CAMPAIGNERS ARE pushing for a new law to stop Afro hair discrimination in schools.

MPs in the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Race Equality in Education have joined forces with hair discrimination advocates, the Halo Collective, in a bid to make their goal a reality.

The APPG, plus big-name brands, and Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson also co-signed a letter to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to stamp out hair discrimination. Lord Simon Woolley and author Emma Dabiri were also listed as signatories. 

L’myah Sherae, Founder of the APPG for Race Equality in Education, announced that the parliamentary group is working with the UK government and the EHRC to “create, strengthen, and expand” new national guidelines for schools when dealing with pupils from African and Caribbean backgrounds.

Nearly two thirds of black adults in the UK have faced discrimination against their hair and one in four black adults have been subject to disciplinary action over their hair texture, according to research by Dove. 

Some people have reported being sent home from work for wearing their hair in a natural or protective style.

For black children, the figures skyrocketed with 58% of black students reporting they have endured name calling while at school for their afro hair and almost half of parents have said the school policy their child attends has penalised their afro hair texture.

Ms Sherae has called for equality laws in the UK to legally recognise afro hair discrimination in the same way as racism.

“Afro hair discrimination is racism – and, discrimination based on hair texture is illegal. We’re encouraging all black communities, and parents of children with Afro hair, to take part in our national scoping exercise and share their experiences,” she told The Voice.

Landmark

“All of the responses we receive will be shared with senior policy leaders, and will be used to directly inform the creation of new resources and guidance at national level. This, we hope, will transform schools across England, Scotland and Wales.”

The campaign comes after high-profile cases of students dealing with discrimination against their afro hair made headlines. 

Ruby Williams, a former student at Urswick Church of England school in Hackney, was branded a “stroppy teenager of colour” by a barrister after action against her school drew national headlines.

Ms Williams, who is also a signatory on the landmark letter, was awarded £8,500 in 2020 after lodging a racial discrimination case when her school repeatedly sent her home for allegedly breaching its dress code.

They stated that her “afro style hair must be of reasonable size and length” and that her hair was obstructing other pupils from viewing the whiteboard during lessons.

Pimlico Academy in London was the latest school that was blasted for implementing strict changes to their dress code, which included restrictions on afro hair hairstyles and wearing the hijab.

Black children continue to be disproportionately affected by school policies with campaigners warning that their education and self-esteem about their cultural identity is being severely impacted. 

The Equalities Act currently acknowledges racism as an illegal practice, however, the parliamentary group is fighting for “legislative change to explicitly include hair texture and hairstyles as legally protected characteristics.”

Existing guidelines on afro hairstyles such as dreadlocks and cornrows are already outlined, but campaigners are calling for these to be made effective through urgent amendments. 

They hope the landmark letter will trigger other organisations to seriously implement policies against afro hair discrimination as they call on participants to support the campaign by sharing experiences in an online survey.

“I’m thankful to all of the brands and organsiations who are supporting our campaign, and I am glad to have the opportunity to help both the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and the UK Government, draft this guidance,” said Ms Sherae. 

“Ensuring that schools are safe and supportive environments for black children must be the core priority here. We want to ensure that no child is ever sent home from school for wearing their hair naturally, or in a protective style, again.”