By stufflovely
By Jenna Brooks
With many black women facing hostility and discrimination in the workplace over their hair, it was well known that there needed to be legislation put in place for their protection. Natural textured hair and protective hair styles were often called dirty, distracting, or in one case, even a health hazard. A new act, looking to be passed in all 50 states, will create a welcoming environment for black women, preventing them from being sent home or turned down from a job purely due to their hair.
This new act is called the CROWN Act, or the Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act. Starting in California, the act has currently made its way to be passed in six additional states across the country. The organizing committee for the act is made up of many different organizations, companies, and brands from Dove to National Urban League. The committee is looking to have the bill heard in Congress to be passed nationwide, and currently has a sponsor in Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton.
Luckily, the thousands of distraught voices are being heard by the government and the CROWN Act is going to be prefiled for Congress as early as January 2021. This legislation is being pushed as a human rights issues for black women across the United States, with the discrimination and hostility they face causing both physical and mental health issues. Black women deserve to be seen in the professional world for their hard work and dedication rather than being frequently asked about their hair routine and asked to change their hair entirely.
