Last Friday, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jessica Sims was honorably discharged from her 12-year service in the Navy for refusing to trim her locks.
In an interview with USA Today where Sims discusses her upcoming discharge she says, “For the past couple weeks, not knowing what the Navy was going to do, if they were going to move forward with the discharge or keep me in, had me in a little limbo,” She goes on to say, “In the back of my head I knew that they weren’t going to change, so it was more of just waiting for the date.”
According to Sims, she has worn her tightly wound dreadlocks in a bun since 2005, and despite what officials say about the bun being too bulky to be worn under a gas mask, Sims maintains that it was not an issue and it never has been.
Sims firmly believes that Navy regulations that led to her discharge are biased again the natural hairstyles that many Black women wear. In a statement that likely resonates with most Black women, Sims says, “I don’t think I should be told that I have to straighten my hair in order to be within what they think the regulations are, and I don’t think I should have to cover it up with a wig.”
I wish this double standard would go away. Her hair is neat and presentable. Now if her hair was straight and streaked with kool-aid colors, everything would be okay! smh in disbelief!
This is absolutely ridiculous!! I don’t even see why this is an issue. If a Caucasian woman has a lot of hair and puts it in a bun, then all would be well with the world! I’m not a conformist, and the Army’s AR 670-1 is one of the reasons why I got out of the Army! #AintNobodyGotTimeForThat
Although it is a shame she was treated this way, I don’t think it was worth giving up her career. 8 more years and she’d have had a lifetime of benefits. It was a poor decision made off of emotions vs. Wisdom.
This isn’t about natural hair being attacked she was asked to trim her locks and in the picture the bun is bulky for every headwear she would wear. As for it was never an issue before your length has grown hence the request to “trim” your length. And yes all women regardless the color have to have an appropriate length not just because the navy is anal but for safety as well if she’s around equipment that can catch just one loc she could have her hair torn from her scalp! I thank her for her service and wish her well in all her future endeavors!
Smh this is why we as a race are all jacked if you had taken the time to research navy regulations for women you would know what you described is not allowed. She’s allowed to have Dred locs they just have to be the regulation length.