The Crown Act

(C)reating a (R)espectful and (O)pen (W)orld for (N)atural Hair.

My son CJ completely lights up when I wear my fro. Witnessing his joy made me realize how much wearing my natural hair helps him develop a strong sense of self. As parents, we model what we value through our actions. 

During my television career I’ve often felt pressure to straighten my hair. I’ve elected to wear wigs and extensions in order to protect my hair from the constant wear and tear associated with being a television personality. Since CJ was born, I’ve been very intentional about wearing my natural hair as often as I can. As I encourage CJ to love and honor his afro, I want to make sure he sees me doing the same.

In the workplace, our natural hair has historically been unfairly deemed to be unkept or unprofessional. Recently, the CROWN Act was enacted in California, which ensures protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and state Education Codes. It’s about time!

Despite prevailing European standards of beauty, our natural hair is magic. The textured  styles worn by our ancestors are still beautiful and powerful today. Let’s continue to embrace our natural beauty and rock our natural hair with pride!