Founder Of Charity Supported By NFL And Jay-Z Apologizes For Cutting Teens’ Locs ‘I Will Not Be Doing That Again If Asked’
Charity Supported By NFL & Jay-Z Apologizes For Cutting Teens’ Locs: “I Will Not Be Doing That Again If Asked”
The organization that caught heat for cutting teens’ locs three years before it was given $200,000 by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation company, is now apologizing for the controversy.
Crushers Club’s founder, Sally Hazelgrove, who was shown cutting two teen boys’ dreads in the 2016 photos, said in a statement:
“Out of 500 youth going through our doors I cut two young men’s hair because they asked me to and we are a family structure and so I did it and didn’t really think about it after that. I tweeted about it without much thought. It’s hair. But I regret it now and I promise you I will not be doing that again if asked.”
She also said the criticism has been tough for her.
“The hatred and accusations from this took me by surprise. The backlash has been hard to be honest.”
One of the teens Kobe, spoke out and said it was his choice to get his hair cut.
Message from Kobe pic.twitter.com/3CdH28pCUE
— crushersclub (@crushersclub) September 6, 2019
Crushers Club, an organization that empowers at-risk youth in Chicago, was thrust in the spotlight after headlines revealed it would be receiving a $200,000 donation from Roc Nation this week.
Along with the photos of Hargrove cutting locs, Crushers Club also received backlash for using the phrase All Lives Matter and asked President Donald Trump to help with gang violence in the city. Those tweets have since been deleted, but Hargrove said she wants to set the record straight.
“I said that not to take away from black lives matter, but to be inclusive of everyone,” Hazelgrove told the paper. “I never meant to belittle or disrespect anyone. I will be more sensitive of what I say moving forward. I truly have love for everyone of all races, religions and preferences, and hate does not live in me. I am so sorry for being insensitive.
Roc Nation and the NFL have not addressed the controversy.
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