Free Up Di Locs Protest

A rally outside the Consulate General of Jamaica in NYC, to stand for equal rights and Justice, and to voice concerns over the anti-locs ruling in Jamaica.

The resent court ruling, that a child’s constitutional rights were not breached by the Kensington Primary School in 2018, when it requested a then five-year-old’s locs be removed in order for her to enroll in the public institution, has triggered strong reactions from many in the diaspora.

The rally lead by roots reggae singer and activist Khalilah Rose, presented performances by artists such as Keisha Martin, I-Militance, Osagyefo, Major Daps, and Khalilah Rose. The Nyahbinghi drummers set the stage at the beginning of the protest.

“African drumming is very important to this protest because it has always been a form of resistance and rebellion to fight oppression within our African culture. Drums are weapons,” Khalilah Rose mentioned as she addressed the small but militant audience through a black bullhorn.

Speakers from the Nyahbinghi House and the UNIA-ACL such a Ras Alrick, Ras Ivi Tafari, and Brother Jose provided background information and a dynamic perspective on how human rights are being violated by the ruling that stated it is legal for a school’s policy to stop a child from being admitted to a public or private school based on the child having deadlocked hair.

“Free Up Di Locs Protest” by Ikey Bulan for The New York Carib News

Photography by Chin (@RootsmanChin a.k.a. @VisualsByChin)

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Event Date: 2020-08-09