Imagine being told, upon entering your office, that your amazing, heritage-inspired hairdo isn’t “professional” or that your natural hair does not satisfy the company’s professional requirements.
These hypothetical situations depict what Black students and workers go through on a daily basis at school and at work.
In essence, the CROWN Act was inspired by this kind of racial and ethnic prejudice.
The “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” Act, often known as the Crown Act, is a piece of law that forbids discrimination against job candidates and workers on the basis of their hair type or choice of protective hairstyles, such as locs, twists, bantu knots, or braids.
The legislation was approved in Arizona over a year ago and the first Crown Act legislation in the nation was signed into law on July 3, which has been designated as National Crown Day. It is intended to shield Black kids and adults who choose to go natural with their hair from prejudice at the office or in the classroom.
Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona signed the Crown Act on March 17, 2023, prohibiting racial hair discrimination in governmental contracts and agencies.
The bill’s signing serves as a powerful metaphor for the necessary transformation.
Jannelle Wood | Arizona PBS
The day of the signing, Janelle Wood, a preacher, activist, and founding member of the Black Mothers Forum, was in attendance.
“I believe this was a step in the right direction, like any piece of legislation you can build upon it, you can amend it, and you can add to it,” she said according to FOX10 Phoenix.
“Hopefully, we can pass it at the federal level,” she stated. I am aware that the House passed it with overwhelming support, but we were forced to end the debate in the Senate on the federal level. Although I’m happy that the states that have passed it have done so, there is still more work to be done.”
Wood said there are still a lot of unanswered concerns about the law. Which state organization upholds the Crown Act? What are the procedures for filing a complaint and what are the consequences?
“A year later, now we need to take up the mantle again, and say what does this look like, if for some reason, I do encounter this?”
Racial hair discrimination is not a recent problem, it began ages ago. The hot comb and relaxers were among the tools used to get ‘good hair.’ Wood said that regardless of the pressure and ridicule of the society because of her natural hair, she was able to achieve a lot.
“I got promoted in corporate America with weave and that appearance. I was welcomed and allowed to attend those board meetings as well as sit in management chairs.”
When she was 50, she shaved her hair off.
“Hair is so important to women.. how long it is, what our texture is.. that has been something that’s part of our identity.”
However, she asserts that it shouldn’t define you or make you the target of prejudice.