New York to levy $250k fine for hairstyle discrimination

NEW YORK CITY is bringing in a ban on discriminating against anyone because of their hairstyle in what is thought to be the first law of its kind in the United States.

Anyone found to have discriminated against someone at work, school or in a public place because of the way they have their hair can be fined up to $250,000 (£193,000) by the city’s commission on human rights.

The change in law, announced yesterday, applies to anyone but is designed to help black people.

The guidelines specifically mention the right of New Yorkers to maintain their “natural hair, treated or untreated hairstyles such as locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, fades, Afros, and/or the right to keep hair in an uncut or untrimmed state”.

Carmelyn Malalis, the chairman of the New York City commission on human rights, said: “There’s nothing keeping us from calling out these policies prohibiting natural hair or hairstyles most closely associated with black people.

“They are based on racist standards of appearance,” she told The New York Times, adding that they perpetuate “racist stereotypes that say black hairstyles are unprofessional or improper”.

Enie, 21, told the newspaper that she had walked out of her job at a fast-food restaurant after a manager asked her to cut off her 14-inch hair extensions.

“I quit because you can’t tell me my hair is too long, but the other females who are other races don’t have to cut their hair,” she said.