The fight for equality is still going. We are constantly striving
to make the world we live in a better place. This can be seen in the policies
that are being passed, one of which is, the law passed lifting the ban on
discrimination based on hair. NY State has passed a law that makes it illegal
for any individual or institution to show any form of discrimination towards
anyone based on their hair. There have been many instances of people facing
discrimination based on their hair. For instance, a Buena Regional High School
varsity wrestler had his dreadlocs forcefully cut by a referee before his match
else he forfeits his match. There was a video of it posted on social media
which went viral. This led to a national outrage and got the referee banned.
However, it doesn’t take away from the emotional and mental strain the wrestler
may have experienced. “The New York
City’s human rights commission specifically asserts the right of people to have
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” (Andre D. Wagner, New York Times). Carmelyn P. Malalis,
commissioner and chairwoman of the New York City Commission on Human Rights
said, “They are based on racist standards of appearance.” It may seem like such
a trivial issue to some people, but this has been an ongoing problem all over
the world, which dates all the way back to the era of slavery.
It is often said that the hair is a
person’s crowning glory. Hair represents different things for different people.
Runaway slaves braided patterns in their hair that served as maps to their
escape route. Mothers put rice in the hair of their children before braiding during
times when their children were going to be sold to new slave owners. This was to
ensure that their kids didn’t starve on the long commute to their new slave
owners. To the Rastafarians, dreadlocs has a spiritual symbolism. The hair can represent beauty, social status,
spirituality, religiosity and many other different reasons. During slavery,
slave women were asked to cover their hair with head wraps or scarves. The
overlords or slave masters imposed it as a badge of enslavement. The slaves
rebelled by using beautifully patterned scarves and tying them in intricate
styles to adorn themselves. In the 1960s,
for example, wearing an Afro, was seen as a political stance rather than for its
pure aesthetic purpose. Today, certain hair types and styles are considered unsightly
and unprofessional.
The question however is, why should a
person’s natural hair be seen as inappropriate when it is what the person is
born with? It doesn’t seem to affect the person’s productivity or attitude to
their work, so why should it be an issue for others? For instance, a soldier is
still a soldier protecting a country whether they have dreadlocks, braids,
straight or curly hair. It doesn’t take away from their duties or make them
less efficient. This may not seem like a big deal for most people, but for
individuals who constantly face discrimination in varying ways, this is a huge
deal. It means that we are making our way to an egalitarian society. This ban
will help promote self-confidence, boost self-esteem, eradicate bullying and
lead to an overall great mental health. Hopefully, other states in the country
would follow suit as well as the rest of the world. This is because, a person’s
hair should not define them or their capabilities. No one should be made to
feel inferior because of their choice of hairstyle.
Tea Talks with Ms Danso 