An 8-year old girl Marian Scott was recently denied school photos because of red extensions in her hair. It made her feel singled out and left her in tears, crushing her self-esteem in an instant. When he heard this story, photographer Jermaine Horton felt like he needed to do something. So, he threw an epic professional photoshoot for Marian in an attempt to get her confidence back.
According to WILX, Marian’s school Paragon Charter Academy denied her school photos because of the red hair. The principal said that it violated school policy, citing the school handbook which reads that students’ hair color must be natural tones.
Still, Marian was told on the picture day that she couldn’t have her photo taken, yet she was able to return to class. This got her confused, and she said that she was crying and felt singled out. This made her parents frustrated, as they weren’t informed in advance about the school policy. The school claims that they sent out a recorded message before the shoot, going over the dress code policy. However, Marian’s father says that he never received the message, otherwise he would have told Marian’s mother not to put the extensions in her hair.
This story reached the headlines, and it got to Jermaine. “When I heard about this story I was furious as a parent because the first thing I thought about was the impact of what this would do to such a beautiful little girl,” he wrote on Facebook. He reached out to Nicole Joy of WILX News 10 who covered the story and she got him in contact with Marian’s parents.
Jermaine and Marian’s parents set a date and he drove from Chicago to Jackson so he could give her a photoshoot she deserves. He says that vendors donated clothes, studio space, and everything they needed, so the shoot was truly special. And Mariane absolutely shined!
“I’m so blessed to have been a part of this to give her an amazing day that showed her that she truly is beautiful and her hair color was the BOMB! Of course we kept it for the shoot!”
Marian’s story and the photoshoot he threw for her inspired Jermaine to start a project called The Art of Confidence. It’s aimed to empower children and help them regain their confidence. Little Marian was just the first, but there are more to come. So, give The Art of Confidence a follow on Instagram if you’d like to see more. Also, make sure to visit Jermaine’s website for more of his work, and give him a follow on Facebook and Instagram.
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