A group of campaigners has written to parliament this week urging the government to update the Equality Act 2010 to make Afro hair a protected characteristic.
The World Afro Day campaign (WAD), which includes Labour MP Paulette Hamilton and former Spice Girl Mel B, sent a letter signed by 100 campaigners and supporters.
The letter argues that the “omission of hair as a protected characteristic from the law has facilitated everyday discrimination and the normalisation of Afro hair as inferior in every sphere of life”.
It is part of a wider campaign called 100 Voices, where supporters have each written 100 words on why a change to the law is vital to prevent discrimination against people with Afro hair.
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Hamilton sponsored a drop-in session in parliament this week on the issue and said she “absolutely” believed that the government should change the Equality Act to include Afro hair.
Race is already one of the nine protected characteristics in the legislation. According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, this means a person cannot be discriminated against because of their hair or hairstyle if this is associated with their race or ethnicity.
WAD founder Michelle De Leon said: “Laws are actually there to tell people what is right and what is wrong and to protect minority groups from oppression, discrimination and injustice.
“We simply do not have the right laws in the UK to stop generations of Afro hair discrimination from continuing.”
In 2020, anti-discrimination group the Halo Collective launched a best practice code for workplaces and schools, encouraging organisations to commit to giving members of the Black community the freedom to wear Afro hairstyles without fear of judgment.
Employers including Unilever, Marks & Spencer, Avon and Bates Wells have signed up to the code.
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