It’s every high school student’s dream to go up the stage and receive a diploma, all while taking in the fact that he/she is on to the next phase of his/her life. But what will you feel if you will be banned from attending your graduation just because of your hair?
That’s exactly what happened to DeAndre Arnold, a senior student at Barbers Hill High School in Texas. School officials suspended him and did not allow him to walk at the graduation unless he cut his dreadlocks, which was said to be against the dress code.
As per the student, school authorities had no issue with his hair until the ceremony came up. DeAndre’s story went viral and earned him support not just from average Janes and Joes but also big celebrities.
Click2HoustonDeAndre Arnold couldn’t attend his graduation because of his hair
He made a guest appearance at the Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he explained that the hair wasn’t just a mere preference – it also has a significant cultural meaning. DeAndre’s father is a Trinidadian and, like his son, he proudly sported dreadlocks as well.
The patriarch, the student narrated, also had to tie his hair to abide by schools’ strict dress codes. As such, DeAndre refused to cut his mane because he wanted to embrace his roots.
Sandy Arnold, his mother, also doesn’t want his son to cut his hair and said that it is part of who he is and his beliefs. Others who gave their two cents on the issue echoed the matriarch’s sentiments and said that DeAndre should be proud to wear his culture on his head.
Now, DeAndre may not be able to walk at his graduation to receive the piece of paper that’s a summation of his hard work throughout high school but he will be attending an even more glamorous event: the Oscars.
That’s because Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union invited DeAndre to the awards night via Twitter. The basketball player and his wife decided to get involved because the student’s story greatly resembles Hair Love, an animated film that she co-produced.
Good Housekeeping | Hair Love is Oscar-nominated for best animated short film
Along with DeAndre, his mom also got an invite to the Academy Awards. The couple then told the teen that they were a big fan of him.
The creator of the Oscar-nominated movie, Matthew A. Cherry, also took to Twitter to inform the mother-son duo that they don’t need to worry about their tickets and wardrobe because Dove already got that covered.
The News | Ellen DeGeneres gave DeAndre $20,000 for his college tuition
DeAndre also received a $20,000-college scholarship from Ellen DeGeneres and Alicia Keys.
