The New York Times: Black NoVa Girl Says White Private School Classmates Cut Her Dreadlocks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One boy held her hands, one covered her mouth, one cut her locks, and they previously took lunch away from her? Called her hair nappy? How many white 12 year olds do you know who use the word nappy? I think this is the first time I am using it and I am 40. The family was really quick to alert the news. Sounds reminiscent to the N word incident on a school bus at Frost middle school 1-2 years ago.

Use vs knowing the word are two different things. I'm 38, and have never used the world in my life. Just like I've never used the N-word. You don't have to use a word to have heard it before, and its offensiveness.

I don't doubt a bunch of cocky 12 year old have heard the term, and would use it. Other kids wouldn't use terms just because they've heard them.

[Anonymous]

Those boys are monsters and deserve to be sent to juvenile detention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One boy held her hands, one covered her mouth, one cut her locks, and they previously took lunch away from her? Called her hair nappy? How many white 12 year olds do you know who use the word nappy? I think this is the first time I am using it and I am 40. The family was really quick to alert the news. Sounds reminiscent to the N word incident on a school bus at Frost middle school 1-2 years ago.

I know, I’m so sorry to say that the first thing that occurred to me in reading about this was that white people don’t know and use the word “nappy.” I would think especially white teenage boys would have no idea what this means. It did make me fear that whatever happened was not exactly as the girl recounted.

This was my thought too. Tested it out on my 14 yr old DS who is biracial (AA/white). He asked me what "nappy" meant, my DH doesn't use the term, I certainly don't, so he didn't know. It doesn't exactly come up in casual conversation.

Either way, it's not a good situation for the girl

Based on what you have written, it makes me think that unless you and your DH show your DS how to do it, he would never know how to do it and remain celibate!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One boy held her hands, one covered her mouth, one cut her locks, and they previously took lunch away from her? Called her hair nappy? How many white 12 year olds do you know who use the word nappy? I think this is the first time I am using it and I am 40. The family was really quick to alert the news. Sounds reminiscent to the N word incident on a school bus at Frost middle school 1-2 years ago.

I know, I’m so sorry to say that the first thing that occurred to me in reading about this was that white people don’t know and use the word “nappy.” I would think especially white teenage boys would have no idea what this means. It did make me fear that whatever happened was not exactly as the girl recounted.

Tell me more white person. Explain how this black girl made this up. Go on. Share your wisdom about these matters.

Please be fair as a reader. I never said she made the incident up. In fact I was a prior poster who is appalled that a 12-year-old is being put through a media grinder and had her face all over the news and had to repeatedly recount a traumatic incident. I don’t doubt that something happened here but I know from many years of working with children (and frankly adults) that what people describe as having happened is not always exactly what happened. The word “nappy” suggested to me that she was telling what they said more from her perspective.

It would also be a kindness to her if you were not part of politicizing a child with your righteousness.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think I have ever used the word nappy, but I live in the world and have certainly heard people use it IRL and on tv, and know what it means, and presumably so would kids at school who have a more dynamic language environment than me in my office

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One boy held her hands, one covered her mouth, one cut her locks, and they previously took lunch away from her? Called her hair nappy? How many white 12 year olds do you know who use the word nappy? I think this is the first time I am using it and I am 40. The family was really quick to alert the news. Sounds reminiscent to the N word incident on a school bus at Frost middle school 1-2 years ago.

I know, I’m so sorry to say that the first thing that occurred to me in reading about this was that white people don’t know and use the word “nappy.” I would think especially white teenage boys would have no idea what this means. It did make me fear that whatever happened was not exactly as the girl recounted.

Tell me more white person. Explain how this black girl made this up. Go on. Share your wisdom about these matters.

Please be fair as a reader. I never said she made the incident up. In fact I was a prior poster who is appalled that a 12-year-old is being put through a media grinder and had her face all over the news and had to repeatedly recount a traumatic incident. I don’t doubt that something happened here but I know from many years of working with children (and frankly adults) that what people describe as having happened is not always exactly what happened. The word “nappy” suggested to me that she was telling what they said more from her perspective.

It would also be a kindness to her if you were not part of politicizing a child with your righteousness.

You sure as hell implied she made up the part that they used the term “nappy.” Your vast survey of white teenage boys leads you to believe that the term is something they wouldn’t use. So for argument’s sake, let’s say that’s true. They didn’t use the word. Then what exactly is your point? Does it make it less upsetting that she was grabbed and held her while cutting her hair. Please explain.

[Anonymous]

Those boys should be charged with assault

[Anonymous]

I would like those investigating the incident to credit the girl’s account as they investigate, but as a member of the general public who is not I am withholding an opinion on whether this incident actually happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like those investigating the incident to credit the girl’s account as they investigate, but as a member of the general public who is not I am withholding an opinion on whether this incident actually happened.

nobody was waiting for your opinion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like those investigating the incident to credit the girl’s account as they investigate, but as a member of the general public who is not I am withholding an opinion on whether this incident actually happened.

nobody was waiting for your opinion

Those who read this forum presumably do to see what various people honestly think about various topics.

I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding an echo chamber elsewhere of people who think just like you do if you want.

Until then, buzz off.

[Anonymous]

The video interview in the local link says she didn’t tell anyone until after 3 days — and only after her grandma, her caretaker, noticed there was something amiss with her hair. Hmm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The video interview in the local link says she didn’t tell anyone until after 3 days — and only after her grandma, her caretaker, noticed there was something amiss with her hair. Hmm.

What is hmm about that? Black people, specially with locks, do not wash their hair on a daily basis, as it’s very drying. I can see someone not noticing until 3 days later

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The video interview in the local link says she didn’t tell anyone until after 3 days — and only after her grandma, her caretaker, noticed there was something amiss with her hair. Hmm.

? it states in the article that she was afraid of retaliation from the boys. I can understand that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The video interview in the local link says she didn’t tell anyone until after 3 days — and only after her grandma, her caretaker, noticed there was something amiss with her hair. Hmm.

It took me 25 years to tell anyone about the violent sexual assault I experienced at age 13.

How long did it take your caretaker to figure out what an asshole you are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those boys are monsters and deserve to be sent to juvenile detention.

That will never happen. Even if they were convicted, they will be sentenced to read books on the holocaust or some type of or visit the museum or study some discriminatory invent that wasn’t even against black kids similar to this girl.