Afro hair should be made a protected characteristic, according to a campaign backed by ex-Spice Girl Mel B. The Telegraph has more.
The World Afro Day (WAD) group has written to MPs calling on them to amend the 2010 Equality Act to add the specification for afro hair.
More than 100 public figures, including Mel B, Beverley Knight, Patrick Hutchinson, Fleur East, Evelyn Forde and Prof Patrick Vernon, have signed an open letter to the Government supporting the change.
The group argues that while race is already a protected characteristic, schools and workplaces can still unfairly target people of colour due to their natural hair.
Mel B said she was proud to support WAD having been told before a video shoot during the Spice Girls’ heyday that she had to change her hair.
“The very first video shoot I did as a Spice Girl for Wannabe, the stylists took one look at my hair and told me it had to be straightened,” the pop star said.
“My big hair didn’t fit the pop star mould. But I stood my ground – backed by my girls – and I sang and danced as me, with my big hair, my brown skin and I was totally proud of who I was.
“So yes, I’m proud to support World Afro Day in its call for the Equality Act to protect against afro hair discrimination in the U.K.”
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