Thanks so much for helping to get the word out. Still there is so much more that we need to do and a short bit of time to make a valued impact. Summer is rapidly approaching and that means millions of students and families looking for something to do this summer. Let us help redirect our massive spending potential away from Six Flags until they make a change in the way they view our youth. Because it is the very same youth, dreadlocks or not, who we push to look for summer employment especially in a depressed economy, that Six Flags won't even interview.
So if you are a beautician, barber or salon and barbershop owner or if you know one, please start talking about this in the environment that will properly engage the fullness of the debate. We support the businesses that do not disenfranchise us. Point blank period.
Talk about this at church and at work. If your child doesn't have dreadlocks but a friend of theirs does, then it is relevant to you still.
K. Abahu
Stop discriminating against individuals with dreadlocks.
Greetings,
I just signed the following petition addressed to: Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and Theme Parks Inc..
----------------
Stop discriminating against individuals with dreadlocks.
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.
There is no excuse in 2012 for such abhorrent employment policies.
----------------
Sincerely,
Kwasi Abahu
Follow me on Twitter@JahKwasiAbahu
No comments:
Post a Comment