TED ANTALYA COLLEGE 8th GRADE (A LEVEL) WEEKEND HOMEWORK 5th March

VOCABULARY: Find and match the definitions of the words. heritage(noun) the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation—usually singular racial(adjective) relating to or based on race stigmatize(verb) to describe or regard (something, such as a characteristic or group of people) in a way that shows strong disapproval underappreciated(adj) Not valued or appreciated highly enough. qualified(adj) capable All Hair Is Created Equal Kerion Washington applied for a job at Six Flags Over Texas in March 2019.But the 17-year-old was turned down.The decision had nothing to do with his interview or whether he was qualified.So why didn't the amusement park hire him?Believe it or not, it was because of his hairstyle.The length and style didn't violate any of the company's employee guidelines.But the African American teen was told that to get the job he'd need to cut off his dreadlocks.Kerion Washington is just one of many people who've faced this kind of injustice. You might have seen news stories about African Americans facing similar situations: Students being turned away from schools. Athletes being disqualified from competitions. Professionals being passed over for promotions. And all because of how they style their hair. These incidents are examples of hair discrimination. And there's a whole lot more at stake than the freedom to follow the latest fashion trends. Hair discrimination affects people's civil rights. It's considered a form of racial discrimination. And some places now have specific laws against it.In July 2019, California passed the CROWN Act.It has a goal of Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair.The law makes itillegalfor the state's employers and public schools to ban black hairstyles, including braids, twists, and dreadlocks.New York passed a similar law soon after that.It's important to know why these laws were put in place.To do that, you need to wrap your head around how schools and employers are allowed to treat people.First off, dress codes are a legal thing.Schools and employerscanmake rules about how students and employees can dress and wear their hair.(Yep, like it or not, your school has the right to decide whether you can show up to class in flip-flops.) But if the rules unjustly affect only certain groups of people, that's discrimination.For this reason, dress codes that don't allow hairstyles like Afros, cornrows, or dreadlocks are discriminatory.Although, technically, the rules apply to everyone, they mostly affect people of blackheritage.For one thing, these styles are an important part of black culture.For another, some people from other races can't wear these styles because their hair doesn't have the right texture for them.Why have dress codes banned these hairstyles? For a long time, they were underappreciated or even stigmatized. Hairstyles typically worn by people from other races were not. They were seen as more professional and appropriate for school and work. Because these attitudes were so common, black people often felt like they had to straighten their hair, even at places that didn't openly require it. That called for expensive treatments involving chemicals and heat, and a whole lot of time and effort. These expectations were an especially big burden for black women, many of whom may still feel pressured to straighten their hair even today. But head's up: All that's starting to change. The natural hair movement is made up of people who celebrate black hair's curly texture and take pride in its natural beauty. Social media has given power to the movement. It's helped build an online community of African Americans sharing haircare advice and styling expertise. #Naturalistas!One person who understands the importance of holding your head high and standing up for your rights is Kerion Washington. He didn't cut his hair for Six Flags. However, his career prospects are looking good. After his story spread on social media, lots of people showed him support. And his photo caught the eye of a talent scout for a modeling agency. Now he's on his way to becoming a professional model! New California law bans hairstyle discrimination 1. What is the main idea of the article? African Americans have been discriminated against because of how they style their hair, but that's changing thanks to the growing natural hair movement and laws such as the CROWN Act. Hairstyles typically worn by people from other races have been seen as more appropriate for school and work, prompting many black women to straighten their hair. Social media has given power to the natural hair movement and has helped build an online community of African Americans sharing haircare advice and styling expertise. Kerion Washington's story of discrimination was popular on social media, with a lot of people showing him support, including a talent scout for a modeling agency. 2. Which question is not answered by the Article? Why were some black hairstyles banned by student and employee dress codes? Why haven't all 50 states in the U.S. passed laws like California's CROWN Act? Why do some African Americans feel as though they have to straighten their hair even today? Why don't more people wear their hair in styles that are common in black culture? 3. According to the Article, why have dress codes banned African American hairstyles like Afros, cornrows, or dreadlocks? Hairstyles typically worn by people from other races were seen as more professional and appropriate for school and work. African Americans felt more comfortable straightening their hair, even at places that didn't openly require it. Schools and employers are allowed to make rules about how certain groups of people can dress and wear their hair. Not everyone can wear these hairstyles, since most people from other races don't have the right hair texture for them. 4. What would you do to cope with discrimination?