HUBER HEIGHTS — Black women across the country say they have faced racial discrimination because of their natural hair.
As reported on New Center 7 at 5:30, Razor Sharp Hair Salon & Barbershop owner Monica Richardson further explains the issue.
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“We are our hair, I don’t care what anybody says, when we wake up in the morning, regardless of if it’s shaved off, we are still that person,” Richardson said.
Richardson has been doing hair for 36 years and said her clients have turned into friends.
“I’ve just been doing them forever,” Richardson said.
During her childhood and going into her career, she said she noticed that hair can add to a woman’s confidence.
“Your sassiness, your sexiness, you know, your whatever who you are, I think your hair represents a lot of that,” Richardson said.
According to the official CROWN Act website, Black women have been discriminated against for wearing their natural hair.
Federal law prohibits racial discrimination against people who wear their hair in afros, but the same protections don’t exist for some other natural hairstyles.
In 2019, the CROWN Act was introduced to combat this issue.
“They actually sent that out to all cosmetologists, stating that it’s now being presented,” Richardson said.
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The CROWN Act protects people who wear natural hairstyles like braids, locs, twists, and knots against discrimination.
Black women’s hair is 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional, according to the CROWN Act website.
The 2021 Dove CROWN Study for Girls shows that 86% of Black teens have experienced discrimination based on their hair by the age of 12.
“If they’re gonna wear natural, if you’re gonna wear locs, or the extensions, or natural, just put some thought into it,” Richardson said.
She wants young girls watching this to embrace their hair.
“Don’t ever be embarrassed about your hair,” Richardson said. “Just do what you can and just rock whatever you think it is and wear that, and take pride in it.”
The CROWN Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 but didn’t make it out of the Senate.
In Ohio, we’re seeing areas like Akron, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus adopt the Act.
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