We live in a world where everything you do is under the watchful eyes of others. When it comes to Black women and their natural hair, society has imposed its own external biases and perceptions on our hair more often than the women themselves. How our hair is supposed to look and how we choose to wear it seems to be everybody else’s business but our own.
The implications of the stigma around natural hair have attempted to confine Black women to strict beauty standards that we were never meant to conform to. Our hair has a life of its own, and we will not let these false narratives weigh down our crowns.
Hair Discrimination in Institutions
Hair biases that target Black women in the workplace have always existed. You’d think how you wear your hair wouldn’t impact your chances of landing a job offer, but it does for Black women. Our natural hair is typically deemed “unprofessional” or “distracting” compared to our white counterparts. Because it’s viewed in such a negative light, employers will recommend Black women to change their hairstyles to adhere to what they believe is acceptable in the workplace.
How we wear our hair is a personal choice, and it shouldn’t be used against us as some tool to measure professionalism.
The CROWN Act, also known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act, was developed in 2019 as a protective measure against hair discrimination in the workplace and schools. It’s been passed in many states but still hasn’t been approved as federal legislation.
Earlier this year, Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, alongside other state representatives, revived the conversation of the CROWN Act at the federal level. In an interview with the Hill, Coleman expressed the truth behind the delay in the federal legislation of the CROWN Act.
“It’s an extension of what we saw in the Civil Rights Movement that dealt with the color of your skin. It’s just an extension of that, and it’s 2025… We need to have a national standard because people are treated differentially depending upon where they are,” Coleman said. The fight for hair equality is far from over.
Reclaiming Our Power
Although the stigma surrounding natural hair reappears in our everyday lives, we can take back the power that lies in our beauty and our truth. We start by being our authentic selves and continuing to express ourselves through our hair in a way that is honest to who we are.
We can also connect with other Black women through social media’s many platforms and large natural-hair communities. You can find hair recommendations and tips to achieve a specific style, and, most importantly, you can build bonds with women who can relate to your experiences.
Lastly, take up space — your hair is your crown. Wear it proudly and wear it loud. Continue to express yourselves. Your hair is beautiful in every shape, curl, and coil. Don’t let them tell you otherwise.