The Crown Act

The Crown (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair )Act was passed on July 3, 2019 in California. The law prohibits discrimination based on hair style or hair texture and allows for protection of both of those categories under the Fair Employment and Housing Act. In 2019 guys. They are now just approving for us to wear our hair as it grows out of our scalp just in 2019? For so long we have had to endure societies standards of beauty and what is considered "professional" for the workplace. If we thought we were progressive we must think again. This was just passed not even a year ago and only a few other states have followed suite so far. I can think of quite a few times when I have received a call for an interview and had just done my hair a certain way and had to think "do I take my braids out?", " do I need to straighten my hair?". In all actuality, none of this has an ounce to do with what I know or how well I will be able to perform the essential duties of the position.  We are constantly trying to change ourselves just to fit in and it is only until now that it is being recognized. I remember seeing a video of a little girl who was kicked out of school for wearing a natural hairstyle.  Wearing her hair the way that it naturally grows out of her scalp was a threat to people in her school. Being true to yourself and your culture and traditions is seen as a threat when all along every hairstyle worn by black women is mocked then replicated. It is only made "cool" when the Western world decides it can be a new trend.  The same way cornrows can get a spread in Elle magazine when Kim Kardashian wears them, at and they are labeled as "trendy". When Porsha wears them they are "unprofessional". Its only when we start to stand up for ourselves in moments like this that we can begin to see a change. I admire organizations like the Curly Girl Collective who are bringing awareness to issues such as these as well as celebrating our tresses and helping us to learn to love our hair with events such as Curl Fest. As a licensed cosmetologist myself, I remember a time when I was working in the salon and it seemed like everyone came in for a relaxer. I liked it at the time because it was quick and could make you lots of money rather fast. Then I saw the shift where women weren't getting relaxers anymore. They wanted to wear their natural hair and were also more invested in natural hair care products and taking care for their hair. I loved this movement. It's helped many women of color restore their confidence and has also opened the eyes of the world to the greatness that is of the Black culture. It also helps young black girls appreciate their hair and who they are, which in turn gives them a sense of pride. I was 7 years old when my mom first put a Just for Me relaxer in my hair. More or less she did this just to make it easier for her to manage, not realizing what was being put in my hair and how it ultimately would transform my texture and curl pattern. We know better so now we do better. My mom is old school so she still is relaxing hers with a short pixie type cut. She says she doesn't look good with natural hair but I beg to differ. In college, she wore this big huge afro and was just as cute as can be. She actually looked how we see lots of the girls on college campuses today with twists outs, sister locks, afros and braids. Whichever way we chose to wear our hair should not be a deterrent on whether or not we will be hired or promoted. I am also reminded of the newly sworn in lawyer who was told he needed to cut his locks, or the high school wrestler who was made to cut his locks before a wrestling match or else he would need to forfeit. What is that teaching us, that we cannot love who we are? That we need to conform to what it is that others want or expect us to be? Let's face it, we could straighten our hair until its dry and brittle. We could wear long silky weaves until we damage our own hair underneath and guess what? None of that would make us any closer to being what society expects us to be, so it is more beneficial for us to just be ourselves. If anything, our freeness to love and embrace who we are will encourage and uplift us to perform at superior levels. 

Also, every black women with a bob or their natural hair straightened does not look like Michelle Obama...LOL (it's old now)..