The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. sent a letter to the Fédération Internationale de Natation (“FINA”), the sole and exclusive world governing body for water sports and the regulatory body recognized by the International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) with concerns regarding FINA’s recent decision to deny the use of swimming caps designed for natural Black and/or afro hair textures and styles in competition, including at the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. LDF’s letter to FINA outlines: 1) the history and implications of hair discrimination which serve to exclude Black people from participation in society; 2) LDF’s general concerns with FINA’s conduct regarding swimwear that accommodates natural Black and/or afro hair textures and styles; 3) suggest opportunities to promote inclusion in swim and urge FINA to permit swim caps that accommodate natural Black and/or afro hair textures and styles in its competitive events and trainings.
Read the full letter here.
###
Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
