Community Corner
Black Actress Sues American Repertory Theater In Cambridge For Race Discrimination Over Hair Styling
"The damage is indescribable. It is cataclysmic," actress Nike Imoru explained. "In fact, it doesn't grow back."
Updated on: February 20, 2026
A Black actress has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University's American Repertory Theater in Cambridge for racial discrimination, saying her scalp was left permanently damaged from an unqualified hair stylist.
Find out what's happening in Cambridgefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Nike Imoru said that during the 2025 production of "The Odyssey," she was required to have cornrows installed. However, she said that the company did not hire a licensed hair stylist, instead it had a backstage worker style her hair. She said this violated the contractual obligation the theater has with the Actors' Equity Association.
"The damage is indescribable. It is cataclysmic," Imoru explained. "In fact, it doesn't grow back."
Find out what's happening in Cambridgefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Imoru said that she developed non-scarring alopecia from the incident/Nike Imoru/CBS
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