New York City makes Law about Hair Discrimination

Read about how New York City makes Law about Hair Discrimination (retrieved from NEWSELA, CODE:

AFSJGP):

 Throughout history, many black people have been treated unfairly because of their hair. They have faced discrimination for wearing certain hairstyles. Leaders in New York City say this is no longer allowed. They say it is against the law.

There is already a law in the city that bans discrimination. Discrimination is unfair treatment based on a person's race, religion or gender. It is illegal. City leaders said the same law also applies to hair. It is against the law to discriminate against someone because of their hairstyle.

Hair Is An Important Part Of Black Identity

The law protects all groups of people. It may especially protect people who have African ancestry, though. People in this group have often had their hair criticized. 

For hundreds of years, other groups have told black people they should dress and style their hair in certain ways. They were pressured to fit in. Many had to change how they looked. They had to it whether they wanted to or not. Today, many people view wearing their hair how they want as a way to fight back. For this reason, hairstyles are an important part of black identity. They are a part of who black people are.

Black People Have Been Punished For Their Hair

Image 2. A young girl with braids laughs with her friends. Braids such as these are a hairstyle traditionally worn by black people. Photo by: Verkeorg/Flickr

Still, many are discriminated against because of their hair. Recently, there have been a few famous cases. Governments, schools and businesses have tried to punish black individuals because of their hair. The public has fought back. 

The U.S. Department of Defense is one example. Five years ago, this government department made a rule. It said people in the army could not wear their hair in Afros, braids or twists. These are all black hairstyles. People complained. They said the rule was unfair. The department got rid of the rule soon after.

Another case took place in December. It had to do with a student named Andrew Johnson. He was competing in a wrestling match. But he was forced to cut his hair before he was allowed to wrestle. People protested this.

Change Your Hair Or Lose Your Job

A third example involved a TV anchor. Her name is Brittany Noble-Jones. She said she faced discrimination last year. She worked for a TV station in Jackson, Mississippi. Noble-Jones said wearing braids on TV got her fired from her job. Her employers disagreed. The station said that she was not fired because of her hair. 

Image 3. The activist Angela Davis (center?width=750&compression=85) wore her hair in an Afro style as a physical symbol of the fight against racism. Photo by: George Louis/Wikimedia

Similar cases have been reported all across the United States.  New York City leaders said they are looking into seven cases involving black workers. Some said they were told to wear their hair a different way. Their employers said they would be fired if they did not change their hair. 

You Have The Right To Look Like Yourself

Noliwe Rooks is a professor. She teaches at Cornell University in New York. She said hair should be protected by the law. 

It is not about fitting in, Rooks said. It is about the right to be and look like yourself, without being treated badly.

"I'm proud how hair grows out of my head," she said.

UN says US Government needs to do more for race relations

Read about how the UN feels about race relations in the US (retrieved from NEWSELA: code: AFSJGP):

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Slavery was an awful part of U.S. history. Millions of black people were taken from Africa. They were kept as slaves. They were forced to do whatever their masters wanted.

The United Nations (U.N.) helps countries work together. Not long ago, a group of U.N. officials met. They spoke with many African-Americans. They talked about how the United States can make up for slavery. They say reparations must be made to slaves' descendants. Reparations can be money, an apology or other things. 

Group Calls For Memorials To Be Built

The group said the United States should tell the truth. It should acknowledge that the trans-Atlantic slave trade was terrible. The trans-Atlantic slave trade lasted for 400 years. More than 17 million Africans were taken from their homes and families. About 400,000 were brought on ships to the United States. Then they were sold as slaves and forced to work on farms called plantations. The U.N. group said that the U.S. should build memorials to honor these slaves. 

The group shared its ideas in a report. The members were upset by the way African-Americans are still treated today. Many African-Americans feel left out because of the color of their skin. They do not feel that they are treated the same. 

Reminders Of A Terrible Past

Not long ago two African-American men were killed by police. They were Michael Brown and Eric Garner. They died in different cities. Neither man had a gun or weapon. The way they died brings up the past, the group said. It reminds people of the killing of African-American men years ago. Many people were upset by the way Brown and Garner died. They feel that police should treat African-Americans fairly. Many people started saying Black Lives Matter.   

None of the people in the working group are from the United States. They learned that African-American men are much more likely to go to prison than whites. Some were shocked. The group thinks that the police sometimes target African-Americans because of their race. They said this is not fair. The group said this problem must be fixed.

Religious persecution in Myanmar

 Read about religious persecution in Myanmar (retrieved from NEWSELA):

The Rohingya Muslims are a group in Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia. The Rohingya are treated very poorly. Recently, their situation has gotten worse. 

Last week, the United Nations criticized the government of Myanmar. The United Nations is also known as the U.N. It is made up of representatives from nearly every country. 

Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein works for the United Nations. He fights for the fair treatment of all people. Ra’ad al-Hussein called what is happening to these Muslims "ethnic cleansing." This is when certain people are killed or forced out of a country because of their religion or background. 

Muslim Group Being Pushed Out

Al-Hussein said Myanmar's military is scaring the Rohingya away. Buddhist villagers are helping the government.  These groups are burning Rohingya villages.

The Rohingya Muslims have faced mistreatment for hundreds of years. They are not popular. Still, more than a million Rohingya had lived in part of Myanmar since the late 1970s. 

Refugees Flee Myanmar To Bangladesh

In the past month, close to half of all the Rohingya have escaped. They have gone to Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the country next to Myanmar. When they get to Bangladesh, the Rohingya stay in refugee camps. Refugees are people who had to leave their country because of violence. 

Food is hard to find at the refugee camps in Bangladesh. The people trying to help are tired. It is currently a time of year called Monsoon season. The area is getting a lot of rain. 

People across the world are worried about the Rohingya Muslims. Many people thought Myanmar had become a free country.

Rohingya Not Counted As Citizens 

Myanmar's government doesn't count the Rohingya as citizens. This means they do not enjoy the freedoms others have.

Aung San Suu Kyi is an important leader in Myanmar. She won a Nobel Peace Prize years ago for her efforts to change her country. 

Last week, Suu Kyi was supposed to attend the U.N. General Assembly. This is the yearly meeting of all U.N. members. Instead, she stayed in Myanmar. She gave a speech there. People who support the basic rights of the Rohingya were disappointed. 

For a long time, people in Myanmar did not have many freedoms. That started to change in 2010. The world cheered for Suu Kyi. She spent years working hard to bring a free government to Myanmar. 

President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have visited Suu Kyi in Myanmar. Myanmar had an election in 2015. Most people voted for Suu Kyi. 

Government Power Struggle In Country

Suu Kyi is not president, though. The old government created rules to keep her from having that power.

The military is still in charge of Myanmar. They could replace her if she goes against their plans. 

Soe Win, a 10th-grade teacher, said the armed forces have killed Rohingya Muslims. "We were all watching."

Rohingya families have been crossing the Naf River. It separates the countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh. 

One group gathered on the banks of the Naf. They looked at the smoke rising from the fields they once called home. They are doubtful of what lies ahead.

Soccer on U.S. soil brings refugees together

 Read about how refugees unite over soccer (retrieved from NEWSELA):

FULLERTON, Calif. — Sahin Sarwari takes a moment to look around.

There is a lush soccer field, cloudy skies, rows of homes and a Target store nearby.

“Peaceful here,” the 15-year-old said. “Very nice.”

Sahin, his parents and five brothers are refugees from Afghanistan. They have been in the country for about a month. Refugees are people who leave their countries to escape war or other problems.

On a Saturday morning, he came to the field in Fullerton with two of his younger brothers. They went as part of a fundraiser by the Tiyya Foundation. The foundation helps refugees feel at home in their new place.

For Sahin, the suburban neighborhood is very different from Kabul where he grew up.

A New Life In California

“In Kabul, there are no good schools,” says the teen, now in his first year at Loara High School in Anaheim, California. “(Back home), there are no parks to play. There is no security.”

On this day, he and his brothers are playing soccer for the first time. They had only watched it on television before.

Tiyya Foundation’s soccer program helps children. It helps them make new friends. These children are mostly from war-torn families. The families came to the United States to begin new lives, said co-founder Meymuna Hussein-Cattan.

She's One Of Them

Hussein-Cattan said she understands what these families face. She came here from an Ethiopian refugee camp in Somalia in 1984. She was 5 years old.

She started the soccer program in the summer of 2011. Sixty-four children signed up right away.

The children and grown-ups at the field are from many different countries.

Soccer brings them together, Hussein-Cattan said.

The foundation takes the children to the Fullerton field for games. The program serves as a meeting place not just for the children, but for parents as well.

Fitting In

Baydaa Alkhalidi of Anaheim came to the U.S. two years ago from Egypt. She said she loves to watch her two boys play. 

“It’s healthy for them,” she said. “When we come here, we get to see other people. Playing with other children gives my sons the feeling that they are part of a community.”

Alkhalidi and her family left their hometown of Baghdad, Iraq, in 2006. It was getting dangerous with bombings. They moved to Cairo, Egypt, and remained there until 2 1/2 years ago.

“We went through a lot,” she said. “But when we come here and see, we understand we are not alone. Many others have gone through the same struggle.”

Solitary Confinement Issues

 Read about Solitary Confinement Issues in Prisons (retrieved from NEWSELA):

In 2010, a teen named Kalief Browder was accused of stealing a backpack. He was 16 years old. Kalief was put in jail in New York. Other prisoners and guards beat him up. He was hurt very badly. Kalief also spent almost two years in solitary confinement. He was locked up alone for 23 hours a day.

In 2013, Kalief was released. He never went on trial. He went to college. Yet he never was able to recover from his time in jail. One Saturday, he killed himself at home. He was just 22 years old.

Too many prisoners, like Kalief, live in solitary confinement. What happens is heartbreaking. It is why my government is working to solve this problem.

In A Tiny Cell

About 100,000 people are in solitary confinement in U.S. prisons. This number includes teens. It also includes people with mental health problems. As many as 25,000 prisoners live months or years alone in a tiny cell. They almost never see other people.

Solitary confinement can have terrible, lasting results. People in solitary confinement can become sad and lonely. They may stay away from other people. They can become violent.  Prisoners in solitary are more likely to kill themselves, especially young people.

Also, ex-prisoners can have a hard time keeping jobs. They may not know how to live with their families. Some of them cannot even hug their children.

My most important job is to keep the American people safe. Solitary confinement does not make us safer.

Everyone Deserve A Second Chance

I asked the Justice Department a question. It is in charge of jails. I asked if too many prisoners are in solitary. The government department found that sometimes solitary is necessary. Sometimes prisoners must be kept separate to protect them. Other times, they must be kept separate to protect jail workers and other prisoners.

The Justice Department came up with ideas. Young people under 18 should not be in solitary confinement. Prisoners with mental health problems should get more help. Prisoners in solitary should spend more time outside of their cells. Also, only prisoners who do terrible things should be in solitary. Jail officials should use it only if they have to.

In America, everyone deserves a second chance. People make mistakes. They should be able to start over again. We need to give prisoners the hope of a better future. If we do this, our country will be safer and stronger.

Letter asks governments around the world to protect women activists

Read about women activists (retrieved from NEWSELA ):

March 8 was International Women's Day. 

That day, a letter was published in the Guardian newspaper. It asked governments to protect women activists. Women activists fight for human rights. They are trying to make the world better. Seventy-six people signed the letter. Many of them are very famous. 

One was Emma Watson. She is an actress. She played Hermione Granger in the "Harry Potter" movies. Watson is also an activist for women's rights. 

The letter says that women activists face danger when they speak out. It asks world leaders to protect them. All women need to be heard and respected. They have the right to make their own choices, it says. The letter asks governments to stop attacks on women activists. The signers also want more respect for women's rights groups.

The United Nations (U.N.) is an international group. Countries come together at the U.N. to protect human rights and solve global problems. The U.N. promised to protect women activists in 2013. Michel Frost reports about human rights defenders to the U.N. In February, he said women were facing more danger.

Being An Activist Can Be Dangerous

Frost said women activists face attacks. The danger comes not just from the government. They are also attacked by their communities. Activists can face danger even from their own families.

Some activists have even been killed. Berta Cáceres worked to protect the environment. Marielle Franco was a Brazilian official. They were both murdered for their activism. 

Helen Kezie-Nwoha said safety is a problem for women activists. She runs Isis-Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange. Her group records attacks against women's rights activists. It is based in Uganda, an African country.

Many well-known people signed the letter. They said now is a good time to fight the problems women face. Power is growing behind the #MeToo movement. Thanks to the #MeToo movement, more women are speaking out. They are sharing stories of being mistreated by men. 

Womankind Worldwide organized the letter signing. The group helps women's rights activists in Africa and Asia.

Fighting For Human Rights

Caroline Haworth runs Womankind Worldwide. She said the letter shows women around the world trying to help. Many people want to help women's rights activists. They are fighting for others. Growing problems in the world are also putting women's rights at risk.

Another letter was also published on International Women's Day. A group called One organized the letter signing. One fights for human rights. 

The letter was written to world leaders. Forty-five activists from 15 African countries signed it. They want more to be done to end the unfair treatment of women in African countries. The speed of change is not fast enough, they say.

Child Labor Used to Make Chocolate

 Read about issues with Child Labor and the Chocolate Industry (retrieved from: NEWSELA):

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some farms on the African continent force children to work. They grow cocoa beans. Then the farms sell cocoa to companies that make chocolate. 

Cocoa from forced child labor should not come to the United States, two U.S. lawmakers said. The cocoa should not be imported, they said. 

Ron Wyden is a lawmaker from Oregon. Sherrod Brown is a lawmaker from Ohio. They wrote a letter on July 16 about the problem. The letter was to the U.S. government.

Chocolate Companies Were Supposed To Stop Buying Cocoa

Government officials can block imported goods. They can stop things made by forced workers. The lawmakers wrote that there are reasons to block cocoa from Ivory Coast. It is a country in western Africa. It is the world's biggest cocoa maker.

The letter talked about a news story about cocoa farms. The story said big chocolate companies have not stopped child labor. The companies buy cocoa from Africa. They promised earlier to avoid child labor.

Blocking cocoa from the Ivory Coast could bring big changes. It would affect U.S. chocolate companies. The Ivory Coast makes about one-third of the world's cocoa.

The letter said children are forced to work on cocoa farms. Some imports were made with child labor, it said. The U.S. must do more to fight child labor, the letter said.

Some of the world's largest chocolate companies are part of it. Mars, Nestle and Hershey make chocolate. They promised to avoid buying cocoa from forced labor farms. That was in 2001.

Countries Say Child Labor Hurts Them

The forced work continues, though. It goes on in Ivory Coast and Ghana, another country on the African continent. A study by the U.S. government in 2015 looked at cocoa farms there. It said more than 2 million children worked there. Most worked on family farms. Thousands of other children are taken from neighboring countries, though. They are made to work on the farms. They are not paid.

Chocolate companies are not fixing the problem, the lawmakers said. Watching themselves does not work. The past 20 years have shown that, the letter said.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the president of Ghana. He said farmers make much less money than chocolate companies. That is not fair, he said. 

Some blame child labor on cocoa farmers being poor. The governments of Ghana and Ivory Coast said they would charge higher prices. Leaders say that will raise farmers' pay. They say it will cut the use of child labor.