This week, the U.S Navy announced that it
was discharging Jessica Sims, an Africa
American woman who has been a sailor for
12-years, for “failing to obey an order to cut
off her natural hairstyle.”
The military has been under scrutiny for
guidelines issued in March that critics
believe were discriminatory toward
African-American women. Those
regulations “specifically forbid several
hairstyles popular for black women who
keep their hair natural, including twists,
headbands, dreadlocks, or multiple
braids that are larger than a quarter-
inch.” A former U.S. Army Major,
sharply criticized the regulations, noting
they targeted “natural styles African
American service women have been
wearing for years.” Continue..
Sims had been wearing her hair in the same
way since 2005, without any apparent issues.
In response to the criticism, Secretary of
Defense Chuck Hagel ordered the regulations
to be relaxed earlier this month to “allow
female service members to have a wider
range of hairstyles.” But the Navy found that
Sims hair still violated their guidelines.
Sims rejected repeated calls from the Navy to
change her hair style, saying “I don’t think I
should be told that I have to straighten my
hair in order to be within what they think the
regulations are, and I don’t think I should
have to cover it up with a wig.”
The Navy said her hairstyle made it difficult
for her to wear a gas mask. Sims said that
her hair conformed to regulations requiring it
protrude less than two inches from her head
and that she “never had a problem wearing
safety helmets or gas masks.”
After her discharge, Sims had no regrets: “I
still stand by it. I would do it again if I had
to.”
Source: Think Progess
