Racism is also a matter for her. For most black women, a job interview with an Afro is still unthinkable. And rightly so, many prejudices regarding hairstyles persist in the professional environment. In the United States, the United States House of Representatives has just passed a law banning all forms of hair discrimination at work and in public places. Legislation that African Americans in particular have been waiting for have been victims of racist practices for too long.
Christening Crown, for Creating a respectful and open world for natural hair †Create a respectful and open world for natural hairs”), Law 2116, which is intended to prohibit discrimination related to haircuts, has yet to be approved by the Senate. If passed, it will prohibit any entity from refusing to hire, train, or retain anyone because of their haircut, reports Slate† It will also ban hair-related discrimination in public places, especially in schools.
Afro-cuts considered “unprofessional”
“Natural afro hair is often considered ‘unprofessional’ simply because it does not meet the standards of white beauty”, explains Bonnie Watson Coleman, the Democratic New Jersey representative who defended the measure in the House of Representatives. In 2020, Professor Ashleigh Shelby Rosett highlighted this hair racism in a study published with Duke University. This found that black women who left their hair natural were less likely to be interviewed than those who styled it.
To combat this form of racism, California decided to pass a groundbreaking law in this area in 2019. Worn by the African American Democratic Senator from Los Angeles, Holly Mitchell formally outlawed the ban on afro hairstyles, braids and dreadlocks at work and school. Since then, 13 other US states have passed similar laws.
A law likely to be passed
After years of protesting this discrimination, African American activists were finally able to win their case. The Crown Act would make it possible to ratify the prohibition of hair discrimination across the United States. Now that the Democratic Party has a majority in the Senate, this new law is likely to be finally approved. For its part, the White House has already supported this proposal, stating: Slate†
The weight of prejudice about afro austerity had not spared the former residents of the US presidential residence. During Barack Obama’s tenure, millions of internet users asked his wife, Michelle Obama, to appear in public appearances with her natural hair. This one was waiting for the end of the eight-year mandate to prefer a natural cut over her smooth hair.