The Crown Act Is Normalizing Natural Hair In The Workplace, And We're Here For It
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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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Tyler James Williams Explains Why His And Quinta Brunson 'Abbott Elementary' Characters Should Remain Friends
While Abbott Elementary fans are hoping that Janine and Gregory end up together, the show’s star has another take. Tyler James Williams plays Gregory on the Emmy award-winning sitcom, and he recently stopped by The Jennifer Hudson Show to share his point of view on his storyline with Janine, which Quinta Brunson plays.
“I hate to say it. I know that everybody’s always mad at me for this. I don’t necessarily want to see them together,” he revealed. “It’s partially an actor’s choice, but also somebody who, like, I read a lot of scripts all the time. I watch a lot of TV, a lot of film. I don’t think that we see displays of platonic love between two people often. I think it’s really easy to go right to they have feelings for each other, therefore they should be together. I like this dynamic of exploring withholding that and just actively loving each other where they are. That I like to see more.”
If you recall, they were co-workers who became friends but were secretly crushing on each other. They’ve had many awkward run-ins during and after school, like the unforgettable club scene where they were dancing nervously with each other in season one, and in season two, they finally kiss. However, it only made things even more awkward, and they decided to just be friends. Tyler further explained why he thinks it’s important to showcase that type of relationship on screen.
“I think it’s time for that. I think TV allows people to see things that could be their lives for the first time, and I think seeing a healthy friendship that is deeply caring about one another in a work atmosphere needs to be shown more than the relationship,” he concluded.
Abbott Elementary comes on every Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
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Feature image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images