When people of color wear their hair in its natural state, they are often met with curiosity, outright racism and exclusion. Black people, especially black women, are heavily scrutinized and labeled \u201cunkept\u201d and \u201cunprofessional” when they opt for dreadlocks, cornrows or braids. Until recently, there weren’t legal protections in place for people unwilling to subscribe to Eurocentric beauty ideals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
US Senator, and 2020 presidential candidate, Cory Booker<\/a> is trying to end hair-based discrimination at the federal level with a bill called Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, or the CROWN Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hair discrimination is common in many different environments — schools, the workplace and even the entertainment world. Who can forget In 2018, when high schooler Andrew Johnson<\/a> was famously forced to cut off his dreadlocks before competing in a school wrestling competition? And just a few weeks ago, Gabrielle Union<\/a> reportedly lost her job<\/a> as a judge on America\u2019s Got<\/em> Talent<\/em><\/a> <\/em>for speaking up about her hair being labeled \u201ctoo black.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CROWN Act will put an end to discrimination against people who wear natural hairstyles. It will provide legal security “by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and [in] state Education Codes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Do We Need the CROWN Act?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n