By Chiann Nobrega SYRACUSE, NEW YORK (NCC News) – New York has become the second state, following California, to end discrimination based on hairstyles.
On July 12, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that amends New York’s current Human Rights Law. A person can not be fired or overlooked for a job because of his or her natural hair or texture.
Students are also protected by this bill. School officials can not be biased towards a student because of their hairstyle.
Rachelle Dickerson, the director of external relations for New York state division of human rights, does not see the problem in allowing people to wear their natural hair.
“I think it allows people to just be themselves and not have to conform to someone else’s standards of beauty,” Dickerson said. “I think that it’s just letting people know that it’s okay to wear your hair in its natural state. There’s no crime there. There’s no bad karma or any bad stigma associated with that.”
Syracuse resident, Christine Fasuyi, believes this new law will open more opportunities for people.
“I know a lot of the times people with dreads don’t get accepted into certain jobs just because of the hairstyle they have,” Fasuyi said. “I hope this helps them so they will not be discriminated against any longer.”
