Deandre Arnold says he is proud to represent his father’s Trinidadian heritage every day by wearing his hair in dreadlocks, which are part of the culture in the region, according to NBC.
But he’s now faced with a difficult decision: cut the dreads or be excluded from his high school graduation ceremony.
Arnold is a senior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas, a school that follows a dress code that prohibits male students from having long hair, CNN reports. He has been tying his dreadlocks up on top of his head in an effort to comply with the dress code while simultaneously representing his culture.
But the school district reportedly told him his hair would be a violation of the dress code if it was down, Arnold told CNN in a video interview.
In December, the district reportedly gave Arnold an ultimatum, reports The Washington Post. The district threatened him with an in-school suspension that would last until he cut his hair. This suspension would prohibit him from walking at his high school graduation, despite rightfully earning his diploma.
Arnold and his mother, Sandy Arnold, told CNN they see the ultimatum as discrimination.
A number of prominent figures responded to the incident on social media. Most significantly, Ellen DeGeneres featured him on “The Ellen Degeneres Show.” In a touching video, the two discussed his commitment to his education, his hopes to one day become a veterinarian and the details of his situation before DeGeneres expressed her support in a big way — with a check for $20,000 presented by pop icon Alicia Keys.
American University professor Ibram X. Kendi tweeted out his support of Arnold in response to tweet by the Barbers Hill superintendent.
“There’s nothing lower than teaching students to not respect cultural differences. There’s nothing lower than teaching students cultural racism,” he wrote.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, Bernice King, lent her voice in a tweet, too:
Actress Gabrielle Union offered her support in a tweet as well, calling out the policy for policing, criticizing and offering unnecessary commentary about black hair. “Keep fighting,” she wrote. “Don’t be quiet. Do not let this stand.”
Houston Texans football player Deandre Hopkins, who happens to share a name with Arnold, also tweeted out his support:
After facing similar conflicts, multiple states have already imposed legislation to protect cultural hairstyles, including California and New Jersey, CNN reports.