The latest in a decades-old movement among those in the Black community to embrace natural hair reached the halls of state government last month when the House of Representatives passed its version of the CROWN Act. The proposed law — CROWN stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair — prohibits race-based hair discrimination in the workplace and public schools. Twenty-three states have passed the CROWN Act into law, and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have passed separate CROWN Act ordinances. Historically, Black hair has been viewed as a “distraction,” and some students have either been forced to cut their hair or receive a suspension or other penalty. In 2018, Andrew Johnson, a Buena Regional High School junior at the time, received two options on what to do with his hair during a wrestling match. Cut it off or forfeit his match. Johnson chose the former. “There are still far too many cases of Black employees and applicants denied employment or promotion — even terminated — because of the way they choose to wear their hair,” former California State Sen. Holly J. Mitchell in a 2019. “I have heard far too many reports of black Children humiliated and sent home from school because their natural hair was deemed unruly or a distraction to others.”

Photo Credit: Asha Blake/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review