There are so many different days to celebrate so many different things from pizza to hats that’s its hard to keep up. But some celebration days are worth acknowledging. World Afro Day is one of them – and integrating it into FE spaces offers profound benefits.
This fairly new celebration came into being as a direct reaction to a discriminatory law passed on 15 September 2016 in Alabama, which allowed companies to deny jobs to people with dreadlocks. A year later to the day, the United Nations endorsed the first ever World Afro Day, and the movement is rightly gaining traction globally.
According to founder Michelle De Leon, “Black women in particular have been victims of both invisibility and hypervisibility at the same time in the workplace”.
In response, this day encourages Black people all over the world to wear their natural hair with pride. This year’s theme is “Fix the law and not our hair”.
Afro hair carries deep cultural, historical and political significance for Black communities. For many students, including those from the African and Caribbean diaspora, Afro hair is more than just an aesthetic; it is tied to their identity.
World Afro Day can serve as an opportunity for these students to feel recognised, validated and empowered. It also encourages the wider student population to engage with the rich heritage and cultural practices surrounding Afro hair.
This matters a great deal, because biases against Afro hair persist in education, workplaces and broader society. Students are still penalised or ridiculed for wearing their natural hair in its traditional styles.
For example, a teacher recently said about my friend’s ten-year-old son that “he seems more disruptive when he wears his hair in that style” (Afro). I suspect it was more likely the reaction the student got from his peers rather than his behaviour.
I also regularly hear staff referring to ‘normal’ hair to mean European, or describing a Black colleague as “the one with the crazy hair”. We haven’t progressed all that much from when teachers and children at my primary wanted to touch my hair and said it felt like Brillo pad.
Afro hair carries deep cultural, historical and political significance
College is a pivotal period in a young person’s life, when identity is shaped. For Black students, societal pressures around hair can have a profound impact on their mental wellbeing. Studies have shown that hair discrimination can lead to lower self-esteem and confidence, affecting overall academic performance.
That’s why celebrating World Afro Day should not be a one-off event but a springboard for wider work: reviewing anti-discrimination policies, training staff on racial sensitivity and ensuring dress codes don’t disproportionately affect Black students.
In 2019, Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form became one of the first schools in the UK to officially celebrate World Afro Day. The feedback from students was telling, particularly from those of African and Caribbean descent. All expressed a newfound pride in their hair and culture, and one even said it was the first time they’d felt truly comfortable wearing their hair naturally in an academic setting.
The school’s decision to celebrate World Afro Day also inspired other institutions to do the same. If you haven’t joined in the celebrations yet, here are some hints and tips for getting the most out of it.
My first tip is: You don’t have to wait until the next World Afro Day!
If you have a hair and beauty department, teach your students about the different forms of textured hair, particularly if they are learning and potentially working in diverse communities. This makes good business sense for all your students.
Invite guest speakers who have expertise in this area to talk to your students and train your staff.
Ensure your dress code is not indirectly discriminating against Black students because of Eurocentric notions of what is professional, acceptable or ‘normal’.
When you see or interact with someone with Afro-textured hair, don’t stare and NEVER ask to touch it. This is “othering”, embarrassing and potential triggering and harmful.
And finally, inform yourself. The Story of Afro Hair by Kandace Chimbiri is an excellent place to start.
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