Staff Report
(Boston, MA) A bill aimed at banning race-based discrimination targeting hair texture and hairstyles has been unanimously approved by the Massachusetts House. The legislation specifically prohibits discrimination based on “natural and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, twists, Bantu knots and other formations.” Supporters say Black women in particular have faced pressure in school and the workplace to alter their hair to conform to policies biased against natural hairstyles.
The 155-0 vote comes just two days after the Biden administration voiced its support for a similar effort at the federal level. The bill will head to the Senate for approval next and is not the only of its kind. California was the first state to ban school and workplace policies that discriminated against Black people in 2019 and since then over a dozen states have followed suit.