FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2025
Contacts:
Assefash Makonnen, African Communities Together, assefash@africans.us
New York Bills Increase Access to a Professional License for State’s Hair Braiders
[S.5438/A.6592] will provide a fair and equitable pathway to licensing for hair braiders in New York.
ALBANY, NY. – Last week, Assembly Member Pamela J. Hunter (D. 128th A.D.) introduced a bill in the New York State Legislature that would champion much-needed reforms to New York’s natural hair styling license requirements. A.6592 and the previously introduced Senate Bill [S.5438], introduced by Senator Cordell Cleare (D-30), address challenges associated with obtaining a license to braid hair, including language access and burdensome training and testing requirements. The bills are strongly supported by local advocacy organization, African Communities Together (ACT), representing the interests of braiders in New York State.
New York State requires natural hair stylists, including braiders, to obtain a license from the Department of State in order to provide services like braiding, weaving, locking, and shampooing, for a fee. Currently, hair braiders are required to demonstrate five years of professional experience, complete 300 hours of instruction, sit a written and practical exam, and take a physical examination, in order to apply for a natural hair styling license. Many African braiders have practiced their craft for years, but are still not able to meet the requirements to achieve a license. These barriers force many braiders to work without a license, expose them to dangers like labor theft, the threat of law enforcement and ICE involvement, and make them unwilling to access social services and support in emergency situations.
[S.5438/ A.6592] provides a fair and equitable pathway to licensing by:
- Allowing anyone age 17 and older, who meets the criteria, to apply for a hair braiding license, for which the scope of practice is defined in the legislation;
- Requires individuals seeking a license to pass a practical skills assessment, given to applicants in their natural language;
- Establishes a training/education criteria of 40 hours (is currently 300 hours), with a primary focus on health and safety; and
- Requires all forms, materials, and skills assessments to be provided to applicants in their natural language.
“For government oversight to work, the underlying program must be fair, equitable, rational, and responsive,” said State Senator Cordell Cleare. “Hair Braiders in my District have spoken, and I trust them to know the facts on the ground as well as the best path forward to ensure that a skilled and loving practice passed down from generation to generation is not swamped in bureaucracy.”
"Hair braiding is more than a profession—it’s a cultural tradition, an economic lifeline, and a path to entrepreneurship for many New Yorkers, particularly African immigrant women,” said State Assembly Member Pamela Hunter. “The current licensing requirements impose unnecessary barriers that prevent talented braiders from legally practicing their craft and earning a livelihood. By streamlining the process and making it more accessible, this legislation ensures fairness while upholding health and safety standards. I’m proud to sponsor this bill and stand with our communities in advancing economic opportunity and dignity for all hair braiders in New York."
"Our African women members who are professional hair braiders are proud of the work they do. For many, it’s a craft they inherited from the women in their family and have been perfecting since they were children,” said Amaha Kassa, Executive Director of African Communities Together. “Unfortunately, the rules that New York imposes on braiders who want to practice their profession legally are unrealistic, unfair, and irrelevant. We stand with our community members in asking New York state to knock down these barriers and pave the way for braiding to become a safer, more accessible, and dignified profession.”
African Communities Together and Takeroot Justice previously released, “Licensing a Legacy: African Hair Braiders’ Vision for Reforming Professional Licensure in New York City,” a collaborative report that illustrates the significant barriers hair braiders face to obtaining the Natural Hair Styling license. The report documents the largest known survey of New York’s professional hair braiders, a sector that employs thousands of women, most of them immigrants from Africa.
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About African Communities Together
African Communities Together is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for African families in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT connects African immigrants to critical services, helps Africans develop as leaders, and organizes African immigrant communities on the issues that matter.
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