Today – 15 Septepmber – is World Afro Day. A day to celebrate the beauty and versatility of Afro hair, as well as raise awareness about hair discrimination and inequality.
This is a day that is about so much more than just hair. For Black people, hair is political and carries a weight of historical meaning.
Westernised beauty standards dictate that Black hair is often derided or ridiculed, Black people are subject to microaggressions and overt racism because of their hair, told it is ‘dirty’ or ‘unprofessional’, excluded from school or even fired from their jobs because of it.
This year, World Afro Day is the start of a 30-day call to schools and headteachers to comply with the Equality Act and eradicate any discrimination around Afro hair.
For decades, many children in schools throughout the UK have been discriminated against because of their Afro hair. Research has shown that one in six children with Afro hair have a bad experience in UK schools.
World Afro Day campaigners are calling for equal respect for children’s appearance according to all protected characteristics, and an end to all hair discrimination in the classroom.
‘World Afro Day is still in its infancy and the message and awareness is higher than it was,’ Founder, Michelle De Leon tells Metro.co.uk.
‘However, with centuries of problems to overcome, four years doesn’t really compare. There have been some major fails this year with Tesco producing offensive kids’ t-shirts against Afro hair and Tresemme in South Africa producing offensive hair adverts.
‘In America, there are new laws are protecting Afro hair but in the UK – nothing. This year we are calling for school leaders and teaching unions to “End School Hair Discrimination in 30 Days.”
‘Decades of discrimination has become embedded in the education system; they respect religious rights to wear hair in certain ways, but there is a lack of acceptance in some schools for African children and hair grooming that dates back thousands of years.
‘This is not fashion, it’s more fundamental than that – school hair policies harass and harm our children. This about equality and justice and the time for action is now.’
The 30-day call to action will run until the 15 October, during Black History Month. Campaigners want the UK to follow the steps that have been taken in the US to protect Afro hair from discrimination. They see this as an important action point for leaders, which could help Black children to thrive, and promote equality for young people.
Hair discrimination in schools
Adult Respondents
1 in 4 adults (24%) said they had a bad or very bad experience at school with their Afro-textured hair and identity. Plus 68% preferred to have straight Caucasian or Asian hair when they were children.
95% want similar protection in the UK to the law passed by the New York Human Rights Commission, which bans discrimination by employers, schools and other public places, based on hairstyle.
95% believe current hair policies in schools, which penalise Afro-textured hair should be removed or made more inclusive.
Parents on behalf of children
16.6% (1 in 6 children) of parents said that their children have a bad or very bad experience at school with their Afro-textured hair and identity, compared to 24% of Adults when they were young.
Out of the children with bad experiences 46% of parents said that their children’s school policy penalised Afro hair, compared to only 27.6% of adults saying that this was a problem, when they were at school.
Of those with bad experiences, parents said 82.9% of their children experienced touching hair without permission, which was in the same region for the adults 88%.
36.7% of parents said their children indicated the school environment
(including pre-school) most influenced their desire to change their hair type from curly to straight.
World Afro Day, Hair Equality Report 2019
‘2020 has been a global cry from black people for freedom and equality,’ adds Michelle. ‘Something as natural and normal as our Afro hairstyles have been a struggle for centuries.
‘95% of people with Afro hair in the UK, want policies that punish our children to be removed from schools.’
World Afro Day Live is a global online event which will celebrate the beauty of Afro hair. The even will feature hair masterclasses, panel talks with experts in the field, and the eirst ever Top Ten Model Competition.
Sarah is one of the competition winners, and she believes the event will expose people to the diversity and beauty of Afro hair.
‘The competition will allow people to be aware of the problems people may face over their Afro hair, so that they can be more understanding and sensitive to them,’ Sarah tells Metro.co.uk.
‘And if they have Afro hair themselves, I hope that seeing others with similar locks who are able to love and cherish their God-given hair will inspire them to be grateful for the hair that they have also.’
‘The competition will bring awareness about natural Afro hair without a doubt, especially after listening to the different experiences that the young people within the competition have faced in regards to their hair,’ adds Anaylah, another competition winner.
‘It will hopefully encourage people to be more open-minded in relation to what is deemed as “pretty” and “accepectable” in today’s society, as relating to BLM black lives matter.
‘I also believe that this competition will inspire other people to wear their hair in its natural state and to embrace it more.’
Do you have a story to share? We want to hear fro you.
Get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/09/15/world-afro-day-why-we-still-need-to-fight-for-hair-equality-13269592/
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