Secretary Hagel Addresses Unauthorized Hairstyles, Responds to Letter Sent by Women of the CBC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2014
Contact: Carrie Adams (202) 225-2661
Washington, D.C.— Today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel released a letter in response to the women of the Congressional Black Caucus who brought to his attention the discriminatory regulations regarding the Uniform Code and hair styles, particularly as it pertains to women of color (text of the letter can be found here).
“I’m very pleased that Secretary Hagel is beginning to address this issue in a serious way. We must ensure that our men and women in uniform are respected and that they find an inclusive environment in our Armed Forces,” said Congresswoman Lee. “As the daughter of a 25-year veteran, I understand uniform code and the need to have order, but what we saw in the most recent regulations was a step too far. I’m encouraged by this response, and I look forward to continuing this conversation and working to ensure that women of color are fully included in the United States military.”
The letter outlines concrete steps that the Department of Defense will take, and the letter reads in part:
“I have directed the Deputy Secretary of Defense to work with Service Secretaries and Military Chiefs to review their respective polices to address the issues raised in your letter. Specifically, I have directed that:
- Within the next 30 days, each Service will review the definitions of authorized and prohibited hairstyles contained in each of their respective policies and revise any offensive language.
- During the next three months, each Service will review their hairstyle policies as they pertain to African American women to ensure standards are fair and respectful of our diverse force, while also meeting our military service’s requirements.
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and currently serves as CPC Whip and Chair of the Task Force on Global Peace and Security.