An update on our campaign against Afro hair discrimination

It is with great excitement that we are able to announce the latest update regarding our campaign against Afro hair discrimination. 

As you will be aware, on 19th October 2021, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Race Equality in Education and the Halo Collective joined forces with a variety of organisations and individuals, to send a co-signed letter from Kim Johnson MP, asking the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to do more to eradicate Afro hair discrimination. 

On 8th December 2021 Kim Johnson MP (Officer of the APPG for Race Equality in Education), L’myah Sherae (Founder of the APPG for Race Equality in Education), Stephanie Cohen and Thalia Papanicolaou (Co-founders of the Halo Collective), met with Marcial Boo (CEO of the EHRC), alongside two additional colleagues from the EHRC. The discussion was centred on how we can work together to create, strengthen, and expand online guidance about Afro hair discrimination, and there was consensus from the start that the EHRC were willing to collaborate with the APPG and the Halo Collective to tackle this issue. 

Therefore, we are delighted to announce that in the New Year, we will be working with the EHRC to look at how guidance against Afro hair discrimination can best be strengthened. The EHRC will also work with us on how improved guidance and information can be best communicated through creative approaches to give these issues a bigger platform.. We hope that improved advice will provide a tangible resource and protective mechanism for school children, parents and employees. And, we hope that this will also encourage organisations, schools and companies to review their policies to ensure that they are in keeping with the updated national guidance, and equalities law more specifically. There will be additional updates to come in the New Year, and we will endeavour to keep you informed as the work progresses. 

We would, of course, like to thank all of the individuals, organisations and brands who co-signed our letter to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the names of which are listed below. The support on social media has been incredible too, so we give our thanks to everyone who continues to help raise awareness about this very important issue.

Kim Johnson MP

Officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Race Equality in Education

L’myah Sherae

Founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Race Equality in Education

Stephanie Cohen

Co-Founder and Legal and Political Organiser of the Halo Collective

Co-signatories of original letter

1. Wera Hobhouse MP
2. Lord Simon Woolley
3. Emma Dabiri
4. Ruby Williams
5. The National Hair and Beauty Federation
6. The British Beauty Council
7. GLAMOUR Magazine
8. The Equality Act Review
9. Dove
10. Unilever
11. Pantene
12. Proctor & Gamble
13. Shea Moisture
14. Enact Equality
15. The Halo Collective
16. The Advocacy Academy
17. EqualiTeach
18. Diverse Educators