Cultural Identity and Workplace Fairness: Legal Challenges in Hair Discrimination Cases
Abstract
This paper primarily addresses the courts' and society's prejudice against discrimination on race, with a particular focus on hair. Dreadlocks, a hairstyle deeply embedded in African tradition and representing their identity, have been met with pressure to be cut from society or specifically in workplace or schools. Despite their cultural significance and the fact that it shows their sense of belonging. While courts have sometimes affirmed such prejudices, the feelings of those discriminated against are rarely acknowledged and easy to identify. This paper will explore the details of two cases and the final court decisions, alongside personal insights, in order to raise greater awareness of this issue. This article will especially focus on the CROWN Act and Title VII being used for the final court decisions by exploring and analyzing two related cases. The gap between the inflexible final law decision and the reality of people facing discrimination against them.
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