Black hair in all its forms is integral to Black culture. As Black women in America have embraced their hair and the various locs, braids and twists it can be molded into, representation of Black culture and subsequently Black hair can be seen more and more across different forms of media.
Beyond this representation, though, America seems to be falling short.
Conducted in 2019, The CROWN Research Study is a survey that interviewed Black and non-Black women who were employed in an office or sales setting or had been employed in a corporate office in the past six months.
The study found that Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair. In addition to this, Black women are 83% more likely to report being judged more harshly on looks than other women. The study also concluded that Black women’s hair is 3.4 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional.
While workspaces are evolving to be more innovative and progressive, they are still being held back by dated perceptions that are rooted in a cruel history of policing Black people’s bodies.
Enter the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. Passing the House of Representatives on March 18 and now moving onto the Senate, the act seeks to “ban race-based hair discrimination in employment and in federal programs like public housing,” according to Glamour.
“In other words, your boss wouldn’t be allowed to ban bantu knots under the guise of ‘professionalism,’” the Glamour article continued.
In a world dominated by white beauty standards, no aspect of society remains unaffected – including the professional world. However the discrimination manifests itself – whether it be ignorant “micro”-aggressions targeting Black hair or outright refusal of employment – Black women across the country can relate to feeling ostracized for expressing their individuality through their hair.
Even freshman Lizzie Harrison feels it.
Despite not currently having a job, Harrison has experienced unwanted attention when it comes to her hair. “There have been multiple incidents with friends when it comes to my natural hair, and they have all put a strain on my relationships,” she said. “I also feel like when it comes to having white friends and having natural hair, [my friends] play with my hair like it’s a toy.”
As someone who uses their hair as a form of expression, Harrison finds such interactions disheartening. “Having my type of hair does express who I am as a person. It shows the uniqueness of my everyday life and how I live it,” she continued. “I try to express my hair type in many different ways like having braids, doing twist outs and straightening my hair.”
When Harrison ultimately enters the working world, she hopes to embrace her hair in all its forms – something the CROWN Act will enable her to do without consequence. “In the future, I would want to embrace my hair and be able to go in a workplace and feel worthy enough,” she said.
But while the CROWN Act is a law in a mere 12 states, it is not a law in Iowa.
Tia Hicks, Pleasant Valley Junior High dean of students, is a Black professional who recognizes the importance of such an act. “I’ve read the articles; I haven’t experienced [hair-based discrimination] personally, but I feel like when one person in my community [is discriminated against], it’s too many,” she said.
In the PVCSD, the vast majority of the staff and student body is white – and for the few Black students and staff in the district, legislation such as the CROWN Act is critical in making them feel seen and valued.
Hicks continued, “I wear my hair so many different ways, and I get lots of questions about it that I’m not accustomed to, really, because [I] used to live in a more diverse area, so it wasn’t a huge thing,” she said. “I do wear my hair in braids, I’ve worn twists, I wear my afro sometimes, I even wear wigs, I wear headwraps, so I do use it as a form of expression, but also, it’s fashion.”
With the CROWN Act being passed on a national level, Black women will no longer have to worry about disparities in acceptance of their hair when relocating. Whether lacking diversity or not, no place of employment will have the ability to turn qualified Black women away based on racist notions regarding their hair.
Hicks further explained that though such discrimination may not always be overt, it is ever-present in the fabric of our community. “We don’t always know when we’re being discriminated against because those things happen behind closed doors, so I think that [this act is] necessary in that sense, as well.”
As this act moves through the legislative process, Black women around the nation like Harrison and Hicks are hopeful. If passed, the CROWN Act has the ability to play a part in shifting a national narrative that polices Black bodies. On an even broader scale, the act sends a message of inclusion to any human who has ever felt othered for expressing their true self.
There comes a time when meager representation is no longer sufficient – if it ever was. The ability to express one’s identity should not be a privilege. So in a seemingly ever-evolving work landscape, this legislation has never been more necessary. Black women need not be left behind any longer.
