A TikTok video posted by an African-American woman is reigniting debate across West Africa about hair regulations in schools, particularly the practice of compelling Black girls in Ghana and other African countries to cut their natural hair, while students of other racial backgrounds are often exempt.
The viral clip—captioned “Why do girls in Ghana and some other African countries still have to cut their hair when going to school?”, has ignited thousands of reactions online, revealing deep divisions over colonial legacy, identity, and cultural norms.
“The fact that white girls here can go to school and not have to cut their hair, but Black girls have to cut their hair when they’re so young. That’s a problem,” the woman says in the video. “Your hair is so much a part of your identity.”
From Identity to Institutional Control
In the minute-long video, the speaker links the tradition of school-mandated haircuts to a deeper psychological history rooted in colonialism and slavery.
“That’s the first thing they did to the slaves. When they got on the boat, they cut their hair,” she says, identifying as a psychology major. “You want to break them down. You want to strip them from their identity.”
She credits her own ability to express her identity and creativity to growing up with the freedom to style her natural hair:
“If I had to cut my hair when I was younger, I don’t think I would be who I am today.”
A Divide in Perspective
While many viewers supported her argument—describing the policy as outdated and colonial, others pushed back, defending the practice as a practical, safety-driven rule within Ghana’s boarding school system.
“We cut our hair here because in junior and senior high school, we stay in the school dormitories full time until vacation,” one commenter explained. “It’s unsafe and distracting to be leaving campus to braid or wash hair.”
Others acknowledged the psychological effects of the policy and its long-term impact on Black girls’ relationship with their hair.
“Cutting the hair is also the reason we grow up obsessed with wigs and relaxers,” one user commented. “We were never taught how to care for our natural hair.”
Another noted that mixed-race girls or white girls with long hair are often not required to follow the same rule, highlighting inconsistency in enforcement.
“The annoying part is if there is a mixed-race girl with long hair, they don’t let them cut,” one commenter wrote.
A Colonial Hangover?
The viral debate is sparking broader questions about post-colonial identity, institutional bias, and how young Black girls are socialized in African societies.
“After reading these comments, I’m convinced my people are still mentally in bondage,” one user reflected. “We are boldly defending the actions of the colonizers… This is why the white man believes we can never grow.”
While the original video does not call for abolishing rules outright, it urges a reevaluation of what these policies communicate to young girls—and whether they truly serve students or simply reflect lingering colonial norms.
What’s Next?
As the conversation reignites and gains momentum on social media, calls are growing louder for West African school systems to revisit uniform and grooming codes to ensure they empower, rather than suppress, student identity, especially in increasingly multicultural environments.
Whether these policies evolve remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: young African women are speaking up, challenging old systems, and asking their countries to reclaim their culture on their own terms.
