California was the first state to enact the CROWN act in July 2019. After California came New York, then New Jersey and there's a campaign for the rest of the country to follow. This campaign sparked what you saw last weekend for the CROWN Act to have it's day July 3rd. This year marked the first year CROWN day was recognized. So on July 3rd, if you scrolled up and down your timelines you saw your friends post photos of themselves that looked like this.
Politicians and celebrities joined in CROWN day and also posted their photo of themselves rocking their natural hair with the filter.
However, that's not why we're here right now. We're here, because as proud as I am for my sisters benefitting from the CROWN act, I'm concerned about my sisters overseas.
In Western European countries like UK and France women of color are fighting against hair discrimination through activists groups, because there's no specific law on point which protects against hair discrimination.
For example, in France there's a group called Sciences Curl which was founded at Sciences Po, one of France's premier universities. SciencesCurl speaks out against the marginilization of women of color and against hair discrimination. It also supports activities like "Free Her Fro" which educates women about care for their hair.
In the UK, there's a push for protection against hair discrimination to included in the UK Equality Act. Currently, there's no law in the UKwhich specifically addresses hair discrimination.
However, in 2018 a woman in the UK won 8,500 pounds in a hair discrimination suit after she was repeatedly sent home from her school for having an afro. The school said her afro was too big and against the guidelines. The school has since taken down the guidelines but did not accept that it's actions were discriminatory. Hence why individuals such as Emma Dabiri (author of the book above) has called for the UK equality act to include hair. There's currently a petition to include hair in the UK Equality Act on change.org. Click here to sign
In reading this I was curious to see what happens in sub-saharan Africa. I'm firstgen Nigerian American and I know all to well how conservative workplace rules can be in Nigeria. So I decided to see what happens in other African countries as well. . . and I was disappointed.
In Congo, there was a scandal in 2018 when a university student was turned away from school because she wore her hair like this.
Like seriously WTF! Could you imagine if an African student in the USA got sent home from an entire University because of the words "uncombed afro"(!!)
woo hoo hoo!! we would be up in arms.
However, a Congolese university sends a Congolese student home and she is set to change her hairstyle...it's saddening that this got no attention. I know we're in 2020, but there's no news that the university changed it's policy.
I must say, even with the CROWN act, we still have work to do. As disappointed as I am in the Congolese University, I must say that even in states that have enacted the CROWN act in the US, the result would be the same if we don't push that the law includes every place of accomodation.
In New Jersey, the CROWN act is thoroughly inclusive as follows
...and that list goes on and on.
If the law isn't thoroughly inclusive then we may see a university perform hairstyle discrimination. Now, the university may not say uncombed afro(geesh), but there would be plenty a loophole. So we still have to push for our sisters here and our sisters across the pond. #fistsupafrosout
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