California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill banning “unequal treatment” by employers against African Americans based on their natural hairstyles.
The law protects “hair texture and protective hairstyles” which are “historically associated with race.” The law lists braids, locks, and twists as just a few of the hairstyles now protected by California law.
“The history of our nation is riddled with laws and societal norms that equated ‘blackness,’ and the associated physical traits, for example, dark skin, kinky and curly hair to a badge of inferiority, sometimes subject to separate and unequal treatment,” the text of the bill states. “Acting in accordance with the constitutional values of fairness, equity, and opportunity for all, the Legislature recognizes that continuing to enforce a Eurocentric image of professionalism through purportedly race-neutral grooming policies that disparately impact Black individuals and exclude them from some workplaces is in direct opposition to equity and opportunity for all.”
“This law protects the right of Black Californians to choose to wear their hair in its natural form, without pressure to conform to Eurocentric norms,” Democrat Sen. Holly Mitchell, the bill sponsor, said in a statement Wednesday. Mitchell added the issue was “about inclusion, pride, and choice.”
The California law is the first statewide ban in the nation for natural hair discrimination.
