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Mother beats child for cornrows

Says hairstyle makes daughter look 'country'
27/09/2011 10:56 AM

SHOCK AND outrage may be understatements of how persons inside a hair salon in St Andrew reacted as a woman disciplined her nine-year-old daughter and argued with a hairdresser for putting cornrows in the child's hair.

The incident happened in St Andrew on Saturday as several children and parents sat inside the salon amid the back-to-school rush.

The mother who had left the child at the salon to get her hair nicely groomed for the first day back at school walked in about 5 p.m. to take her home.

The Weekend Star was informed that the child attends a popular preparatory school in St Andrew.

Interestingly, when the mother saw the child's hair, she began to fume.

"Wha dis yuh put ina mi pickney head, look how her hair look short, I don't like this, dat don't look good, it look country," she shouted.

WRATH

Subsequently, the hairdresser explained that the child asked her to comb her hair in the style after she saw another child with the style in the shop.

The explanation given by the hairdresser led the mother to turn her wrath on the child.

"Yuh know yuh nuffi disobey mi, I am the law what I say goes. Mi say yuh hair fi plait, be yourself, be yourself," she yelled.

The mother then ordered the hairdresser to pull out the cornrows and plait the child's hair. Following that, she stormed out of the shop, leaving the child behind.

"Go with yuh mother," the hairdresser told the child.

The reluctant child then sat in a chair and began sobbing.

This opened up the discussion in the shop leading several persons to voice their opinions.

"She a tell the child to be herself when is she want the child hair to plait. That is what she wants, not the child," one woman said.

"No sah, mi neva know say cornrow country, look how the child hair look good, she a gwan like the pickney hair long, a di best me eva see da likkle girl yah hair look," said another hairdresser inside the shop.

Another woman said, "Mi neva know say black people still prejudice 'gainst demself. It look like because the likkle girl go prep school, she want har fi have hair fi flash like the half-white pickney dem."

By this time the hairdresser was adamant that she was not going do over the child's hair.

"If yuh nuh do it over, the mother probably beat her," one of the customers said.

SLAPPED WITH A COMB

Soon after the customer told the hairdresser that she would pull out the cornrows and another hairdresser said she would plait it to avoid putting the child in a bad position.

About an hour later, the mother stormed back into the shop and began using a comb to slap the child in the face.

"When she is paying for it, she can say she want a different style. When I talk, no dog bark," she shouted.

This prompted the customers inside the shop to tell the mother to desist from scolding the child in that manner. "Yuh cyan do dat, dats not right," said one customer.

When contacted, a police source told The Weekend Star that incidents such as these should be reported to the police, as it is a breach of the Child Care and Protection Act.

He explained that the mother could have been arrested and charged for being cruel to the child.

Furthermore, it was noted: "Any independent citizen who observe such an act could have gone to the police and reported it as provisions are made under the act for them to do so. The act also says that anyone who knowingly witnesses such an act and refuse to report it can also be arrested."

Posted on: 27/09/2011 10:56 AM

Your Voice

Comments

bah humbug

nyah's picture
nyah

bah humbug

Sun, 2012-02-26 19:56

How is cornrow country? what

Brucky_'s picture
Brucky_

How is cornrow country? what happen to country people anyway? nothing wrong with country people atleast we country people have morals and dignity unlike u town people.. the town people dem too cabba cabba

Tue, 2011-11-22 01:28

mother beat child for corn row

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

The mother is teh one that needs a beating herself if she could beat her child for having her hair done nicely (in my view).This is pure and simple child physical and mental abuse. I am all for children being disciplined and beaten as a last resort when it seriously called for, but it certainly was not in this case. This just highlights what’s wrong with us black people and why we are so grudgeful, wicked, aggressive, violent, murderous and unloving towards one another…….

Mon, 2011-10-10 18:44

Corn row?????

Marti's picture
Marti

What was her problem. What is wrong with corn row. It is neat and last longer than plaits. She has a long hair complex. How very ridiculous. I would never stand by and see anyone beat their child for no reason or one as stupid as this NONSENSE!!!!!! White people are excited to have corn rows and some blacks running from it. When are we blacks ever going to be proud to own what is ours. OUR culture or Hereitage. NO wonder all other races look down on us. We adopt any other culture beliefs fashion, you name it we grab it.Do you see the asians or chinese changing to please anyone. No they honor what is theirs. They are proud of their culture. What is really wrong with my people????

Sat, 2011-10-01 15:28

People now u blin so?????

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

News worthy? you have to ask??? the Child was left at the hairdressers... why did the mudda not stay to supervise her childs hair if a su she did want ee?? 5hrs she gone... did da child eat or dirink?.... mudda come back an cuss bout da very beautiful and intricate weaving of the hair, which takes sum skill to master... and not satisfied leaves da child again.. confused embarrassed and humiliated in a shop fulla strangers fi chat bout she.... den come and beat her in her FACE wid a comb.... where is da nurturing????? tell mi nuh

Wed, 2011-09-28 01:08

Cornrows

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

Yes is this story newsworthy, yes and no, yes, the mother slapped the child in the face with a comb and also she did in public, humiliating the girl, also having your hair plaited can be painful, so therefore thats cruelty in itself having to have it done twice, yes becos in this day and age why say having your hair in cornrow is country, what is that about, No becos its about a hairstyle, but overall i take it as being newsworthy for the many things it brings up re parenthood, culture, and abuse ie the hitting of the child in the face and also in public, I dont think this was about the hairdresser and her feelings being hurt, it took time to do it, and she would have to do it again, therefore losing time and money. The mother should have clearly told the hairdresser what style she wanted for her daughter

I agree with the first writer re comments, why are they vetted so much

Tue, 2011-09-27 23:25

Please tell me why this

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

Please tell me why this article holds any relevance in a national paper??

Tue, 2011-09-27 23:11

Mother beats child for cornrows

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

"When I talk, no dog bark". I never heard that one before. She sound like the terror of the community. Poor child. This mother is clearly too aggressive and abusive. I hope her daughter grows up to be nothing like her.

Tue, 2011-09-27 21:43

INIT

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

INIT

Tue, 2011-09-27 21:00

Mother beats child for cornrows

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

Dear The Voice,

You always ask us to "POST NEW COMMENTS" under the articles you publish and yet it seems that you never publish our comments except those comments which you write yourselves or ask your friends and relatives to write. This would not happen at other newspapers where all comments are published unless if they breach specified rules. What are you afraid of? There are many diverse Voices in the Black communites in the UK and if you claim to be the leading black newspaper is valid and credible then you should reflect all the voices even those which you do not like or agree with. God knows we need a serious discussion and debate in our communities as we move forward.

If you do not publish this letter/comment I will not be surprised.

Best regards,

Frustrated reader of The Voice

Tue, 2011-09-27 13:28

Mother beats child for cornrows

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

What is all this? When parents instill descipline in their children others want to report them to the police. This is why a girl like that, Black, will be out looking in cornrows a few years from now and the mother will be blamed for it by the same people who wanted to report her. Having said that, if her actions were truly in breach of Child Care and Protection Act then those present would not only be justified but expected to report the case to the authorities. However, it is also possible that the saloon workers and others present were simply offended by her comments which they saw as undermining their livelihood and probably did not care about the child's well being. They are the kind of mothers who would put weave on their 2 year old babies!

Tue, 2011-09-27 13:21

Is this story particularly

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous

Is this story particularly newsworthy though?

Tue, 2011-09-27 13:05