Crown Act Part 2: Protective Styles Are Professional

A Black woman is 80% more likely to change her natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work[1]

Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home or know of a Black woman sent home from the workplace because of her hair[1]

If you missed it, I posted a video titled Crown Act Part 1: Race Based Hair Discrimination.  

In the US, the law in many states does not currently afford protection for race-based hair discrimination, even if the hairstyle is inherent to racial identity. 

This is why Dove partnered with the National Urban League, Color of Change, and Western Center on Law & Poverty, to co-found the CROWN Coalition to advance anti-hair discrimination legislation called  The CROWN ACT.  

So what exactly is the CROWN ACT?  The CROWN ACT is a bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against a person in the workplace, , schools, and/or pools because of their natural or protective hairstyles.

According to Dove’s 2019 CROWN Research StudyNatural hairstyles inherent to Black identity such as locs, braids, bantu knots, etc. are ranked the lowest for professional appearance[1].

Now we all know, that’s a lie.  Here are a few fun facts:

Among Black students in higher education, women are more likely than men to earn degrees: Black women get 64.1% of bachelor’s degrees, 71.5% of master’s degrees and 65.9%of doctoral, medical, and dental degrees.

And as for leadership in the workplace, women of color represented 17% of entry-level positions, managers (12%), senior managers/directors (9%), VPs (7%), SVPs (5%), and C-suite positions. (4%)

Now while these numbers appear low, this is not an indication of black women’s professional capabilities, but speaks more to the fact of black women not being afforded equal opportunities for advancement, lack of sponsorship and lack of advocacy in the workplace and discrimination.

To sign the petition to help end raced-based hair discrimination, click on the link below or DM on Instagram @AQueendomLife

https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/help-make-hair-discrimination-illegal

Use your voice, influence, social media, and sign the petition, to let your local government representatives know that hair-based discrimination is wrong, and to get other QUENS to sign the CROWN ACT petition.

You can also send a letter to your U.S. Senators using the template below to urge them to end race based hair discrminiation once and for all:

https://www.thecrownact.com/email-your-senator

Let me know in the comments below how you feel about the CROWN Act.  Do you plan to sign the petition? What can you do to help get support for the CROWN ACT to pass in your state?  All the Queens in the Queendom want to know.  

To keep the conversation going and if you have any questions, make sure you are following @AQueendomLIfe on Instagram and Facebook.

Until Next Time...Always Remember to Unleash Your Inner Beauty, Extend Your Outer Grace and Celebrate Each Other’s Uniqueness.