MAKING A WAY FOR OUR STANDARDS OF BEAUTY

The Crown Act of California (SB188) bill passed in December 2019 that prohibits discrimination against persons with natural hair or hair styles based on texture.  It is the first law on the book in the nation to prevent discrimination against primarily African Americans who have struggled to gain social acceptance in school, the workplace and all across society based on skin color and hair.

The Crown Act is an acronym that translates to Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair.  Don Imus Jr., a sometimes controversial radio show personality recently passed on Dec 27, 2019 sent shock waves over the radio in April 2007 when he called the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos" and "Jigaboos." Don Imus became because of the controversy was eventually fired eight days later resulting from unrelenting outside pressure.

WHY THE CROWN ACT IS NEEDED?
Fast Facts

• 2018 - New Jersey high school referee threaten teen to forfeit a match unless he cut dreads.
• 2019 - Mississippi station WJTV fired African American female news anchor for wearing unprofessional hair
• 2020 -Texas  two teens suspended; 16 yr old suspended and another sophomore told he will not graduate 
• 2020 -Chula Vista Catholic in a high school where the tuition costs $17,080, a male student suspended for being out of compliance for wearing braids.
• A Black women are 80% more likely to change her natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work (Dove Study)
• Black women are 50% more likely to be sent home or know of a black woman sent home from the workplace because of her hair (Dove Study)
• 2020 - South Africa. Incident at an affluent school a young girl quotes, "I have a natural but the teacher told me to comb it because it looks like a birds nest."

What where you told coming up as a child about your hair? Where you told you were beautiful because of it or where you treated in a manner that taught you to be a shame because of it?
These are only a few reason why it is important to emphasize beauty in skin color and hair textures to reinforce acceptance for young and old to counter the European images as the only standards of beauty in the world. This is a happy day with the passing of the Crown Act. This is a day of 'happy to be nappy.'