A group of activists wrote to the parliament this week to urge the government to update Equality Act 2010, to include Afro hair as a protected characteristic.
The World Afro Day (WAD) campaign,which includes Labour Mp Paulette Hamilton and ex-Spice Girl Mel B sent a signed letter by 100 campaigners.
The letter claims that “the omission of Afro-hair as a protected feature from the law has enabled everyday discrimination, and normalised Afro-hair as inferior in all spheres”.
This is part of the wider campaign 100 Voices where supporters wrote 100 words each on why it is important to change the law to prevent discrimination towards people with Afro-hair.
Hamilton hosted a drop-in in parliament on this issue last week and stated that she “absolutely believed” the government should amend the Equality Act so as to include Afro hair.
The law already protects race as one of nine characteristics. According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission this means that a person can’t be discriminated because of their hairstyle or race if it is related to their ethnicity or race.
Michelle De Leon, founder of WAD, said: “Laws exist to protect minorities from discrimination, injustice and oppression.
The UK does not have the laws to stop the discrimination against Afro-haired people.
The Halo Collective , a group dedicated to fighting discrimination, launched in 2020 a code of best practices that encourages organisations to give Black people the freedom to have Afro hairstyles, without being judged.
Unilever, Marks & Spencer Avon, Bates Wells and Marks & Spencer are among the employers who have signed the code.
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