Black and mixed-race people can face discrimination over the hair they were born with. Students are excluded from school, people report losing out on jobs, and others say they can feel ostracised at work.
At least 93% of black people with afro hair in the UK have experienced micro-aggressions related to their hair, according to a survey released last month for the haircare brand Pantene.
In 2019 California became the first state to legally prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles such as dreadlocks, cornlocks and afros. New Jersey, New York and Virginia later followed.
Activist Zina Alfa says hair discrimination is a ‘conduit for racism’ and explains why she believes similar legislation in the UK is critical to tackling the issue
