For Black women, the personal is political. And how we wear our hair is no different.
Time and time again, Black hair has been policed and politicized. We’ve seen this play out in schools and in the workplace, where Black folks have been criminalized, punished, or overlooked in personnel decisions just for how our hair grows out of our head. This has led many of us to use chemical hair relaxers — products to straighten our hair — to advance socially and economically.
As a result, manufacturers of chemical straighteners have made massive profits, but some studies have found potentially serious health consequences — like uterine cancer — associated with these products.
This is shameful and unacceptable. That’s why Congresswoman Shontel Brown and I called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the safety of these products.
And I have good news to share: The FDA just announced a proposal to ban certain harmful chemicals in hair straightening products. This is a huge win for public health — especially the health of Black women who are disproportionately put at risk by these products as a result of systemic racism and anti-Black hair sentiment.
Regardless of how we wear our hair, we should be allowed to show up in the world without putting our health at risk. Add your name to say you support the FDA’s proposal to protect the health and safety of people who use chemical hair straighteners.
The politicization of Black women’s hair is an issue that is deeply personal to me.
After I revealed my alopecia diagnosis in 2020, I made the decision to show up in the world bald rather than wear a wig. It was a transformation that was not of my choosing, but one that I have chosen to stand in, unapologetically.
That’s why I’ll keep advocating for policies that ban race-based hair discrimination and affirm our right to show up in the world as our full, authentic selves. Because no matter how we wear our hair or show up in the world, we should be able to do so without putting our health at risk.
The FDA’s proposal is a testament to the power of having Black women represented in Congress. We must make it a reality, because manufacturers cannot keep making a profit at the expense of our health.
It’s important for us to show that the public is calling on the government to ensure the products that Black women use are safe. If you agree the FDA should finalize this rule without delay, add your name right away >>
Yours in service,
Ayanna
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Paid for by the Committee to Elect Ayanna Pressley
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