WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. TOMORROW AND SATURDAY AT THE
MALL, SUNDAY, AT TARGET FIELD
STATION.
STATION.
STATION. >>> HAIR, IT MATTERS TO
EVERYONE.
EVERYONE.
EVERYONE. IT'S THE CROWN WE NEVER TAKE
OFF.
OFF.
OFF. A
OFF. A BLACK WOMAN IS 80% MORE
LIKELY TO CHANGE HER NATURAL
HAIR TO MEET SOCIAL FORMS OR
EXPECTATIONS AT WORK.
THERE IS A NEW LAW AIMED AT
PROTECTING PEOPLE WHO WEAR
THEIR NATURAL HAIR.
>> REPORTER: A NATURAL HAIR
MOVEMENT IS GROWING.
CALIFORNIA WAS THE FIRST STATE
TO BAN DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
BLACK STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES
OVER THEIR NATURAL HAIR STYLES.
>> WE'RE TRYING TO RAISE
AWARENESS ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT
PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
>> REPORTER: THE CROWN ACT,
THAT'S SHORT FOR CREATING A
RESPECTFUL AND OPEN WORLD FOR
NATURAL HAIR.
NATURAL HAIR. >> WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING TO BE
OURSELVES, LOOK LIKE OURSELVES,
ACT LIKE OURSELVES AND EMBRACE
WHO WE ARE.
BUT WITHOUT PEOPLE IN POWER WHO
CAN CHAMPION THAT FOR US, IT
FALLS FLAT.
FALLS FLAT. >> REPORTER: THIS WEEK, A
SIMILAR BILL WAS INTRODUCED IN
>> CALIFORNIA'S THE ONLY STATE
WHERE THIS HAS BECOME STATE-
WIDE.
WIDE.
WIDE. >>
WIDE. >> REPORTER: WISCONSIN,
MICHIGAN AND OTHER STATES HAVE
PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO
SPECIFICALLY BAN RACE-BASED
HAIR DISCRIMINATION.
HAIR DISCRIMINATION. IN 2019, BLACK WOMEN REPORT
RECEIVING FORMAL GROOMING
POLICIES AT A RATE
SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN WHITE
WOMEN.
WOMEN.
WOMEN. >>
WOMEN. >> 5TH GRADE IS WHEN I STARTED
TRYING TO FIT IN.
FOR DANCE, I TRIED
STRAIGHTENING MY HAIR FOR
RECITALS.
RECITALS.
RECITALS. >> OTHER PEOPLE DID GATHER
AROUND ME.
AROUND ME. IT MADE ME FEEL LIKE I
NOVEMBERS A ZOO EXHIBIT.
>> REPORTER: IN 2016, A STYLIST
IN MINNEAPOLIS WAS FIRED AFTER
REFUSING TO STYLE A WOMAN'S
HAIR.
HAIR.
HAIR. >>
HAIR. >> HE SAID THIS IS AN ANIMAL I
CANNOT TAME.
CANNOT TAME. I SAID CAN YOU PLEASE NOT REFER
TO MY HAIR AS AN ANIMAL.
HE WENT ON HOW HE DIDN'T HAVE
THE TOOLS AND THE TIME.
>> REPORTER: IT'S HAPPENING TO
MEN TOO.
MEN TOO.
MEN TOO. LAST YEAR, A NEW JERSEY HIGH
SCHOOL WRESTLER WAS GIVEN AN
ULTIMATUM BY A REF: CUT OFF
YOUR DREAD LOCKS OR FORFEIT THE
MATCH.
MATCH.
MATCH. MY
MATCH. MY NATURAL HAIR IN ALL HER
GLORY IS JUST UNDERNEATH HERE.
I USE MY PERSONAL JOURNEY TO
SHOW HOW HAIR IS PEPPERED WITH
MESSAGES.
MESSAGES.
MESSAGES. >> I SAY WHAT'S NEXT IS FOR
PEOPLE TO BE BOLD.
>> REPORTER: SHE HOPES THE
CROWN ACT IS THE BEGINNING OF
--
--
-- >>
-- >> THIS IS AMERICA AND WE
BELIEVE IN PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO
BE HAPPY AS THEY'RE PURSUING
THE LIFE THEY WANT.
THAT IS A HUGE REASON THAT
MAKES BLACK WOMEN AND BLACK MEN
PERFORM BETTER, BE MORE
CONFIDENT.
CONFIDENT. THE TIME YOU WASTE TRYING TO BE
SOMEONE ELSE, YOU NOW CAN POUR
THAT TIME INTO OTHER TASKS.
>> MEAN WHILE, THE FOLKS BEHIND
THE CROWN ACT WANT LEGISLATION
TO END HAIR DISCRIMINATION
NATIONWIDE.
NATIONWIDE. YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER, IN 2018,
THE U.S. NAVY CHANGED ITS
GROOMING STANDARDS TO ALLOW
BLACK WOMEN TO WEAR THEIR
NATURAL HAIR.
NATURAL HAIR. THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO
DO, BUT WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF
PROGRESS.
PROGRESS.
PROGRESS. >> YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING ON
THIS FOR TWO YEARS.
YOU'RE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
>> YOU KNOW, I FIRST WORE MY
HAIR NATURAL ON AIR HERE ABOUT
6 YEARS AGO BECAUSE A LOT LIKE
OTHER WOMEN, I WAS BETWEEN
GOING TO THE SALON.
I SHAMPOOED IT, WENT TO WORK
AND MY BOSS SAID GO FOR IT.
THIS COMMUNITY, THIS MARKET HAS
BEEN SO ACCEPTING.
BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE
FOR EVERYONE.
FOR EVERYONE. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FIRED BECAUSE
THEY CHOSE TO WEAR THEIR
NATURAL HAIR.
NATURAL HAIR. >> YEAH, AND IT'S CRAZY THAT WE
HAVE TO HAVE LEGISLATION TO SAY
YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HUMAN
BEINGS ANYMORE.
BEINGS ANYMORE. >> WILL SAY THIS ABOUT TRINITY
HOPE, MY UNBORN DAUGHTER, I
HOPE SHE COMES INTO A WORLD ONE