NCAT Professor Under Fire On Social Media For Classroom Dress Code that Bans Hoodies, Durags, and ‘Twerk Shorts.’
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University had a rocky start to the new year when a snapshot of a computer science class syllabus sent Twitter into a frenzy thanks to what some users called an “antiblack” dress code policy.
The instructor, who Forbes confirmed is a Black male, listed a dress code for students to follow, which stated that “hoodies,” “bonnets,” “durags,” “coochie cutter shorts,” and “twerk shorts” — among other clothing items — were not allowed to be worn in his class.
The syllabus proclaimed that these articles of clothing are “NOT appropriate.” Underneath the list, the instructor stated, “If you wear it to bed or the club, don’t wear it to class.”
The list sparked a Twitter debate, with some agreeing with the professor’s stance and others criticizing it.
Some users believed the professor was just trying to prepare students for corporate America and professional environments, while others found the dress code and the language used to be offensive, racially insensitive, and disrespectful.
One user called the dress code policy “antiblack” and was shocked by the choice of language the instructor used to describe the clothing.
Another user argued that the dress code was “establishing decorum.”
“If their students are wearing such clothing, which inherently lacks taste and class… to class… and they are trying to mold students into scholars… not strippers…,” one user stated.
One user responded by saying that clothing has nothing to do with learning.
Among the list of banned attire, one thing many users agreed upon was the unnecessariness of banning hoodies.
Hoodies have become a racial stereotype and negative connotation linked to Black criminality.
Forbes noted that it is “important to remember that hoodies became emblematic of certain negative assumptions in America about Black youth after the tragic murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012.”
Forbidding hoodies perpetuates the stereotype that the young Black person who wears them is in some way untrustworthy.
The university has not yet put out a statement regarding the professor’s dress code policy, but according to Forbes, the dress code has been taken off the syllabus.
