States face pressure to ban race-based hairstyle bias
Agrowing RIORANCHO, N.M. — number of states are facing pressure to ban racebased discrimination against hair texture and hairstyles in schools and the workplace.
Advocates this week presented a draft proposal to New Mexico state lawmakers that would outlaw employers and schools from discriminating against Black and Native American women’s hairstyles. It’s the latest state targeted by a national campaign.
Devont’e Kurt Watson, a member of Black Lives Matter in Albuquerque, told New Mexico lawmakers on Monday that the state should amend its Human Rights law to protect people with Afros, cornrows, dreadlocks and headwraps. The state should also provide protections for Native Americans who face hair discrimination, he said.
“Passing the (the proposal) in New Mexico will have far-reaching implications to protect our diverse community,” Watson said. “Hair discrimination is racial
discrimination.”
New Mexico Black Lawyers Association President Aja Brooks said job offers have been rescinded to Blackwomen in other states because of hairstyles and that students in New Mexico and in other states have been told in class by teachers their hair was a distraction.
“Hair discrimination for people of color in New Mexico is real,” Brooks said.
The draft evaluated by a New Mexico legislative interim committee was the first step for a bill that is
expected to be introduced in January. New Mexico’s Legislature is dominated by Democrats and the state has a Democratic governor.
Earlier this year, Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill that made Washington the latest state to pass a version of the CROWN Act. It stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” and is part of a national campaign promoted by Dove, the National Urban League, Color Of Change and Western Center on Lawand Poverty.