Kaisha-Wade is the Co-Founder of the Halo Collective, a social justice campaign aimed at ending hair discrimination against the African Caribbean community. She works to destigmatise afro hair in professional environments such as the work place and education establishments. Race-based hair discrimination has been illegal in the UK since the Equalities Act became law in 2010, but the Halo Collective recognises it is still a really big problem. 

With one in five black women feeling societal pressure to straighten their hair for work and 58% of black students experiencing name-calling or uncomfortable questions about their hair at school, the Halo Collective has understandably been an extremely impactful initiative. 

Kaisha-Wade started the organisation in 2020 with four others, and it has since grown to a committee of 20. The launch event at Sutton High School, was covered by many news outlets such as the BBC, the Telegraph, LBC and the Daily Mail. 

She describes her role as “very demanding” and something she balances alongside her studies.

She facilitates meetings with headteachers, HR personnel, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion leaders and other management professionals about the importance of implementing frameworks for inclusion and diversity within professional environments. She does this by conducting interactive, engaging educational sessions about the history of afro hair, anti-black systems of discrimination and their influence. 

Her work has included consulting for the Parliamentary Equalities Act Review, July 2020. Employers can adopt the ‘Halo Code’ to ensure black employees won’t face barriers because of their afrotextured hair. Unilever UK became the first employer to adopt the code, along with major supermarkets including Sainsbury’s and fashion retailers such as New Look and Marks & Spencer. They have also received funding from organisations including Children in Need and some Magic Circle law firms, including Linklaters. 

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has alsannounced his support for the campaign, and at press time approximately 850 schools and workplaces had pledged to adopt the code.

“In policy-making, lobbying, or in marketing and PR.”