BLACK CHILDREN should not be stopped from wearing their natural Afro hairstyles to school, the leading equalities watchdog has said today. 

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said school uniform and appearance policies that ban black hairstyles such as cornrows, braids and locks are likely to be unlawful – if they do not provide exemptions on racial grounds. 

Race is a protected characteristic under the 2010 Equality Act, which means a person must not be discriminated against because of their hair or hairstyle – if it is associated with their race or ethnicity. 

This includes natural Afro hairstyles, braids, cornrows, plaits and head coverings, amongst other styles.

The EHRC has now issued new guidance for schools in England, Scotland and Wales, to ensure their school uniform policies are not unlawfully discriminatory. 

The decision is being welcomed by several black parents in the UK.

But many say black children should not have been sent home or removed from class because of their natural hair in the first place. 

Tamika Martin from Daybrook, Nottingham, told The Voice she agrees with the watchdog’s ruling. 

She said: “I think the idea of banning children with natural Afro hair from school is ludicrous and it is discriminatory.”

The EHRC said court cases, research and the experiences of their stakeholders show that hair-based discrimination disproportionately affects girls and boys with Afro-textured hair or hairstyles.

The Equality Advisory and Support Service, which provides free advice to the public on equality law, has received 50 calls since 2018 reporting potential cases of hair discrimination.

The Crown Act

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed landmark legislation which could see an end to discrimination against black natural hairstyles in the United States. 

The Crown Act was created in 2019, by the Crown Coalition and beauty giant Dove, in partnership with the then State Senator Holly J. Mitchell of California.

The act aims to ensure protection against discrimination black hairstyles such as braids, locks, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools. 

Crown is an acronym and stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.

Ms Martin who is a director and PR consultant wants more legal protections put in place across Britain, similar to the United States.

She said: “We need to take a leaf out of their book!

“It shouldn’t take for another country, but that is the influence America has, we should be taking the initiative naturally to see where things are going horribly wrong.” 

The mother-of-four has three daughters.

She currently has a 15-year-old who attends school, who thankfully hasn’t had any issues wearing braids. 

Ms Martin who also wears her hair sometimes in box-braids, believes no child should be “persecuted” for wearing natural hairstyles. 

“They are embracing their own natural beauty, it is natural beauty for us, and to be penalised for that is so wrong,” she added. 

The business woman said she remembers her now 23-year-old daughter having an issue at a predominantly white school when we saw wearing braids. 

She said: “She was wearing box-braids extensions and wearing it down and the teacher made a comment and said she needs to not have it out but have it tied back and not hanging loose.” 

Ms Martin said she was furious and called the school immediately and was issued with an apology. 

She said she understands the need for uniform policies but said policing black hair is “pushing boundaries”. 

“I just don’t see what that has to do with your education and learning in school,” she added. 

The watchdog says discrimination can range from describing someone’s hairstyle as inappropriate or exotic through to outright bans on certain hairstyles and bullying.

Naomi Osei is a leadership development and communications consultant, from Iver, Buckinghamshire.

She describes the new guidance from the EHRC as a “win” for the black community.

However, she says the black community has “been knowing” schools banning black hairstyles was discriminatory and authorities should have been listening to the complaints from black parents and students a long time ago. 

She said: “There is a part of me that feels this is a step in the right direction, but on the other hand, there is a part of me that feels this is 2022 almost 2023, and only now this is coming to light or being given the type of attention it needs.”

“How on earth can children be ostracised or discriminated against for wearing the hair that comes naturally out of my actual head?”

Naomi Osei

She asked: “How on earth can children be ostracised or discriminated against for wearing the hair that comes naturally out of my actual head?”

Ms Osei admits she, along with her two children have been “quite sheltered” from these types of negative school experiences, as they attended a predominately black school called The Eden SDA School in west London. 

She said: “When I hear of the experiences in other schools in the UK it is shocking to me.” 

The mother-of-two moved to Accra, with her family last year, and said sadly some of the schools in Ghana still have “colonial” mindset about natural hair.

Time for action

She wants black parents need to stand up and be counted on important issues that are impacting their children’s education and sense of self-pride. 

She said: “Don’t suffer in silence! I think conformity over the years has not done us too many favours.

“If we think about our forefathers for example, if they didn’t make a stand and for some of those they paid with their lives, we probably wouldn’t be here in the positions that we are in today.

“So therefore, I see it as part of our duty, not even just for this generation but the coming generation to make sure we are counted and our voices are heard, because what is the alternative? 

“The alternative is elements of our culture start to become demonised.”

Hair discrimination in other sectors

Ms Osei told The Voice, natural hair discrimination is also present in many sectors including the working environment. 

“When it comes to western beauty standards typically black women and children don’t fit that mould,” she said.

When she was 16, she says she cut and relaxed her hair and wanted to emulate the famous short hair of Hollywood actress Halle Berry. 

“The black women I saw in TV, film and around me, that’s what they had, that’s what they looked like, that was what was considered beautiful,” she added.

Going natural

But Ms Osei decided to ditch the hair relaxers when she found out she was pregnant with her daughter – who is now 10. 

“I said nah, I’m not doing it anymore and I cut it all off,” she explained. 

She told The Voice, she went natural because she knew she had “a responsibility that once this baby girl comes out, I will be her number one role model and she needs to see a mum who is proud to wear her own hair and is able to appreciate her beauty in her natural state.” 

She revealed her daughter is now “begging to have locks” just like her.

The proud mother is urging black parents to implement things like affirmations and other activities which promote self-love, so if they are ever faced with hair discrimination it doesn’t destroy them.

Ms Osei regularly speaks with other black parents in the UK and told The Voice, black parents are becoming increasingly concerned about their children’s mental and emotional welfare in mainstream schools.

She said: “One parent has told me that their child is being bullied at school because of her Afro hair and another parent told me, her son told her it is better to be white than black.” 

Ms Osei knows being educated in a school similar to the one she attended, is not always practical and accessible for all families, but believes black parents can do little things that will have a long-lasting impact on their children’s confidence.

She added: “We have to get used to telling our children they are beautiful and tell them who they truly are because if we fail to do that, those out there will tell them who they are.”

She also urged parents to monitor what their children are watching online, as social media can be a toxic and harmful environment for black children.

New guidance

There has been several high-profile cases of natural hair discrimination in schools in the UK.

In 2017, 12-year-old Chikayzea Flanders, was banned from a west London school and told to cut his hair because he had dreadlocks.

His mother took the school to court and said it was an attack on her families Rastafarian religion and beliefs.

The family won their landmark legal battle with Fulham Boys School but Chikayzea left to attend different school.

In 2020, the EHRC successfully funded the legal case of Ruby Williams who was repeatedly sent home from school because of her Afro hair.

Jackie Killeen, Chief Regulator at the EHRC, said: “Discrimination based on hair can have serious and long-lasting consequences for victims and their families.

“As Britain’s equality regulator, we want to put a stop to pupils being unfairly singled out for their appearance in schools.

“That’s why, after working closely with experts and those directly affected, we are launching these practical resources to help school leaders understand the law in this area and prevent discrimination from happening.

“Every child deserves to be celebrated for who they are and to thrive in school without having to worry about changing their appearance to suit a potentially discriminatory policy.”

World Afro Day

World Afro Day takes place annually on September 15 and is a global day of change, education and celebration of Afro hair, culture and identity. 

Michelle De Leon, Founder and CEO of World Afro Day said: “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.” 

Protection

L’myah Sherae, Founder and Chief Coordinator of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Race Equality in Education said: “We want Black children 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 is now being published, and I am proud to have been involved in the drafting process. 

“Schools should be safe and supportive environments for all pupils, and race equality in education should be a priority for all teachers.

“These new resources are an important step towards ensuring that the next generation of children are better protected, and the generations thereafter.”