This October, Black History Month has been recognised across the country, aiming to highlight the rich history and cultural heritage of black communities. 

At The Tiffin Girls’ School, Black history month was celebrated through a series of events ranging from educational talks to lunchtime discos!

Food stalls were set up, with the tantalising scent of honey hot chicken wings and Southern baked mac and cheese wafting along the school corridors. 

A poster competition took place, with students competing to make the most informative and creative poster on an influential black figure who inspires them, through stories of resilience and activism. 

Among the many interesting talks presented, one notable discussion was presented by a year 12 student, who chose to hold a talk on hair discrimination. 

She emphasised the importance of raising awareness about this issue, which she believes "is not talked about much". 

Often, she argues, "When talking about discrimination, we tend to focus more on other things so I wanted to raise awareness".

In her talk, she aimed to "share the cultures in different countries with others", as she felt that doing so would "bring awareness about language that may be inappropriate when discussing others' hair". 

In 2022, guidelines from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) were shared with schools, with the intention to enact change regarding the ignorance to the problem of hair discrimination and enforce policy changes. 

This change highlighted that Race is a protected characteristic of the 2010 Equality Act, and therefore hairstyles worn because of cultural, family and social customs can be part of a pupil’s ethnic origin.  

However, policy changes are arguably not enough to undo the years of unrecognised hair discrimination that occurred.

According to the EHRC, such discrimination can cause a negative impact on a student’s mental health or wellbeing. 

A talk on hair discrimination in schools is an excellent example of how this issue can be addressed, as "educating people on different hair textures…helps us appreciate diversity". 

Lastly, breaking away from conventional beauty stereotypes and educating people about diverse hair textures and styles will ultimately "empower" individuals, helping them feel confident and embrace the beauty that makes them unique.