NAACP Lawsuit Demands Justice For Black Women Exposed To Harmful Hair Relaxers

Hair relaxers have been linked to several cancers and the NAACP and Singleton Schreiber are holding corporations accountable.

The NAACP and leading civil rights law firm Singleton Schreiber have joined forces to pursue a lawsuit that will hold major beauty corporations accountable for the billions of dollars that have been made by marketing the chemical hair relaxers, also known as “perms,” to Black women and other women of color.

According to a press release from the NAACP, the infamous relaxers that have been used as hair straighteners have been linked to several health issues, including uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, uterine fibroids, and procedures such as a hysterectomy, myomectomy or endometrial ablation. Major beauty corporations like Soft Sheen-Carson LLC and others have allegedly failed to disclose the health risks associated with using their products, and NAACP General Counsel Janette McCarthy Wallace said the civil rights organization will “use all its legal might to seek justice from those companies that have profited while these beauty products harmed Black women.”

Danielle Ward Mason, partner at Singleton Schreiber, believes the law firm’s partnership with the NAACP reflects its mission to protect Black women’s health and rights.

“By holding these companies accountable, we’re sending a strong message that corporations profiting at the expense of women’s health will face justice,” Ward Mason said.

As part of the campaign, Singleton Schreiber published a video highlighting the “poison” behind the catchy jingles and boxes decorated with the faces of young Black girls and women flaunting straight hairstyles. The information NAACP advocates and the law firm claim consumers weren’t privy to was that opening a box of the once popular straightening solution for curly-haired women exposed them to a group of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors. Referencing a clip from “Good Hair” (2009), a scientist explained the effects of sodium hydroxide, which is the main active ingredient in a lye relaxer. According to scientists, sodium hydroxide may burn the skin and cause bald spots if it penetrates the roots.

The press release notes the aggressive marketing approach companies have used to get these products in front of Black women, pushing Eurocentric standards that society has favored. The NAACP and Singleton Schreiber are “meeting the problem where it is,” demanding transparency and honesty about the chemicals being used in these products.

The campaign seeks to hold corporations accountable, compensate victims, and continue to raise awareness.