Natural,Afro-textured hairhas been the subject of stigmatization for centuries.

In 2020, the law was passed by theHouse of Representativesand is one step closer to being implemented nationwide.

And this fight for equality isn’t unique to the United States.

portrait of south african activist zulaikha patel wearing colorful eye shadow and large gold hoop earrings

Their protests garnered media attention, which prompted an investigation by thedepartment of education.

Meanwhile, less substantial evidence revealed that Black students at the school were hindered from using their native languages.

The work to end hair discrimination globally is far from finished.

Zulaikha Patel wearing a black and white printed dress. She is laughing. Her hair is in an afro pulled on top of her head

Courtesy Zulaikha Patel

“Our hair now symbolizes the one thing that they cannot take away from us.

“I’ve seen a shift whereby all [types of] Afros are being celebrated.

There isn’t just one blueprint for Black hair,” she says.

Portrait of Zulaikha Patel with her hair in an Afro. She is wearing a dress in a traditional South African print

Courtesy Zulaikha Patel

White supremacy can sustain itself, even in places with a Black majority population.

The programming is real, intense, and devastating.

[As it stands now in South Africa] you have to buy Black-owned products online.”

Throughout the book, she learns about styling her hair in styles from different African cultures.

“It’s about time we stop allowing people to silence us.”

Patel continues to build her legacy to this day.

Like many of us, she used the time to look inward.

What Patel is fighting for is not just a “hair issue.”

Much like Patel, we also must continue to push globally to uproot racism wherever we see it.

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