This article is in partnership with CROWN Act.
Picture this: You just got your locs freshly twisted for an interview. You're looking sharp, slaying with your responses to questions, and your resume is amazing. You're a hit when talking with the team set to become your new coworkers. You then get a call that they want you for the job, but you'd need to get rid of the locs. Company policy.
Think this is a story from 1965? Nope.
In 2021, the issue of natural hair in the workplace shouldn't be, well, an issue, right? Consider a few key stats: According to the Dove CROWN Research Study, Black women are still 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair, and 80 percent have expressed that they agree with the statement that they've had to change their natural hair to "fit in at the office."
Companies have even been protected by law in banning locs in the workplace, and there have been recent cases of schools dismissing or targeting students with braids, locs, or other natural styles deemed to be against policy or inappropriate. Talk about oppressive politics that teeter on the line of outright racism.
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Well, a coalition of advocates, legal professionals, and politicians has been successful in combating the bully that is hair discrimination with the CROWN Act, which stands for "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair." It's legislation that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, including the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including locs, cornrows, box braids, twists or Bantu knots.
First introduced in January 2019 in California and signed into law in that state on July 3 of the same year, the inaugural CROWN Act expanded the definition of race in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and state Education Code in order to ensure that any employer or K-12 public and charter school could not penalize employees or students for their choice to rock their natural styles.
Led by the CROWN Coalition (which was founded by Dove, National Urban League, Color Of Change, and Western Center on Law & Poverty), the CROWN Act movement has grown, gaining support from activists and other state legislators to make discrimination on the basis of wearing one's natural hair illegal nationwide. Thirteen states, in total, have signed the legislation into law, and the coalition continues to fight for further expansion to all other states.
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Just let the thought of you wearing braids, curls, or a 'fro being the sole reason you're dismissed from a job or not even considered a viable candidate at all. Or how about the one where your daughter, son, niece, or nephew is sent home from school, missing out on a proper education and being embarrassed and mentally scarred all because an administrator or teacher decided to enforce some archaic and divisive rule that separates the normalcy their natural hair from that of others?
Just fathom, further, companies totally dominated by one version of Eurocentric "appropriateness," and devoid of independent expression and diversity? Oh, and these workplaces can legally enforce discriminatory practices, all under the guise of preference, policy, or propriety.
In some states, this is still a very tragic reality, especially when the company or school is privately owned and operated. With the Crown Act, your right to be treated equally as well as the positive benefit of ensuring that companies are diverse and free for employees to express themselves are both protected.
You can sign the petition to support the expansion of the Crown Act here, and on July 3, participate in the National CROWN Day celebration via a full day of virtual engagements, community connections, and the inaugural CROWN Awards. Find out more information on the festivities here.
You can also show your support by using #PassTheCrown on social. Lend your voice to ending hair discrimination across the U.S. today!
Featured image by Getty Images
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Camesha created the organization after her struggles with mental health and the lack of community she experienced. The Chicago native explains how she created Sista Afya to be rooted in “culturally grounded care.”
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“So at my organization, Sista Afya Community Care, we focus on providing mental health care through a cultural and gender lens,” she tells xoNecole. “So when we think about the term intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, we think about the multiple identities that lead to certain experiences and outcomes as it relates to Black women.
“So in the context of culturally grounded care, being aware of the cultural history, the cultural values, and then also the current issues that impact mental health outcomes.”
Words like “strong” and “independent” have long been associated with Black women for some time and many of us have begun to embrace the soft life and are using rest as a form of resistance. However, some of us still struggle with putting ourselves first and overall shedding the tainted image of the “strong, Black woman” that had been forced on us.
Camesha shares that while there’s more and more communities being created around empowerment and shared interests like running, she still questions, “are Black women really comfortable with being vulnerable about sharing their experiences?”
Being vulnerable with ourselves and others play an important role in healing the instinctive nature of always being “on” for everyone. “I'm currently facilitating a group on high functioning depression, and yesterday, we talked about how when Black women may be struggling or have shared their concerns with other people. They may be minimized, or they're told to just be strong, or it's not so bad, or I went through something worse back in Jim Crow era, so you should be thankful,” she explains.
“So I think there's a challenge with Black women being able to be honest, to be vulnerable and to receive the support that they need in the same capacity as how much they give support to other people. So that is probably a very common theme. I think we've made a lot of progress when we talk about the superwoman syndrome, the mammy stereotype, the working hard stereotype, the nurturing stereotype. I think we're beginning to unpack those things, but I still see that we have definitely a long way to go in that area.”
I think there's a challenge with Black women being able to be honest, to be vulnerable and to receive the support that they need in the same capacity as how much they give support to other people.
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While we’re unpacking those things, we know that we’re still women at the end of the day. So as we continue to serve in various roles like mothers, daughters, sisters, and caretakers, we have to make caring for ourselves a priority. Camesha reveals four ways we can still care for others without abandoning ourselves.
Trust
First things first, trust. Camesha explains, “Some of the burdens that Black women have can be linked to not feeling like you can trust people to carry the load with you.
“It's hard because people experience trauma or being let down or different experiences, but one of the things that I found personally is the more that I'm able to practice trust, the more I'm able to get my needs met. Then, to also show up as my best to care for other Black women.”
Know Your Limitations
Another thing Camesha highlighted is Black women knowing their limitations. “The other thing that I would like to bring up in terms of a way to care for yourself is to really know your limitations, or know how much you can give and what you need to receive,” she says.
“So often, what I see with Black women is giving, giving, giving, giving, giving to the point that you're not feeling well, and then not receiving what you need in return to be able to feel well and whole individually. So I really think it's important to know your limitations and know your capacity and to identify what it is that you need to be well.”
Don’t Take On A Lot Of Responsibilities
Next on the list is not taking on so many responsibilities, sharing herself as an example. “The other thing is taking on too much responsibility, especially in a time of vulnerability.
“One thing that I personally struggled with was being so passionate about community mental health for Black women, and saying yes to everything and taking on so much responsibility,” she reveals. “That affected me to do well in serving Black women and then also impacting my own well being.”
Practice Self-Care
Lastly, she notes the importance of practicing self-care. “The last thing is really practicing regular self care, regular community care, so that it's embedded into your daily life. So for me, having prepared meals, going to the gym, getting eight hours of sleep, spending time with friends and family, all of those things are part of my self care that keep me at my best,” she explains.
“Then community care, leaning into social networks or social groups, or spending time with other interests or hobbies. That's a part of my community care that keeps me going, so that I can take care of my needs, but also to be able to show up best in care for others.”
Find out more about Camesha and Sista Afya Community Care at communitycare.sistaafya.com.
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