National Crown Day - Celebrating the 3rd Anniversary of The Crown Act
Hope Infusion Newsletter • July 3rd Edition
Black Hair Matters - Reflections on National Crown Day 2022
I had to make a quick decision.
I received an unexpected call for a job interview the day after I spent a hefty chunk of change and a huge block of time getting my hair professionally braided.
My mind was like a cascading waterfall, as a barrage of questions flooded my thoughts in response to the unique dilemma posed by this opportunity.
My interview was with the Director of HR for an opening on the Human Resources Team of a Fortune 100 company. Dare I show up with my hair in what I knew some corporate environments may deem an “unprofessional” hairstyle?
I pressed the “replay” button on my memory, and revisited conversations in which I’d coached prospective job candidates about the importance of first impressions, and the wisdom of erring on the side of caution in first interviews.
A rapid fire succession of questions peppered my mind: “How stringent is their “biz casual” dress code? Do braids meet that standard? Are they unfavorably disposed toward Black women wearing their natural hair?”
It was the late 90’s, a time when Black women wearing natural hair styles in corporate settings was a rarely seen anomaly. The unspoken expectation of Black women, was that to present a “professional appearance” meant altering one’s hair texture from it’s naturally kinky, curly state.
I had many questions, few answers, and little time. Given the short notice on which the interview was scheduled, it would’ve taken half the night to unbraid and restyle my hair in time for my appointment the following morning.
I decided my time was better spent researching the company and position rather than engaging in an all night hairstyle change marathon. So I rolled the dice on my education and experience being sufficient to make the case for my candidacy — a gamble that paid off when I was offered and accepted the job.
Only later did I learn the backstory regarding the efforts of the manager, whose business unit I was hired to support, to derail my offer of employment. He sought to ensure that I was NOT selected to be his HR Representative, and my braided hair was one of the reasons.
In a humorous plot twist, I learned of his initial disapproval, not from rumor nor hearsay, but from his own mouth. After working together a short while, he shared those details and apologized for having pre-judged me based in part on a bias against braided hair and what he felt it represented.
He recounted discouraging the HR Director from hiring me and being met with a defiant: “I’m choosing the most qualified candidate — and she is it!”
I appreciated his candor and willingness to own up to his stereotypical assumptions. We developed an excellent working relationship and a professional camaraderie that led to many a retrospective belly laugh over his failed attempt to block my hire. Over two decades later, we remain in touch.
The totality of the hair bias issue is neither new nor infrequent. Discrimination against Black hair is an old problem, with a colorful, centuries long history, upon which I expounded in a prior post that can be read here.
In 1971, African-American journalist Melba Tolliver drew National attention when she refused to wear a wig or scarf to report on the White House wedding of President Richard Nixon’s daughter, Tricia.
She had been given the assignment before making the change from wearing her hair straight to wearing it natural, and adamantly refused to succumb to pressure that she straighten or cover it.
Her stance paved the way for many Black professionals who followed her, though it has been a long and obstacle strewn path.
National CROWN Day acknowledges the right of Black women, men, and children to wear their natural hair without fear of reprisal or discrimination in educational institutions or workplaces.
It’s a day to celebrate the curls, coils, and kinks of Afro-textured hair, and was created to call attention to the need for an end to hair discrimination which members of the Black community face far too often.
The CROWN Act, which stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” is a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination. It was first passed into law by California on July 3rd 2019; To date, 16 additional states have implemented legislation making it illegal to racially discriminate based on hair texture or style.
HAPPY CROWN DAY!