The State of Black Hair in America: How the U.S. Government Regulates Black Hair

In 2018, the U.S. Navy made history when it changed its policy to allow women to be able to wear their natural hair in “non-traditional” styles such as dreadlocks, braids and ponytails. Despite this change in policy, it is still perfectly legal for the U.S. government to regulate how black women wear their hair in the workplace.  For example, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers are permitted to regulate and enforce specific dress codes including how a woman can wear their hair in the workplace.  Although these laws are race neutral, meaning they are supposed to be applied equally to everyone, it disproportionately affects women of color, and black women in particular. Eleanor Abraham of InStyle magazine, gives us a thorough account of the history of how black hair is still being repressed and regulated and the history of discrimination  Read more.