Unchristian, discriminatory hairstyle policy at Trinity

THE EDITOR: This unsavoury matter relating to the recent Trinity College graduation ceremony fiasco has caused me great anguish.

In any depiction of Jesus Christ, whether incorrectly as a blonde, blue-eyed man or otherwise, he is portrayed as a man with long hair. In fact, many purists in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions frown on the cutting of one's hair.

These religions all, in effect, share the Old Testament of the Holy Bible and the purist can cite passages in the Old Testament which forbid the cutting of one's hair. In fact, quite ironically, the cutting of one's hair is viewed as a vain fashion statement that goes against the natural order of things and God's law.

I have stated before that the revolution that took place in 1970 in TT is an unfinished revolution. If we do not continue to educate and sensitise members of our younger generation on their self-worth then, unfortunately, history is inclined to repeat itself.

Yes, there are laws that offer protection including the relevant constitutional provisions. However, we need to go beyond that aspect of things. Litigation is time-consuming, expensive and disruptive of relationships.

How in heaven's name could a senior cleric of the Anglican Church, who is so gifted and educated up to the doctoral level, and a school principal, another highly educated individual, be so out of step and prepared to implement decisions that reek of discrimination and insensitivity, perhaps unintentionally, under the guise of discipline.

The actions of these women, in debarring the young men from fully participating in their graduation ceremony because of their well-groomed and fashionable hairstyles, is deplorable. The way these young men were treated reminded me of the dark old days of segregation in the US and apartheid in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

These young men, on one of the most auspicious days in their lives, were separated from their fellow students and they and their parents had to endure the humiliation of being treated like outcasts.

I am sure that most of us who are conscious about our African heritage have seen the video footage of the signs at certain facilities, including washrooms, in segregated USA: "No blacks and dogs allowed." I still often enough shed a tear whenever I see such footage.

Both the cleric and the principal are relatively young individuals who were either not yet born or were babies/toddlers in 1970. What were they taught in the primary and secondary schools they attended? What were they taught at the universities they attended? What about the relevant teacher training college and theological institute? Food for thought.

What is even more appalling about this matter is that it appears there was a committee ("a board") that was aware of this matter for over a year and never sought to take the proactive approach of reviewing and obviously changing its ghastly policy on this matter. Board members need to be made of sterner stuff.

The Anglican Church has had an unenviable past as a complicit agent in the matter of slavery/human trafficking in the Caribbean. I am sure it would wish not to replicate any semblance of a similar degradation and utter disrespect of human beings.

A profoundly sincere apology must now be conveyed to the affected students and their parents by the Anglican bishop of TT. To err is human. Love, repentance and forgiveness are very noble human qualities which, I dare say, would not be lost on the affected students and their parents.

My understanding is that the issue under consideration is not isolated to Trinity College, but is also plaguing other secondary schools.

I understand the restrictions imposed on the Government by the Concordat. However, I pray that good sense prevailed in the discussions between the Minister of Education and the relevant stakeholders on Thursday, leading to the voluntary elimination of such discriminatory practices wherever they exist. Let us not have the courts of law determine for us what we know is right and can decide for ourselves.

LOUIS W WILLIAMS

St Augustine