New York fights for follicle rights

NEW York City has unveiled novel guidelines against hairstyle discrimination. New legal guidance says the city’s existing human rights law protects New Yorkers’ right to ‘maintain natural hair or hairstyles that are closely associated with their racial, ethnic or cultural identities’.

The guidance specifically warns employers they could face legal trouble for banning styles associated with black people, such as afros, or corn rows, or for instructing black workers to straighten their hair.