Hair Discrimination: Why It's Here + Why It Has to Go
Hello beautiful! I hope you are doing splendidly! While I'm writing this, I'm not in the U.S! It's nighttime in my hotel in Rome, Italy! It's only my second day here, but I've had so much fun already despite the debilitating heat. Rome is such a walkable city, but not when you're drenched in your own sweat.
Anyway, that's enough about me. Today, I'm going to talk about textured hairstyles on Black people and why I think they're perceived the way that they are. Hair discrimination is a real issue, and I hope someone out there resonates with what I'm going to say.
Remember when I said I wasn't going to talk more about myself? I lied. I am going to talk a little more about me. My bad.
My Hair Journey
To understand my perspective on the topic of natural hair, I think you all need to know about the journey that my hair has been through. Because it's been a lot of work to get where I am. If you don't care, feel free to scroll down <3
When I was a toddler, my hair was stunning. It was long, healthy, and thick. And, I didn't have to manage it myself, because my mom did it for my back then. But, of course, I wanted to change it. All of my friends with straight hair in my kindergarten class had it cut in a bob, so naturally, I wanted the same. What I didn't anticipate was shrinkage. My hair texture was not at all the same as theirs. So, my hair was cut to about shoulder length, and my luscious locks were gone. But, luckily, my mom was still helping me with my hair, so it grew quickly under her care.
My hair was almost back to where it was before I cut it, but in 5th or 6th grade, I just had to switch it up again. I started growing annoyed at my hair in general, and it didn't help that everyone at my school had straight or braided hair. I was starting to learn how to work with my hair by myself, and I got a really overwhelmed.
What I did next is probably on the list of the top 15 mistakes I've made in my life.
I reached for the relaxer.
For a year or two, I was happy with my hair. I could fit in with my straight-haired friends at school, and detangling my hair got a lot easier. But, when I was around thirteen, I got tired of touching up my grown-out roots, and I just wanted my natural hair back. When I tell you, that relaxed hair was the bane of my existence for the next 18 months, I mean it with my heart and soul. Even when I was ready for the big chop in January of 2025, my hair was dry, short and uneven from the cut, done by a non-professional (me). I was only focused on getting the damaged ends off, so I didn't really think about how the result would turn out.
That brings me to now, 19 months later. My hair has grown quite a bit. I've gotten better at styling my own hair at home, and I'm currently developing my cornrowing skills, so my mom doesn't have to do them for me. I'm more confident with my hair now, but it took a while to get here, which is why I am so passionate about what I'm going to say next.
There's an often underlying, but sometimes blatant idea that coily hairstyles are unprofessional, inappropriate, or distracting in school or work settings. That could mean twists, cornrows, box braids, or afros.
It goes without saying that Black communities have been subject to stereotypes that paint them to be dangerous, aggressive, and lazy. It makes me beyond angry to see that stereotypes have made their way into the way we do our hair. Esi Eggleston Bracey has worked with legislation to fight hair discrimination, and this is what she had to say:
"Our hair is a manifestation of a way to perpetuate the institution of racism and bias, unfortunately."
What a lot of people that don't have a kinky hair texture might not realize is that we keep our hair in protective hairstyles to do exactly that: protect it. So when someone asks us to straighten our hair or relax it to make it look more uniform and professional, they're asking us to damage it. It might not seem like a big deal to a lot of people, but for me and many other people with curly or kinky hair, our hair can be a big insecurity because of how much it's been stigmatized. For many young people (often young Black women), wearing out your natural hair or avoiding straightening it to fit in is a big step in a journey to improved self confidence.
My point is this: hair is an important part of many Black people's lives and confidence, and regulations against natural protective styles destroy any hope for individuality shown through these styles and freedom for the students to style their hair however they want to.
BUT I have an optimistic ending for this post! In case you haven't heard of the CROWN Act, it stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair and intends to "to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles...in the workplace and public schools" (Crown Coalition). 30 states have adopted the act, which is better than nothing! Feel free to sign this petition to help with progress in reaching the other 20 states!
Thank you so much for waiting an extra week for this post! Like I said at the beginning, I've been out of the country, so I couldn't post this until I got back.
Also, let me know if you want me to do a post about my favorite natural hairstyles, because I would love to, but I'm not sure who would want to read that.
Remember, if you ever need a hand, girl, let me help!
References:
Najarro, Ileana (2022, July 5). "‘Our Hair Is Our Identity’: What Educators Need to Know About Hair Discrimination Laws." EducationWeek. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/our-hair-is-our-identity-what-educators-need-to-know-about-hair-discrimination-laws/2022/07
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