‘We won’t let it happen here.’ Hair discrimination was just banned in New Orleans
New Orleans is the latest U.S. city to adopt anti-discrimination policies aimed a protecting Black people from discrimination based on their hair.
City council members voted unanimously to approve its version of the CROWN Act, amending the city’s code to prohibit race-based hair discrimination that often leads to denial of employment and other opportunities due to prejudice toward certain hairstyles and textures “associated with a particular race,” according to a news release.
Councilmember Helena Moreno spearheaded a push for the city-wide ordinance earlier this month, with help from community advocates including “Free The Hair” movement founder Wendy Greene and Citizen SHE United Executive Director Nia Weeks.
“We know an overwhelming number of Black women report that they change their natural hairstyle to avoid prejudice in the corporate work environment,” Moreno said in a statement in the news release, adding: “It’s unfair and speaks of pervasive discrimination in the workplace. We won’t let it happen here.”
The ordinance, passed Dec. 17, mirrors legislation enacted in cities and states across the U.S. including New York, California, New Jersey and others. In October, Kansas City and Pittsburgh both passed their own versions of the CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.”
The issue of hair discrimination was thrust into the national spotlight in 2018 when a New Jersey high school wrestler was forced to cut his dreads, or forfeit a championship match after a white referee said his hair was out of regulation. The following year in North Carolina, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools employee sued the district after her white co-workers circulated a petition calling her natural hair “unprofessional” and “inappropriate for the workplace,” McClatchy News previously reported.
The New Orleans City Council’s decision was met with excitement from local resident Amber Ward, who owns her own braiding and natural hair salon, according to WJTV.
“We’ve had so many clients that have had to come back and get their braids taken out because their job had a problem with it,” Ward told the news station, adding that she faced similar discrimination while working in corporate America. “To hear that they’re really working hard to do something about that, is really, really a good thing and a big step for us.”
While the anti-discrimination ordinance only applies within New Orleans city limits, council members said they hope the Louisiana Legislature introduces similar legislation in the near future.
“New Orleans must do better and dismantle long-standing barriers to success for Black women, and this is just another step in creating an equal playing field where all can succeed,” Moreno said in a statement.
This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 6:16 PM with the headline "‘We won’t let it happen here.’ Hair discrimination was just banned in New Orleans."