In some states, Black women and girls who go to work or school with a natural hairstyle can still lose their jobs or be sent home. That’s why the CROWN Act was passed in seven states and by the House of Representatives, to fight hair discrimination. CROWN stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.
Black women are wearing their natural hair and workplaces/schools have become more understanding or at least tolerant of a woman’s choice to wear her hair naturally, especially in the media. News management is coming around to the fact that natural hairstyles for Black women are a big part of their identity, and we are seeing more news anchors and reports sporting their natural do’s and doing it well.
Joining me to discuss it are Donnella Jefferson, an artist when it comes to styling natural hair; Amanda VanAllen, an anchor/reporter at News 5 Cleveland who wears her naturally curly hair on the air; and Lena Pringle of WJXT4 in Jacksonville, Fla., an anchor/traffic/general assignment reporter who made national news headlines with her choice to wear a natural short cut with nice fades on the side.