So what's wrong with Cornrow?

A judge recently ruled that a school in Harrow was guilty of unlawful indirect racial discrimination when it operated a ban on cornrow hairstyle in its school. The case was brought by the family of an 11 year old boy who was banned from starting at their school because his hair was worn in a cornrow plaits. Apparently the school operated a "no cornrow" policy because it associated this hairstyle with gang culture and that by allowing pupils to wear their hair in this way it would encourage gang violence.
The boy's family argued that styling hair in cornrow is an African Carribean tradition, and the boy had plaited his hair into cornrows from birth.  By sanctioning him because of his hair style was racial discrimination.

The parents were pleased with the verdict, though the school plan to appeal against the decision.

I think it is such a sad state of affairs that in the society we live in today, the way that a universal, traditional hairstyle worn by a culture of people can give negative connotations and trigger so much controversy.

As someone who has worn her hair in cornrow for the last 15 years I find it quite offensive that institutions should think to ban me from wearing my hair in a way which is not only part of my culture, but also a style which I happen to find very neat and practical!

Having my hair in corn row has saved me from hours of standing in front of the mirror trying to style my hair each morning. It gives me one less thing to think about, and the hairstyle makes me look prettier and younger!
If my employers decided to ban the wearing of hair in cornrow I would be in a quandry. Straightening my hair and all the maintenance required would be quite expensive, and in the long-run would damage my hair. Leaving it as an Afro would be a frightful mess, and would be frightening for those who would have to look at it!

So why would anyone think that plaiting my hair into corn row would be synonymous with some sort of gangland violence?

Furthermore, I hate the way that people say that I am making a statement about my ethnicity or my culture. Many white women who don't style their hair in any particular way will put it into a quick pony tail or maybe a French plait. Is that some sort of statement they are making? Is there some cultural message being communicated by tying your hair back?

Black afro hair can be quite unmanageable if left to just grow out. Tying it back in some way is much neater and more practical. Back in the days when I would go swimming alot, corn ow was also the style that caused the least damage to my hair. So no, there is no ethnic statement being made - unless you want to include the wish to keep my hair healthy and tidy!

One thing this court case has done is to highlight some of the wider issues regarding wearing hair in corn row. Some of my peers who apply for professional jobs say that black women are more likely to secure managerial roles if their hair is straightened or styled in a Caucasian hairstyle.  A few women who did not want to subject their hair to the chemical damage from perming have had to resort to wearing straight-haired wigs while in the work place.

I have never thought to change my hair style when going for a job interview or when working in a professional capacity, but I must admit that I have seen very few black women in positions of influence wearing African braids.

Whether it's Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, 2012 Olympics Ambassador Denise Lewis, or the BBC's  Brenda Emmanus, it seems as if they have had to style their hair in a Caucasian cut as their image profiles increased. Even Alicia Keys, who many years ago championed cornrow hair, now has a perfectly straight long mane.

So what's wrong with corn row. Is it the embarrassing cousin that you only want to be seen with in selected places, and gets marginalised most of the time? I think we should stand up for the cornrow and wear it with pride. That way, society will begin to see this hairstyle in all its positive highlights. And now, I'm off to the hairdressing salon!

Cycling stuff gets all consuming

I enjoy cycling. I don't know how much I've been into it but it seems like it's been all my life. I only got into competitive cycling when I was well into my thirties - which is comparatively late.

But I remember as a teenager going to Doncaster, the nearest big town to where I lived, and looking at the club cyclists in admiration as they took their cafe stop. I really wished I could be able to ride a bike from our village in North Lincolnshire all the way to Doncaster, all dressed up lean and mean in brightly coloured Lycra on a racing bike.
I had no idea where people bought that type of clothing from. I didn't even have a racing bike. In fact I didn't have any bike. I had access to an old Raleigh 20 that I shared with my sister.

My parents didn't like me cycling. I remember the great disappointment and upset I felt when my parents refused to let me take part in an 11-mile sponsored bike ride. My dad claimed that I wouldn't be capable because I'd had knee problems. From then on I was even more determined to get out one day and ride 10 or 11 miles.

The first time I rode that distance was one Saturday afternoon, when I rode from Scunthorpe back home to Crowle. It was a very windy day but I was determined to keep going on my beloved steed, a brand new Falcon mountainbike.
I was so pleased to have made it. Of course, as a 19 year-old I was free to do what I wanted, but I still had to keep this adventure a secret from my parents.

Fast forward 20 years and I am very much within a cycling community. I have several bikes, have taken part in lots of bike races, I have been on cycle 100-mile bike rides around the UK and Europe, and yes I have lots of Lycra and I know where to find them.

The thing is, I am now wondering if you really can get too much of a good thing. I enjoy the racing and the camaraderie that goes with it, however I am so wrapped up in it that at times it is difficult to escape from it.

Racing regularly means you have to train more and more, to the point that it is the only thing you do outside of work, eat and slip. You can easily stop seeing your family, unless they are racing cyclists too. Your spare cash gets spent on bike bits, bike clothing and entering and travelling to races. You even lose out on social life. Suddenly it's no longer practical to have a night out with friends as you need to be up early the next morning to race. And forget about a leisurely Sunday afternoon in the summer. If you are not racing you are doing a 70-mile training ride!

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed doing those things, but it has gotten to the point where I don't have a non-cycling social life. My holidays involve cycling. Even the new people I meet are cyclists or connected with cycling. What's more it is also the yardstick by which people judge you! How friendly someone gets with you, and how popular you are is dependent on how fast you can ride your bike!

Yes, this biking business can take over your life.
That's how it is feeling for me. And I'm beginning to not like it. As an avid twitterer I take a voyeuristic interest in what others are doing, thinking and feeling. I'm getting a bit fed up of seeing people tweeting the same old "I went on a bike ride" post, with details of their heart rate and power readings, their post ride meal or how they "wish they were out on their bike" instead of being in the office.

Some even talk about a void in their lives due to the Tour de France not being on, or injury keeping them from cycling. Cycling is fun but it should not be an emotional handrail. I don't want that to happen to me.