NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — New Jersey tech school will expand its cosmetology program to include instruction on the theory and practice of styling Black and other textured hair types, New Jersey attorney general Mathew J. Platkin announced on Monday.
Platkin with the Division on Civil Rights (DCR) announced the agreement with the Gloucester County Vocational-Technical School District which will ensure that the Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) will expand its cosmetology program to be more inclusive.
The agreement aims to promote the availability of hair styling services to cater to individuals with Black and textured hair, the statement read.
Under the agreement, the school district, which oversees GCIT, has pledged to "maintain a sufficient number of mannequins with all hair types and textures, including Black and other textured hair." It has also committed that a minimum of 20% of its mannequins will showcase Black hair.
Students will be educated, irrespective of their racial or ethnic backgrounds, on the theory and practical application of styling all hair types. It will also instruct students on "DCR's guidance on race discrimination in hairstyles."
The agreement comes after an investigation into allegations of racial discrimination in the school's cosmetology program. Specifically, it was alleged that GCIT did not mandate non-Black students to acquire skills that would help them with Black and other textured hair types. Additionally, there were concerns about the insufficiency of mannequins that would allow students to practice on textured hair.
"New Jerseyans should be confident that cosmetology programs in our state are adequately preparing all students to be able to cut and style all hair types and textures," Platkin said. "Today's agreement provides an important baseline for how cosmetology schools across our State can create more inclusive programs and better serve cosmetology patrons who have historically been marginalized or denied service."
The initiative is an extensive effort to confront historic racial inequities through the Department's actions. Enacted in 2019, the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act, or the CROWN Act clarifies that race discrimination under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination encompasses discrimination based on hair traits linked historically with race.
