DeAndre Arnold, a senior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas was told he wouldn’t be allowed to walk in his high school graduation because his dreadlocks were too long and therefore in violation of the school’s dress code. This is, of course, ultimately just further evidence of the many ways arbitrary guidelines put in place to assert a fictionalized concept of professionalism disproportionately discriminate against black and brown people in a multitude of ways, but especially when it comes to their hair.
Gabrielle Union, who is no stranger to being impacted by these arbitrary guidelines, heard about DeAndre’s situation and decided to reach out and provide him with an alternate option to attending his high school graduation — going to the Oscars.
Union, who is one of the producers of the Oscar-nominated short film Hair Love, reached out to DeAndre in a video that also featured her husband, Dwyane Wade, and Matthew A. Cherry, the film’s writer and director.
“When we heard about this amazing story about this young black father with long, beautiful locs, just trying to figure out how to do his daughter’s hair, we knew that we had to support any way we could.” Union said, “The same way as when we heard about your story, and you just wanting to wear your hair, the way you want, at school, and all this scrutiny that you faced and how unwavering you have been in standing up for yourself. We also knew that we had to get involved.”
And get involved they did. The Hair Love team, in partnership with Dove, is offering DeAndre and his mother a trip to the Oscars, along with accommodations and a glam squad for the big night.
Now, if the Oscars wanted to try and get something right for once, they’d play a little graduation march for DeAndre and let him walk in his cap and gown across the stage and collect an Oscar for best alternative to high school graduation ever. [E! News]
Meghan Markle got a job! Well, kind of.
According to Page Six, Markle will appear on the upcoming Canadian reality show I Do, Redo, where married couples will have the opportunity to redo their weddings, which were apparently not so great the first time around.
Honestly, if there’s anyone fit to inspire couples to really set a high bar for their second wedding, it’s Markle, who’s second wedding has literally kept gossip bloggers in work for the entire start to this decade, and a good portion of the last.
And although Markle is keeping other folks in work, it’s yet to be determined whether or not she’s set to get paid for her work on the series, which will air on Netflix.
Apparently the going rate for a guest starring appearance on Canadian TV is around $600 a day, which would definitely be a start toward Megan and her husband’s goal of being financially independent after they leave jolly old England behind for what will surely be a less-hectic life in North America.
Or, at least, a life more aligned with Megan’s career ambitions — with this wedding show on the horizon and Price Harry chatting up Disney on her behalf, I think we could have a Golden Globe winning Royal before we reach the halfway mark of the 2020s. [Page Six]
- We thought Taylor Swift wasn’t going to the Grammys to make a statement, but maybe that statement is she’s a sore loser [Page Six]
- Nicki Minaj, DaBaby, Lil Baby and Yo Gotti will make more money in one night than I will all year [TMZ]
- Jenny from the block needs to chill with the hashtags [Bossip]
- RIP Andy Gill [Twitter]