TX Teen Banned From Graduation Over His Hair Goes To The Oscars

A Texas teen has been told he won't walk at his graduation over his refusal to cut his dreadlocks, but he was welcome to walk the red carpet at the Oscars. A Texas high school student went viral last month after he wasn't able to attend school anymore due to his hairstyle choice. DeAndre Arnold was a senior at Barbers Hill High School when he was told over winter break that the school dress code had changed and his dreadlocks were no longer compliant. He and his family both fought back against the school district but in the end, the young man was forced to unenroll from the Houston area high school. Since his story went viral, the teenager has been interviewed by various news outlets and even appeared on the Ellen Degeneres Show, where he was given a $20,000 scholarship for him to use towards furthering his education.

After seeing his story, DeAndre was invited to attend this past weekend's Oscars ceremony by former NBA star Dwyane Wade, his wife actress Gabrielle Union and the creators of the Oscar-winning animated short Hair Love, Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver. Cherry is a former NFL player who had an idea for his short film and used the crowd-funding website Kickstarter to attain the funds needed to make his film. During their acceptance speech, creators Matthew Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver advocated for California's Crown Act, which works to stop the discrimination against individuals based on their hairstyle or texture. Find out more details about this heartwarming story at the Daily Mail website.