Stop discrimination on Afro-Hair

Why is Afro hair still subject to discrimination?

“I straightened my hair as Americans were ‘just getting adjusted’ to a Black first family…”. Michelle Obama spoke at the Warner Theatre in Washington DC last year to promote her book: “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times”, with the former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Many celebrities have reported that people with Afro hair face discrimination on multiple levels, driven by racism, a lack of understanding of cultural and ethnic diversity, and ignorance toward natural hairstyles.

In an interview with Porter magazine, Lupita Nyongo, the Oscar-winning Kenyan-Mexican Hollywood actress, shared her experiences with discrimination related to her natural hair. She highlighted how prevailing beauty standards marginalise Afro-textured hair, noting, “There is still a long way to go in combating prejudices against Black women’s natural hair textures and styles.”

Michelle De Leon’s initiative of World Afro Day in September 2017 sought to tackle the challenges faced by people of Afro hair descent.
Since its inception, the initiative has heightened awareness and sparked efforts to celebrate Afro hair, while shining a spotlight on the discrimination endured by those with natural Afro-textured hair.

In England, Melanie Brown, a former member of the British band Spice Girls, along with other celebrities, is leading a campaign to raise awareness and push the government to introduce legislation to end Afro-hair discrimination.

They are calling for an update to the Equality Act 2010 to include Afro hair as a protected characteristic, aiming to “recognise and prevent” such discrimination.