Schools in the UK are being explicitly warned not to discriminate against Afro hairstyles

Even though there are established laws to protect against racially-motivated discrimination in the UK, Afro-hair discrimination is one of the ways in which Black people still suffer prejudice. Yet, it’s often disregarded and seen as a low priority in the sea of prejudice and overt racism. 

To work towards positive change and the creation of specific guidelines that are free of ambiguity, Enact Equality and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Race Equality in Education worked with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to launch a survey – supported by GLAMOUR – which informed new guidelines for all schools in England, Scotland, and Wales to refer to. 

The EHRC’s new resources – endorsed by World Afro Day and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Race Equality in Education – outline that “uniform and appearance policies that ban certain hairstyles, without the possibility for exceptions to be made on racial grounds, are likely to be unlawful.” 

Michelle De Leon, the founder and CEO of World Afro Day, has welcomed the news, saying:  “Contributing to the new EHRC resources has been an important step towards ending hair discrimination, which many children with Afro hair experience on a daily basis.  

“Our work supporting families, protecting children and educating school leaders shows that this extra guidance is needed. We hope that these resources will be an effective tool to clarify equality law for teachers and help shift the bias against Afro hair that has become ingrained in some parts of the education system.”  

The importance of this survey shouldn’t be underestimated. Hair discrimination has existed as a form of covert bias for too long, and it can have catastrophic consequences. Not only does it impact how people connect with their identity and heritage, but it also affects their well-being, mental health, performance at work, and career prospects, as well as contributing negatively to the social and economic leverage for the Black community. 

In fact, research by Dove reveals that ​​37% of Black adults have faced hair discrimination at work,  25% of Black adults have been sent home from work or faced disciplinary action as a result of wearing their hair in a natural or protected style, and 58% of Black adults in the UK say that hair discrimination has impacted their ability to advance at work.

Cases of child school exclusions based on hair discrimination, the growing disparity between the law and school uniform/appearance policy, work policies, and practice towards Afro hair prove that the current legislation is inadequate when it comes to this form of discrimination.  

Leading the conversation, founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Race Equality in Education L’myah Sherae says: 

“Nearly half of Black or mixed-race women with Afro or textured hair have experienced race based-hair discrimination, many from as early as five years old. That is why our All-Party Parliamentary Group wrote to the Equality and Human Rights Commission to highlight the need for new, strengthened guidance against Afro-hair discrimination. 

“We want Black children and adults across the UK to know that they can be genuinely proud of their identity, not penalised for it. I am therefore pleased that this guidance has now been published, and I am proud to have been involved in the drafting process. This is an important step towards ensuring that the next generation are better protected, and the generations thereafter.”