The CROWN Act: The Important Role of Hair in History
As we continue to honor Black History Month, SXSW EDU supports and advocates for change by amplifying voices and important topics. In the Black American community, modern hairstyles serve as unique symbols of art that are easy to point out, however, in other communities, it can be viewed as unruly. We often minimize the important role hair plays in confidence and self-esteem. The Barbershops and Salons are places where young males and women learn to bond with their mentors and develop self-care. The slavery era set the stage for much of the negative stereotyping and discrimination around how Black Americans creatively presented themselves. Unfortunately, this bias remains present today.
While all experience pressure to conform to certain standards of appearance, society’s bias has resulted in unfair judgment and discrimination in schools against Black Americans based on hair texture and protective hairstyles that include braids, locs, twists, and more. People like Andrew Johnson, who is a wrestler, was asked to cut his locs before a high school wrestling match. Faith Fennidy, a New Orleans area girl, was sent home from Catholic school for wearing braids, while Clinton Stanley Jr., a 6-year-old boy, was turned away from a private Christian Academy because his hair extended below his ears. Fortunately, solutions are being implemented across the United States banning race-based hair discrimination.
In 2019, a 5.1 billion dollar company, Dove, co-founded the CROWN Coalition — The CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” According to congress.gov, the CROWN Act bill was introduced in the House in March 2021, which “prohibits discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle if that style or texture is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin”. As of February 2023, only 20 states of the 50 have enacted the CROWN Act. Sadly, Texas isn’t one of them.
At SXSW EDU, Alvin Irby will be discussing the challenges of community-based early literacy work and exploring ways communities can support out-of-school reading among Black boys and other vulnerable children in the Solo session Barbershop Books: A Community-Based Approach. Furthermore. Watch as Reggie's Rap Room takes the stage, aiming to educate and highlight the importance of mental health, and social & emotional development by sharing Black & Brown hair care and self-care experiences through story, music, art and various EQ exercises in the Performance Rap Unzel: A Story of BlackBoyJoy, SelfCare & Hair.
As we will convene in Austin, Texas this March, we will continue to provide a place to support and push conversations forward for meaning impact.
The Crown Act Poem by Juanita Breedlove
Our hair defies gravity, so many textures and the complexities thick as wools, soft as cotton.
It seems the sight of my loc, braids or afro may go against your policy, but I demand protection against your race-based hair discrimination.
We've been stripped of our culture and identity. One thing I know for certain you won’t take my CROWN from me.
I’d be damned if I let my hair be forgotten, it’s time to embrace our originality.
Joining the mission and creating a respectful and open world for natural hair and that’s my reality.
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Photo provided by Jon Currie
02/28/2023
