'Can we be BLACK in peace?' - Celebs join #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh fight
Some of the country’s most famous faces have added their voices to the calls of outrage at Pretoria High School for Girls‚ defending black students’ rights to wear their hair naturally in the classroom.
The school came under the spotlight over the weekend after students claimed that black pupils were being told to straighten their hair.
>https://twitter.com/Anele/status/770003173805350916?ref–src=twsrc%5EtfwAs the student’s fight spread across social media‚ making the #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh hashtag one of the most talked about trends on social media site Twitter‚ celebrities added their voices to the protests.
Outspoken Metro FM DJ Unathi Msengana used her radio show to bring awareness to the student’s plight and took calls and messages from people naming and shaming other schools that had allegedly instituted similar policies against black students. She later took to Instagram to post a picture of a student protesting at the school.
The same image was shared by radio DJ and talk show host Anele Mdoda‚ who spoke of her annoyance at the situation.
>https://twitter.com/Anele/status/770127510352822272?ref–src=twsrc%5Etfw“The fact that black girls are still having to fight to wear their hair as it grows out their scalp is annoying AF. Pretoria girls high staff you can do better. Hands off our girls. Distracting them from education is what’s happening here. White girls don’t have to fight to be white I don’t see why our kids have to go to school to fight to be black enough. Pretoria Girls High do BETTER !!!!!” she wrote in a series of posts.
Musician Zakes Bantwini was also outraged and shared how the incident made him emotional.
“Crying tears‚ when our own have to fight for their identity at this age. This picture‚ whoever is raising this young girl is raising a LEGEND‚” he said‚ next to the image of student sporting an afro that has largely become the image of the movement.
There was also strong words from radio and TV personality Masechaba Ndlovu and Umlilo actress Omuhle Gela.
>https://twitter.com/MasechabaNdlovu/status/770165612182134784?ref–src=twsrc%5Etfw“Girls fighting to wear their NATURAL hair at school. Still failing to understand why anyone should compromise the way they ARE to suit others. Girls being forced to Straighten their NATURAL hair. Racism in SA is never shocking‚ but it’s refreshing to see such a young generation of fighters‚ parents did well. Can we be BLACK In peace?! #stopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh‚” Gela wrote in an Instagram post.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi visited the school on Monday morning to address the controversy‚ after more than 4 500 people signed a petition calling for his intervention.
The MEC told PowerFM on Monday that he had received complaints about the hair policy‚ allegations that pupils in groups of two or more were being stopped and asked questions – after an earlier protest by pupils – and was told that teachers prevented pupils from speaking African languages. He said that students were busy with exams and he had decided to intervene swiftly after seeing the petition.
“These are issues that you can’t just leave to chance. Let me go there‚ allow the school to present their side of the story but at the same time allow learners to put their side of the story‚” he said.