The Crown Act is an Important Step Towards the Normalization of Black Hair

But is it enough?

Photo by Leighann Blackwood on Unsplash

In high school, I attended a private Christian school. Like any other school, it had its restrictions. Some of them had to do with hair. I believe it was against the rules to wear colors that weren't naturally occurring hair colors. For example, reds were ok, but blues or greens were not. The boys could not wear their hair down past their shoulders and it couldn’t be over a certain height.

I disliked these rules. They all vexed me, even though some had nothing to do with me.

Why do we have all these restrictions on hair? What’s the deal with policing hair?

It comes from this idea that there is a set image that we should present. They’re like norms. We should wear our hair this way or wear these kinds of clothes this certain way or another. Where do these norms come from?

Well, historically, in America, whiteness — Europeanism.

Companies may want to present this set image. And for so long, that image has been White, and for so long, people have strived to get as close to that image as possible, believing it to be more high class. When you can get there, you’ve upgraded.