our people have takings stands it has involved HBCUs and our organizations\churches. To me there should be compromise with the length for safety concerns and make sure the hair is well kept when it comes to hair from Coach's prospective. If not, then the reality people can say and they would be right that you are upholding the same standards that is based in anti-black racism.
Technically speaking if Coach was the coach in a state that does have the Crown Act, which I believe the state of Texas does, he could face a lawsuit under the Crown Act of that state. It would be a shame that if a black person would have to sue an HBCU and another black person for anti-black discrimination, but at some point someone might take that stand against Coach Cole or any other coach (if he tried to have his policy at an HBCU). We have already seen young black people and their families take a stand against others over our hair. We have already seen lawsuits against a wrestling referee (who went against school system policy in the first place), coaches in baseball, and high schools.