What's Going On (Final)

A little update on my middle son, Bryen. For those that don't know, he marches with a drum corps and was told by one of the assistant directors back in March that in order to march this summer he had to cut his hair. Of course, I wasn't happy and neither was my son. The director told me in a very unprofessional email that the corp had to maintain a certain "image" and that "trendy, edgy, urban hairstyles were not acceptable"...........

Well, my son did his reasearch and found out that several trendy, edgy styles had been tolerated from caucasions in the past. One of the drum majors (who is also white) told my son "The director is an idiot, I think your hair is cool and you definitely should NOT cut it".

Long story short, the head directors WIFE told Bryen at the beginning of the season that he should not consider cutting his locks - he had the right to express himself. She told him in front of the rest of the staff "Just make sure they are neatly tucked under your helment during competition and everything would be just fine.

This article appeared on July 18th in a local newspaper:

Tuba player Bryen Warfield practices with the Bluecoats of Canton, Ohio, on Wednesday at C.H. Collins Athletic Complex. The Bluecoats and seven other groups will compete in the Red River Thunder Drum and Bugle Corps show at 6 p.m. Sunday. www.cavaliers.org.

As you can see, my baby's lovely locs (that he maintains himself) are alive, well and doing just fine. So what have we learned from this little test? Perseverance!! Don't be afraid to be who you are - be comfortable with your style choices (dress, hair, etc.). When you are confronted with the kind of fear and ignorance my son had to deal with, don't be afraid to do your research and stand very strong.

Peace Lovies!!