📍 (New York, New York)

For a long time, there has been discrimination against blacks, Afro Latinos and anyone with black ancestry for their natural hair. Whether it’s braids, locs, Bantu knots or more, it’s always been deemed “unprofessional”. In December, a video went viral of a teen in New Jersey getting his locs cut off by a referee in the middle of the wrestling match. Not sure if this video has sparked the change but the NYC Commission on Human Rights has officially released a “legal enforcement guidance on race discrimination on the basis of hair.

NYC human rights law (NYCHRL) protects New Yorkers right to maintain their natural hair in whatever style they choose. That means they cannot be discriminated by employers, housing providers or schools.

Here’s an excerpt from the released document:

“There is a widespread and fundamentally racist belief that Black hairstyles are not suited for formal settings, and may be unhygienic, messy, disruptive, or unkempt.”

Sources:

NYC.gov

The guardian

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/Hair-Guidance.pdf