The CROWN Act Is Gaining Traction, But There’s Work To Do
Hair is always a topic of discussion in the Black community, and with the age of the internet, there is more buzz about it, and this is why The Crown Act is so important. On March 18th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair). This Act will take large strides towards ending discrimination based on hair, hair texture of hairstyle.
Microaggressions
For many years, Black women and girls have faced discriminatory microaggression because of their natural Black hair. In many corporate spaces, leadership teams view Black hair as “unkempt” and “unprofessional.”This is mainly because it does not conform to eurocentric beauty standards. This reality has caused many Black people to stifle themselves by “taming” themselves so that they can fit in. In the past few years, conversations around Black hair have become awakened in society’s consciousness.
History
For centuries, Black people have viewed their hair as a jewel and a celebration of ancestral pride and history. The versatility and beauty of Black hair is an ode to the past and a toast to the future. To Black people, coils, braids, locs, and every single Black hairstyle is a stamp of authenticity and yore.
Recent Developments
The recent development with the CROWN Act sends a message that discrimination against Black hair is discrimination against Black people. Although the CROWN act addresses the history of anti-Black racism in the United States, Black society has a long way to go in eradicating the stigma that white society often associates with Black hair. A significant portion of American history is inundated with societal norms that equate the state of Blackness to inferiority.
Many of the great Civil Rights leaders would be ecstatic about the new development with the CROWN Act. Although The Crown Act it is something that we should all celebrate as a Civil Rights milestone, it doesn’t end here. Although a law can stop the discrimination of hair, there is no law against the micro-aggressions that Black people will continue to face beyond the CROWN Act. Like racism, it is something that Black society needs to address at the grassroots level in this continuum of American life.