MILWAUKEE — Throughout history, Black people were often ridiculed for their natural hairstyles.
We were made to feel as though our hair in its natural state was unacceptable in professional settings. This caused many of us to use harsh chemicals to straighten our hair in order to get or keep employment.
However, the tide has changed, somewhat, and more and more Black people are choosing to embrace their hair and show it off in a variety of styles and colors.
To prohibit hair discrimination, in 2019 the CROWN Act was introduced in California. It stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair. Since then, 18 states have enacted the CROWN Act into law.
I spoke with Millicent Tucker, an educator at Empire Beauty School, to learn more about this topic.
“Our hair has been very misunderstood. It’s a representation of who we are,” said Tucker.
Once a working stylist, Tucker began teaching to educate students on how to care for Black hair.
“There’s nothing wrong with our hair," Tucker said. "We just have to be educated on which products to use and how to use them. ”
So often we think different is bad. It’s not, it’s just different.
