As a resident of New Haven and a staunch advocate for inclusivity, I’m writing to share the rationale behind my unwavering support for S.B. 178 — An Act Requiring The Education and Training of Barbers, Hairdressers, and Cosmeticians to Include Working With Textured Hair.
This bill is much more than just a piece of legislation; it serves as a marker of progress towards equality in the realm of beauty and beyond. For too long, curly and kinky hair textures have been marginalized, and they’ve been treated as an afterthought in cosmetology education.
The momentum for this bill is steadily growing. New York, Louisiana, and New Jersey have already taken decisive steps towards ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their hair type, have access to quality hair care services. Connecticut must follow suit. S.B. 178 addresses a glaring deficiency in the current cosmetology curriculum by ensuring that all beauty professionals are proficient in working with a diverse array of hair textures. This bill would ensure that all professionals are trained through their standard curriculum to work with various curl and wave patterns, hair strand thicknesses, and hair volumes.
The struggle is incredibly real for individuals with textured hair. Too often, we encounter difficulties in finding stylists who properly understand our unique needs. The consequences of this lack of education are tangible for customers: higher costs and lower satisfaction rates.
The root of this issue lies in historical exclusion and bias within the beauty industry. Two national hair bias reports from TRESemmé in 2020 revealed that 86% of Black women said that they “…had challenges finding consistent, quality hair care at salons.”
And when they do find these stylists, they often have much higher costs associated with these services because of the negative connotations surrounding textured hair and the “skills” needed to “tame” it. These associations are extremely harmful. Any specialist who has been trained to improve appearance and self-esteem should not see themselves as “taming” hair.
Furthermore, the isolation of these “skills” needed for textured hair in the first place is due to the fact that its representation has historically been excluded from the general curriculum, which forces cosmetology students to seek additional training if they want to work with diverse hair types (which can be a barrier for many because it requires extra resources — funding, time, access).
This absence in education negatively affects customers and stylists alike. More expansive, inclusive training will ensure that specialists are not disadvantaged because they will have equal access to the skills needed to make a living and explore their passions, and it will ensure that the customers are not disadvantaged because they can be certain they are paying a fair price for a service that everyone should be entitled to.
This issue is very important to me, personally, because I’ve experienced and witnessed the effects of bias against kinkier textures firsthand. It is not just about aesthetics, it’s about identity and self-worth.
Bias against curly and coily hair textures is one of the most well-documented and pervasive forms of race-based discrimination in the U.S; it seeps into all aspects of life — at school, at work (where Black women are 80% more likely to alter their natural hair to “fit in” at the office), in sports, and even just in general daily life.
It’s been reported that 86% of Black teenagers started experiencing discrimination based on their hair by the age of 12. Our Black youth have their innocence and confidence marred by something so personal and intrinsic. No one should be made to feel like the hair that naturally grows out of their head is “bad” or “unruly.” This bill is a huge step to ensuring that these sentiments are eradicated by educating and empowering cosmeticians to provide their services to all ranges of people, and by enabling people with textured hair to enter virtually any salon with the knowledge that they will be taken care of.
S.B. 178 is not just about hair; it’s about dismantling systemic inequities and promoting inclusivity. We can ensure that beauty professionals are equipped to serve clients of all backgrounds. This isn’t just a win for certain consumers; it’s a powerful catalyst for professional growth and empowerment within the beauty industry.
Embracing textured hair in this way is a celebration of diversity: curly, coily, and kinky textures reflect a rich collection of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. By embracing these diverse textures, Connecticut will foster a more inclusive and vibrant community. By supporting this legislation, we can affirm our commitment to equality and empowerment.
I urge policymakers and advocates to seize this opportunity to enact meaningful change. Together we can break down these barriers and pave the way for a more inclusive future.
Gia Cook is a student at Yale University in New Haven.