New York is becoming the second state to ban discrimination based on hair. On Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill amending the state's Human Rights Law to outlaw racial discrimination based on hairstyles like braids, Bantu knots, twists and locs.
The measure also updates the definition of race used in existing laws. It expands on the definition of race by adding "traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles." California is the other state outlawing hairstyle discrimination.