Cut It Or Lose
Inspired by Andrew Johnson, a high school wrestler who was forced to cut his locs moments before his match.
I know this happened a while ago, but I came across this video when scrolling on Men Loc Styles and the same emotions came up. I realized that even though it’s technically “old news” the problem still exists. If you somehow missed the viral moment, let me recap for you before we dive in.
In December 19th, 2018, a referee forced Andrew Johnson, a high school wrestler to choose between having his dreadlocks cut or forfeit his match moments before his wrestling match. Having felt the importance of this match, he allowed them to cut his hair so he could continue. He won the match but videos taken from the event show how disturbed he was even with the win.
Now let’s dive into what happened and how prejudice and discrimination influenced the ultimatum.
This is not his first match. New Jersey High School Sports website shows stats from 2016 which proves he has competed in other matches without having to cut his hair. Referees are there to interpret and enforce rules to keep the players safe and prevent any misconduct. Seeing how this was not his first match, officials that came beforehand have seen his hair and did not feel as though it posed a threat, danger, or competitive edge that broke the rules.
This is not a pickup game where people pop out of nowhere to wrestle. This was an official match where wrestlers need to check in days sometimes weeks before they can wrestle in a match. What does this tell you, officials with authority have passed him as ready to compete While his hair wasn’t down his back, you can’t get to that length overnight. Meaning everyone involved knew of the locs and decided it did not pose a problem. The referee, Alan Maloney, confronted Andrew Johnson minutes before the match was to begin.
What disturbs me is that this happens every day but rarely does it get the attention of the masses. From high school students to grown adults, black people, with natural hairstyles, are told that their hair is not good enough or too dirty for professional environments. Worst part about it is that negative narratives about natural hair is often pushed by people we trust. And like Andrew Johnson, we have to choose to Cut It or Loose.
Maloney has been barred from officiating any meets involving their athletes while the investigation is still in process. We may not get the outcome we hope for, but this is a public acknowledgement that something wrong happened
Like I said, this happens every day but doesn’t always get the same level of energy. We need to bring more stories to light and this is why BossLocks exists. We are shining the light on others who not only are making it in the world with professional hair, but are also sharing the stories of others who were forced to cut their hair.
The more stories that are heard, the greater the chances of real change happening. The greater the chances, the sooner we can redefine professionalism and dismantle laws and regulation that support prejudice against natural hair and black people.
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NBC News Coverage of the Incident
