Black people should NOT need a whole law to protect our hair, our culture, and our story.
One of the things I will always love about being a black woman is how we can switch up our
look so fast, especially when it comes to our hair. So many styles, so much history, and so much
fashion and art. From the bussdowns, to the locs, to the braids and twists, to the natural afro, as
well as many variations of those styles, such as goddess braids or different types of protective
styles.
For me, as a black woman, my hair is a way for me to express myself. I love being able to switch
hairstyles whenever I want. Whether it’s color and/or style. I also really love experimenting with
colors and styles. I could go from a big afro to ginger, waist-length goddess braids. From blonde
Senegalese twists to a faux loc barrel bob.
As a culture, our hair is history. A form of resilience and strength. Hiding things like food, rice,
and seeds in cornrows, as well as maps and patterns, as a way to escape. It was also a way
to show status and wealth within a tribe. Our hair has always been who we are.
However, over the years, beauty trends have evolved. So did non-black people’s perspective.
Our hair was seen as less than straight hair. Braids and weave/wigs were seen as ghetto or
unprofessional. Afros were seen as unkempt or dirty.
Though things have gotten slightly better, we still have our setbacks. Even in late 2026, black
people are still facing hair discrimination in the workplace and in schools. Black boys and girls
are still facing academic trouble with schools labeling their hair as “distracting” or inappropriate.
Black men and women are still facing workplace discrimination as well as issues with job
security.
This was such a big problem that, in 2019, the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open
World for Natural Hair) was created. (S.3167 – 116th Congress (2019-2020): CROWN Act of 2019, n.d.) It was created to protect textures and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and Bantu knots in the workplace. It would also stop employers and schools from enforcing grooming codes that target specific racial hair traits, and fill gaps in
older civil rights laws by making hair texture an explicit part of race discrimination. As of September 2026, the Crown Act has not been passed in all 50 states and/or US territories.