Letter to the Editor: Shame on Howard University

To the editor:

I was reading an article about Howard University ["Natural Hair Not Wanted", Oct. 4] that stated there were problems with some of the students wearing their hair "natural."

Photo credit: Jordan Colbert/The Hilltop Tryouts took place in the Main Yard at Howard University.

The article basically said that the students trying out for the cheerleading and dance squads would have to straighten their hair in order to have a more uniformed look.

Pleeeeeasssssse tell me that in the year 2004 in a historically black university that I did not read this right. What in the world is going on?

As long as they are wearing the same uniforms, that should be "uniformed" enough. What will be next? Will they all have to be the same shade of "black" in order to participate? Something is seriously wrong when a black university – a place of higher learning, no less – cannot accept the beauty of its own people.

Carlette Miller
Philadelphia
Oct. 23, 2004

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