Black women may be getting singled out for extra screening at airports because of their hair, it has been claimed.
Full-body scanners at airports are frequently giving false alarms for Afros, braids, twists and other hairstyles popular among black women.
The women who have been subjected to such searches have raised complaints about possible discrimination.
The machines used for full body scans are alleged to trip an alarm if tresses are deemed too thick.
This results in the passenger being pulled to the side and undergoing a hair pat-down.
The TSA’s website says they are looking for ‘explosives and improvised explosives device components’ when taking a close look through tresses.
In one report, an anonymous TSA worker admitted they find themselves carrying out pat-downs on women of colour due to their hairstyle choice.
A government report in 2014 found that the machines also “had a higher false alarm rate when passengers wore turbans and wigs.”
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