The good news is that, for at least one major city, there is now a movement in place to pushback against those who would seek to discriminate against any brother or sister who chooses to wear his or her hair in its natural state. The 1st law of its kind, is a small victory; but hopefully will lead to similar legislation in other urban areas. This new mandate was authored by New York City Commission On Human Rights, and provides protections for this with “natural hair, treated or untreated hairstyles such as locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, fades, Afros, and/or the right to keep hair in an uncut or untrimmed state.”
In addition to future protections, the city ordinance provides a standard from which previously targeted citizens can now sue, and also mandates for stiff penalties for any school or business in violation. Violator could be hit with fines of up to $250,000, without a cap on damages; and can force employers to rehire anyone fired, demoted, harassed or punished based on the choice to go natural.
New York has set the bar, now it’s your turn Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Nashville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Memphis, and the list goes on…
https://www.essence.com/hair/new-york-city-hair-discrimination-law/
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/02/224697/new-york-city-natural-hair-discrimination
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/18/style/hair-discrimination-new-york-city.html
https://rewire.news/ablc/2018/05/16/u-s-supreme-court-ignoring-black-hair-discrimination/
https://www.ebony.com/culture/black-news-anchor-fired-unprofessional-natural-hair/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-classifies-hair-restrictions-as-discrimination-11550537156