It’s Not Just Hair: New Orleans CROWN Act Is A First For The Deep South But, Advocates Hope, Just The Beginning
New Orleans attorney Nia Weeks remembers the concerned comments she received from older Black women when she decided to grow locs three years ago.
“You can’t go into a court with locs. No one’s gonna hire you,” they told her.
At its last meeting in 2020, New Orleans City Council made a move to address those worries when it passed the C.R.O.W.N. Act Ordinance, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination, including the denial of employment and housing because of hair texture or protective hairstyles like braids, dreadlocks and bantu knots.
C.R.O.W.N. is an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. The C.R.O.W.N. Study, by cosmetic company Dove, revealed Black women are 80 percent more likely to change their hair to fit social norms and workplace expectations. Those changes often include straightening their hair with extreme heat or harsh chemical relaxers.
While Birmingham passed a resolution to recognize July 3 as National C.R.O.W.N. Day last summer, New Orleans was the first municipality in the Deep South to adopt a C.R.O.W.N. Act.
“It was the best Christmas present that I could have even thought of giving to Black women. It was a love letter and a thank you in action,” Weeks said. “Black women are not a monolith, but our hair and the experiences, the prejudice that we experience, is a unified issue, regardless of age, demographics, geography [and] socioeconomic status.”
At about 38 and 32 percent respectively, the Black populations in Mississippi and Louisiana make up a larger proportion of the population than in any other state. Still, race-based hair discrimination persists in these states, creating barriers to employment and education and to freedoms that others take for granted.
Read the full story from our partners at WWNO here.
This story was produced by the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration between Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WBHM in Birmingham, Alabama, WWNO in New Orleans and NPR.
Trump is looking to use the IRS for his own political ends. Nixon tried it too
President Trump is looking to use the IRS to achieve some of his political goals. Some experts see parallels with Nixon's efforts to interfere with the agency.
Should you toss your plastic kitchen tools for health reasons? Here’s the scoop
Some of the microplastics we ingest may come from the kitchen tools we use to prepare what we eat. If you want to reduce your reliance on plastic, here are some ideas.
The trial of Sean Combs: What you need to know
Prosecutors are scheduled to begin their arguments today against the rap mogul, who is accused of racketeering and sex trafficking. Here is an overview of Combs' career and the charges he faces.
Aggressive immigration enforcement makes musicians rethink U.S. tours
In a time of aggressive immigration enforcement, some international musicians are deciding that going through the complicated process of getting a U.S. artist visa may not be worth the financial and safety risks.
The future of student loan repayment, explained
A Republican overhaul would reduce borrowers' repayments options from several plans to just two.
The Spirit Tunnel is unapologetic celebrity worship — and extremely fun
Celebrity guests on The Jennifer Hudson Show — Michelle Obama, Usher, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tina Knowles to name a few — have all caught a ride through this viral backstage ritual.
