By now many people have heard about Kerion Washington, a teen who was rejected by for a job at a Six Flags in Texas due to his dreadlocks. Many people have also heard about the wrestler in New Jersey who was forced to cut his dreadlocks by the referee. There are many more instances of discrimination based on hairstyles in work, school, etc. for both men and women, but just these topics alone bring up a important discussion of why we are still be discriminated against for our choice of hairstyle in 2019.
Last week California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the CROWN Act officially making California the first state to ban discrimination in workplaces and schools based on hairstyles. While this is a good step towards insuring that people are protected against facing the same discrimination that Washington had to face; the fact that a law had to be passed in the first place is absurd. And what about African Americans in the other 49 states facing these same issues? But a law isn’t going to change judgement blacks feel of the pressure to conform.
One study shows that one in five black women feel pressured to straighten their hair even if the workplace didn’t require it. One choosing to straighten their hair is a something they should do because they want to not because they feel they’ll be more accepted or more likely to land a job. The thing is even if workplaces or schools can’t legally discriminate against someone because of their hair, it doesn’t mean that blacks will automatically feel safe, comfortable or without judgement because it’s been programmed in their brain from a young age whether it was from their own community or from encounters outside of the community.
That same study shows that white women typically viewed natural hair as less attractive and less professional than straight hair. It seems the damage has been done for many, but if the CROWN Act teaches us anything it’s that we must reverse the damage and push forward. There is no room to allow discrimination and how others feel about our hair to allow us to not feel worthy and feel the need to conform. We have to wear our hair the best way that we see fit for our individual selves whether that’s straight, natural, curly, or in between. We owe it to ourselves to be our truth selves because that’s when the magic happens.
If you’re in doubt of that just look at 17-year-old Washington, he refused to cut his dreads for Six Flags and now he’s being scouted by a top modeling agency.
A Work of Faith Ministries, Inc. 