If anyone can recall the last time they have been to one of the many Six Flags Theme Parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada, you would have undoubtedly notice that many of the patrons, regardless of ethnic demography or religious affiliation, wore dreadlocks as a hairstyle. It might however surprise people to know that according to Six Flags employment policy, dreadlocks is one of the "extreme" hairstyles that are not acceptable at the parks.
This is a little disparaging as many of the patrons, as noted, themselves wear dreadlocks and actually spend quite a substantial amount of money, year to year in the parks. While it should also be noted that though many peoples in the year 2012 have taken to wearing dreadlocks, for myriad reasons, the predominant racial and ethnic demographics for the hairstyle are American-African or Caribbean-African peoples. While a hairstyle once primarily associated with those who profess Rastafari as a culture and faith, today the hairstyle has been dramatically accepted by many of African ancestry as a significant cultural representation of their innate Africanity.
This petition is aimed in part to do several things. As this particular issue was brought to my own attention this very evening, as a very good friend's oldest child returned home after being turned away from furthering the interview process simply due to her hair, it is not the first time in recent years that the matter has received some visibility. In a time when the "voice of the people" can indeed be witnessed to move mountains, let us in one accord raise our voice. If Six Flags refuses to change it's policies, then we must refuse to spend our monies and time in their parks and with their affiliates. And especially for those of African ancestry, we must make a serious effort to reach out and make sure that Six Flags either change their ways or lose our patronage.
As the school year begins to wind down and many are making summer plans, we are asking to make Six Flags Theme Parks a non-option this year. There are other amusement parks options, and maybe even a better option, given the current state of the economy, is to support local carnivals and festivals. We spend way too much money at places like Six Flags theme parks for them to discriminate against any members of our community. Let us also exercise our voice with our dollars.
There is no excuse in 2012 for such abhorrent employment policies. In a country that purports itself to be the greatest "melting pot" of social values and ideals, a Eurocentric asthetic ideal does little more than devalue and disenfranchise whole swaths of the American electorate and populace in general. This is an election year. Let us make sure we make our voices heard and the register and at the ballot.
If you haven't yet signed, stop procrastinating. If you have, make sure your friends do too.
With regard,
K. Abahu
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