Miami Beach adopts ordinance banning hairstyle discrimination
Florida's Miami Beach adopted an ordinance Wednesday banning “race-based hair discrimination” in housing, employment and access to public services and facilities.
Miami Beach, Florida, adopted an ordinance Wednesday banning race-based hair discrimination in housing, employment and access to public services and facilities.
The City Commission voted unanimously to prohibit discriminatory practices "based on the texture or style of a person's hair," the city said in a news release Wednesday.
"The new ordinance applies in cases where hair is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin, such as Black communities," it said.
“It’s unacceptable in 2022 that Black Americans and other minorities still face discrimination based on something so trivial as whether or not they have textured or curly hair,” Vice Mayor Alex Fernandez said in a statement. “This serves to protect cultural identity and not have to worry about sacrificing who you are in Miami Beach.”
The city's human rights ordinance had already prohibited discrimination based on a number of characteristics, including weight and height. The protections will now be expanded to include hair texture and styles.
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