Texas student embroiled in dreadlock controversy gets $20K scholarship on TV

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The black Texas high school student who was suspended and told he can’t walk during graduation unless he cuts his dreadlocks got a big surprise thanks to Ellen DeGeneres.

• DeAndre Arnold appeared as a guest on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020.
• The teen’s story has grabbed national attention after the school is claiming his long dreadlocks apparently violate its dress code and therefore would prevent him from walking across the stage at its graduation ceremony.
• The school, the somewhat ironically named Barbers Hill Independent School District, has also suspended him.
• The question of hair length has spurred debate about gender norms and cultural issues.
• Arnold’s farther is from Trinidad and wore his hair in dreadlocks.
• To comply with school rules, Arnold tied his dreadlocks up.
• The school then changed its rules over winter break — and Arnold faced in school suspension and was also warned that he could not participate in the full graduation experience.
• Arnold was a guest of “Ellen” and was surprised with a $20,000 scholarship courtesy of Shutterfly and presented to him by Alicia Keys.