All Things Hair Stands Up to Be Counted in Support of Petition to Protect Afro Textured Hair

- 55,000+ signatories petition to amend UK Equality Act

- All Things Hair interviews Don't Touch My Hair author Emma Dabiri

- 95% of School Hair Survey respondents support hair-based legislation  

LONDON, July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- All Things Hair is supporting writer/broadcaster Emma Dabiri to petition for the protection of Afro textured hair in UK law, through an interview on the importance of natural hair. The petition calls for explicit protection for Afro hair under the 2010 Equality Act. The School Hair Survey 2019 reports that 95% of respondents are in favour of such legislation.

16.6% of children has had a bad/very bad experience at school with their Afro-textured hair and identity. 41% of children, meanwhile, prefer/want to have straight Caucasian/Asian hair. That compares to 68% for adult respondents. Attitudes are changing, but not fast enough.

That's where Emma's petition comes in. The Don't Touch My Hair author discussed her natural hair journey with All Things Hair, commenting,

"We've been conditioned for centuries to think that there is something wrong with our hair... that it's a flaw, something to disguise, to hide and be ashamed of."

Emma's natural hair journey began when she was pregnant and decided to stop chemically straightening her hair. It took a year before she was comfortable with her natural hair, having to relearn how to style and care for it.

It's a story that is familiar to many of those who have become part of the natural hair movement.

Amra Markic, Digital Editor at All Things Hair, points out the issues of negative perceptions:

"As a mixed-race person, being half black and white, you do struggle with accepting yourself and naturally feel at a disadvantage because of the past perceptions of race. You inherit the trauma that the generations before you experienced and feel like you aren't good enough. It's a constant battle, but luckily, we're living in a time where this trauma is being questioned and addressed."

For further information and to see Emma's interview, visit https://www.allthingshair.com/en-uk/, email or [email protected].

Editor's Notes

All Things Hair is part of the Unilever group of companies. Through in-depth articles, inspiration galleries and step-by-step tutorials from its specialist team, the company delivers easily accessible tips from some of the world's biggest hair care brands, including Dove, TRESemmé, Toni&Guy and VO5, along with up-to-the-minute hair news.