Story by Samantha Cabeza | Photos by Lexi Wicks | Design by Sara Roach

Curly. Kinky. Coily. Frizzy. Messy. These are all terms often used to describe hair types, both positive and negative, that are considered different from the normative straight hair. While everyone has a different type of hair, some face discrimination and prejudice from others on the basis of their hair texture or style.

Hair discrimination is a form of social injustice where people with curly or socially unusual hair, most commonly affecting black, Indigenous people of color (BIPOC), are bullied or oppressed for the way they style it.

Professionals of all capacities can experience this form of discrimination, whether it be in the workplace or social situations. Dean of Health and Wellness, Shawnté Elbert, says because she is a BIPOC that she has experienced hair discrimination firsthand.

She explains she used to wear her hair many different ways from colored to braided to shaved and that when it comes to hair and the African American community, it is the one thing they have control over.

“We do whatever we want to our hair. We braid it, color it and shave it all off,” she says. “When we want to begin working in society, we have rules and regulations to acclimate to that … under Caucasian standards.”

According to a webinar on the politics of hair by Anu Taranath, founder and director of Dr. Anu Consulting and University of Washington-Seattle professor of African Studies, hair is not just about how we want to wear it, but also as a representation of our sexuality, identity, religion and class.

Those standards, according to Elbert, mean acting, looking and talking like those who follow Eurocentric norms. She believes that in modern times, hair discrimination is worse than it has ever been before.

Discrimination in the Workplace

BIPOC have faced this form of racism in all different situations, ranging from school and the workplace, in areas that are supposed to be considered workplaces.

Shaylin Smith, senior History major and woman of color, says she has faced discrimination against her natural hair in the past at her workplace. “The discrimination wasn’t from my boss; it was from a couple customers that came in,” she says. “I had braids in my hair, and I remember them asking me: ‘you’re allowed to go to work and school looking like that?’”

Hair discrimination can come from many different sources, even strangers. For the longest time, Smith explains she didn’t realize that this was an issue until she sat down with her mom to discuss it.

“I remember going home and sitting down with my mom and having a conversation about what hair discrimination was, so for me, it was a learning moment. My mom said it’s one of the things we deal with since we’re black,” she adds.

For many, facing hair discrimination is a pivotal moment for understanding the realities of racism in everyday power dynamics.

Issues at School

According to Elbert, that’s where the discrimination stems from: power and control; the social norm will never be the underrepresented community.

Many of these power structures are present in different institutions within society, even education. “If you look at some K-12 school rules, you can’t wear beads in your hair, you can’t have cornrows and you can’t have braids. These are all hairstyles heavily associated with African American communities,” she says.

These mandates are being added to dress codes and becoming strictly enforced within these institutions.“I feel like it has become more accepted to be downright, upfront and in your face with this discriminating behavior,” Elbert adds.

This discrimination can be apparent in both the administration and students, especially in the form of bullying.

Alaina Mitchell, senior Social Services major and Black Student Union president says she experienced a bullying situation regarding her hair when she was in middle school.

“My mom didn’t know how to manage my curly hair. She would brush it out, and my hair would look very big,” she says. “This girl passed a note around the class calling me ‘poofy’ and all of these other names. All of the other kids caught on to the name, and that was my nickname all throughout my three years of middle school.”

Hair discrimination does not stop at verbal harassment, sometimes people feel inclined to touch people’s hair just because it is a different texture from their own.

Elbert claims she’s had people come up to her and touch her hair, obstructing her personal space, as well as touch her children’s hair. She says that when she drops her son off at daycare, she has to ask the daycare worker to not let anybody touch her son’s hair without her around.

Because of the texture of her and her son’s hair, Elbert says that no other parent has to worry about that, but because she’s a BIPOC, she does. These are the realities for people who face hair discrimination on a regular basis.

Supporting Your Community

Supporting your BIPOC classmates and colleagues is one of the first steps to becoming an ally. You can stand up for them in situations where they are being discriminated against and it gives them a voice when they might not have one.

When faced with hair discrimination, Elbert says there is no perfect answer to responding. She says when she was an undergraduate student, she would stay quiet and not know how to respond. Now, as an adult, she is not afraid to stick up for herself.

Not everybody might feel safe to speak out, but people need to do what they are comfortable with and feel safe doing, says Elbert.

How somebody responds to discrimination is their own decision. As allies to BIPOC and other people facing curly hair discrimination, we can consider how safe or unsafe they might feel.

If you know somebody who is facing this issue, ask if they are okay and need anything. You could be giving them a voice when they can’t seem to find theirs.

Going beyond step one, the next step would be to become involved in local and state advocacy. California and Colorado have both passed the ‘Crown Act’ which makes it illegal to discriminate against someone at work or school over the way they wear their hair.

Following in their footsteps, with your support, Washington state could be next on that list.