What is Hair Discrimination – and How We’re Putting a Stop to It

We’ve seen it hit the headlines time and time again in 2019 and early 2020: various states in the US are passing laws to ban hair discrimination. Yes, sadly, hair discrimination is very much a thing – and we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about it.

What is Hair Discrimination?

Hair discrimination is a worldwide form of injustice that targets black people, specifically those who wear their hair natural – afro-textured, without chemical straightening. Natural black hair is frequently seen as unprofessional, which has incited discrimination in schools and the job industry in particular.

At the moment, most workplaces and schools are inappropriately strict with the type of hair employees and schoolchildren can wear to school. This is a discriminatory issue beyond afro-textured hair – schools and workplaces massively limit freedom of expression by deeming any “unnatural” hairstyle to be unsuitable for a professional or educational environment.

However, there is a much clearer pattern of discrimination against afro hair in these scenarios. Research has found that a black person with natural hair has a far reduced likelihood of being offered a job following an interview, and in September 2016, the US Federal Court even passed a law that said employers could fire employees simply for having dreadlocks. This was under the view that if a person was to make the decision to get dreadlocks, they were accepting that they had a decreased probability of being offered, or sticking in, a particular job.   

What are the Current Laws?

After so much backlash that they physically couldn’t ignore the issue anymore, several states in the US have started to put targeted legislation in place to prevent unnecessary discrimination based on a person’s hair texture. California, for example, has implemented a law that prevents employers from being able to reject job candidates because of their natural hairstyle. This also applies to school applicants.

In New York, a new guidance was brought around in 2019 which made it illegal to target black people based on their hair or hairstyle choices at a workplace, in school, or, for that matter, in any public place. People who are found to break this law may now be faced with a fine.

In more recent months, New Jersey passed a similar law preventing hair discrimination, and Washington House has followed suit, with a majority vote to ban hair discrimination. Of the decision, Washington State Rep. Debra Entenman, D-Kent said: “However your hair comes out of your head … you should not face discrimination because of that.” Minnesota is also considering putting its own ban in place.

And in the UK?

So far, the UK has been pretty quiet on action against hair discrimination. It’s unfortunate that we’re behind in implementing any laws, because, as the Guardian rightly points out, many British black people are targeted because of their hair.

A child was banned from school in January 2019 for having “extreme” hair, while another boy in London faced similar circumstances for having dreadlocks. Looking back to 2016, a schoolgirl with box braids had to fight to keep her hairstyle – and all to satisfy her school’s, and so many other schools around the country’s, complete lack of cultural awareness.

Hair Discrimination – Moving Forward

The first step towards resolution is recognition, so while things may be moving slower than desired in the UK, we have a positive inkling that hair discrimination will be properly addressed in politics sooner rather than later.

That’s not to say everyday people haven’t taken matters into their own hands already. A petition on Change.org titled “Ban Hair Discrimination In The UK”, is asking for 150,000 virtual signatures to get in front of the government, with the aim of putting something legal in place to prevent hair discrimination once and for all.

The petition’s author, Zina Alfa, wrote: When I was at school, I was forced to take out my braids because a teacher didn’t like them. My mum was forced to fight my corner. Growing up, I soon learnt that black people have been refused jobs or give ultimatums in their jobs because their hair doesn’t make them look “professional”.

It isn’t difficult to find a black person who can speak about how their hair has affected their lives in both subtle and life-changing ways. It’s not ok for people to be targeted because of their hair. That’s why, I’m calling on the UK Government to ban hair discrimination.”

The petition currently has 76,000 signatures.