ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – When I first saw the headline that St. Andrew High School for Girls had banned baby hairs also known as styled “edges”—I’ll admit, I nodded in agreement. The school had posted on Instagram: “Curtains belong in the house, not on foreheads,” making it clear that laid edges were no longer acceptable as part of the student dress code. And while the internet was quick to call it out as unnecessary or even discriminatory, I saw something different: a school drawing a firm line at a moment when it’s sorely needed.

As someone who attended St. George’s Girls’ School in Kingston decades ago, I know firsthand the pride we took in our appearance not for vanity, but as part of discipline. Uniforms had to be crisp. Hair, neatly combed. Shoes, polished until they gleamed. It was understood that when you walked through those school gates, you were there to learn not to parade or perform. That kind of structure wasn’t oppressive; it gave us focus and a sense of collective purpose.

But in recent years, school grooming standards have come under pressure, especially with trends like heavily styled baby hairs gaining popularity. Let’s be honest: what used to be a subtle, simple technique to smooth the hairline has, in some cases, evolved into a dramatic display swirls, waves, and intricate designs that sometimes upstage the school uniform itself. If we say this is simply “self-expression,” then we have to ask: “is school really the space for that kind of aesthetic performance?”

In my view, no.

A school is, first and foremost, a place for education. Yes, young people are naturally going to explore style and identity—but there have to be boundaries. That’s part of growing up. Just like students can’t wear false nails or dye their hair blue, schools also have every right to say, “This look is not appropriate here.” It’s not a rejection of culture, it’s a reinforcement of standards.

The argument that this is about cultural identity or the policing of Black hair doesn’t sit well with me either. This isn’t about natural hair being deemed unprofessional, as in the case of afros, locs, or braids being banned. This is about added styling—exaggerated, highly manicured looks that are not necessary for maintaining one’s natural hair, and in many cases, have veered far from anything “natural” at all.

Discipline isn’t anti-Black. Structure isn’t stifling. And sometimes, as adults, we need to be honest with our youth when style trends become distractions. If this really is about “artistic expression,” then let’s encourage young people to explore that outside of school hours, in spaces designed for it. But we can’t have it both ways! Asking for the freedom to do whatever we want while also demanding to be shielded from any form of guidance or critique.

Critics of the ban argue that it’s a distraction from real educational issues. But grooming policies are part of the culture of a school, and culture matters. A student who’s taking the time to perfect her edges in the mirror before class is being distracted by appearance when she should be focused on learning. A school that enforces clear, consistent rules around presentation is not doing harm. It’s setting expectations, instilling values, and preparing young people for a world where standards will exist whether we like them or not.

I understand the push for more inclusive policies and for empowering students to embrace their heritage. But we also need to teach them that context matters. There’s a time and place for everything—and the school environment is not the runway.

This isn’t about baby hairs. It’s about whether we still believe that excellence sometimes requires restraint. And I, for one, still do.

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Kareen Kennedy is the Assistant Editor for Florida National News
kareen.kennedy@floridanationalnews.com

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Across cultures, the assumption that Black people don’t swim is pervasive—a stereotype steeped in history and reinforced by generational trauma, lack of resources, and systemic barriers. But the tide is turning, thanks to powerful voices like Naomie Harris and André Musgrove, who are illuminating why Black bodies belong in the water—and why belonging matters.

Source: CatWhite Instragram

Cat White & Naomie Harris: A Sea of Sisterhood Brought to Screen

The soul of Swim Sistas begins not just with who narrates it, but with who envisioned it. Cat White, a filmmaker and advocate for intersectional storytelling, created the documentary as a response to both personal experience and a wider cultural erasure. Through her lens, Swim Sistas explores the relationship Black women have with water—a relationship shaped by history, trauma, resilience, and ultimately, joy.

To bring this vision to life, White enlisted Golden Globe–nominated actress Naomie Harris (Moonlight, Caribbean narratives) to narrate the film, lending it both star power and emotional resonance. Harris’s narration gives voice to the shared journey: from entrenched fears to waves of empowerment. Through White’s storytelling and Harris’s delivery, the documentary dismantles the enduring myth that Black bodies and water don’t belong together. It instead celebrates a growing community of Black women who find solace, strength, and self-love in the water.

For many Black families, the water is layered with cautionary lessons like “don’t go in deep,” “stay where others can see you”—echoes of a legacy built on exclusion: restricted pool access, segregated beaches, and underfunded swim education. These generational warnings created barriers rooted in fear. But thanks to filmmakers like White, narrators like Harris, and creatives like Musgrove, the tides are shifting. Each story is a ripple—together, they form a wave.

André Musgrove: From Freediver to Ocean Emissary

At 28, Bahamian-born André Musgrove is redefining what it means for a Black man to be at home in the deep. A professional freediver, underwater photographer, and filmmaker, he routinely dives on a single breath, chasing sharks, rays, and unexplored depths to weave breathtaking narratives beneath the waves.

Musgrove’s artistry confounds expectations. He captures freedivers gliding alongside Caribbean reef sharks, modeling underwater dances or playing piano statues in sunny Exuma—media that challenge fear and reaffirm beauty in oceanic space. His iconic shot of a woman in a yellow dress, playing piano underwater amid shifting currents, synthesizes liberation and poetry—evidence that vulnerability and power can coexist concrete beneath the waves.

Why Their Stories Matter:

• Visibility that Heals
  When viewers see Harris’s voice guiding Black womxn toward water wellness or see Musgrove—a Black ocean explorer—embracing megafauna, the pool of imagination expands. Each new image, story, and film douses generational fears with renewed possibility.

• Reclaiming Water as Safe Space
  Harris and Musgrove aren’t just swimming—they’re forming ecosystems of belonging. Harris speaks to the physical and emotional barriers she witnessed; Musgrove’s vivid underwater scenes repaint the ocean as a realm of respect and intimacy, not threat.

• Cultural Continuity and Conservation
  Musgrove’s Bahamian roots affirm a legacy: in many Caribbean cultures, Black families have longstanding bonds with the sea. His films speak not only to identity but also to stewardship—marrying beauty with activism by highlighting endangered sharks and oceanic preservation.

Their shared fields—water-based storytelling—mask distinct journeys. Harris amplifies communal healing through narrative. Musgrove carves visual odes that open eyes, hearts and eventually, closed fists around fear. Together, they are dismantling stereotypes, expanding Black representation, and leading a cultural current toward liberation.

Looking Ahead

• Documentaries like Swim Sistas, narrated by figures like Harris, help normalize Black comfort in aquatic spaces.

• Artistry and activism, exemplified by Musgrove’s freediving and filmmaking, bridge social perceptions with ecological purpose.

• Institutional shifts are underway—more Black-led swim clinics, inclusive swimwear brands, and aquatic programming powered by cultural pride.

Take-Home Ripple: The Water is Ours

When Naomie Harris recounts individual resistance family fears, cultural reluctance and André Musgrove captures freedivers harmonizing with whales, they’re not just swimming. They’re unfurling ancestral belonging, reconnecting Black bodies to a grace long denied. Their stories echo: Black lives and limbs are meant for water.

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Kareen Kennedy is the Assistant Editor of Entertainment for Florida National News
kareen.kennedy@floridanationalnews.com