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CROWN Act

Meaning ❉ The CROWN Act establishes legal protections against discrimination based on hair texture and styles frequently worn by individuals of Black or mixed heritage. This legislation provides a clear framework for understanding that hair, in its natural forms—such as coils, locs, braids, and twists—is a valid and respected presentation within schools and workplaces. For those seeking structured hair care, the Act supports systematization by removing barriers that might otherwise compel individuals to alter their hair’s natural state for professional or academic acceptance. It permits the practical application of care routines and styling choices aligned with hair health and cultural identity, without fear of adverse consequences. This legal measure grounds the ability to present one’s hair authentically, ensuring personal styling decisions align with inherent hair needs and cultural expression rather than prescriptive societal norms.

Monochrome portrait captures a woman with tightly coiled textured hair styled into a voluminous afro, framing her face with soft bangs. Her denim jacket complements the raw, natural aesthetic, emphasizing her connection to a modern, yet culturally rooted identity and celebrating the beauty of natural hair formations.

Systemic Beauty Standards

Meaning ❉ Systemic Beauty Standards define pervasive aesthetic norms that historically devalued textured hair, influencing identity, opportunity, and cultural expression.
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A black and white photograph reveals a seated young woman having white cream meticulously applied to her coiled hair. Two women watch from behind, with a fourth woman standing at a distance. This scene illustrates a traditional hair care ritual, emphasizing holistic wellness, community, and ancestral heritage within Black hair practices.

Discrimination

Meaning ❉ Discrimination against textured hair is prejudicial treatment based on hair texture or style, often rooted in racial and cultural biases, impacting identity and opportunity.
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A woman is portrayed in a monochrome, side profile, revealing her textured hair styled into a high coiled updo. Her features are defined by light and shadow, emphasizing her strong facial structure. The hairstyle showcases layered coils and shorter waves, and the light creates a contrast against a neutral background.

Cultural Hair Advocacy

Meaning ❉ Cultural Hair Advocacy safeguards the ancestral meaning and diverse expressions of textured hair, affirming its vital role in identity and heritage.
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Close-up captures hands meticulously parting and styling textured hair into cornrows. The contrasting tones of the black-and-white photograph enhance the intricate braid pattern. The focus highlights the artistry and ancestral heritage inherent in Black hair traditions and holistic hair wellness.

Hair Politicization

Meaning ❉ Hair Politicization is the systematic process by which hair, particularly textured hair, becomes a site of societal control, discrimination, and cultural resistance.
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A monochrome portrait captures a young woman with sculpted, short textured hair showcasing precise geometric patterns. Dramatic lighting accentuates facial contours and her assertive gaze. Black tank top complements the intimate composition, highlighting her neck line, the bold symmetry reflects modern self expression in coily hair styling.

Workplace Hair

Meaning ❉ Workplace Hair defines the complex interplay of historical expectations, cultural identity, and systemic biases for textured hair in professional settings.
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A person applies a rich hydrating mask to defined, high porosity coils using a precision applicator. The monochromatic image emphasizes the hair’s springy helix definition, reflecting holistic hair care for optimal hydration, scalp health, and the inherent beauty of textured hair forms. Attention to detail highlights a commitment to ancestral care and expressive styling.

Hair Discrimination Economics

Meaning ❉ Hair Discrimination Economics reveals the financial burdens and systemic opportunity losses imposed by hair-based bias, especially on textured hair communities.
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A black and white portrait captures a young man with intricately coiled textured hair, reflecting light and shadow across his face. His gaze meets the viewer's, conveying serenity. The image highlights heritage, identity, and the beauty of natural Black hair formations, honoring ancestral practices.

Adornment Semiotics

Meaning ❉ Adornment Semiotics explores the cultural meanings and historical narratives communicated through the styling and ornamentation of textured hair.
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A striking black and white portrait reveals a woman’s face partially veiled by short, blonde textured hair, with defined texture detail. A leather jacket frames her shoulders, highlighting contrasts. The image embodies modern elegance with bold personal expression through hair.

Oppression

Meaning ❉ Oppression, in the context of textured hair, is the systemic devaluation and control of natural hair forms and cultural practices across generations.
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A striking black and white portrait features a woman adorned with intricate Fulani braids. Her eyes convey depth and resilience, a high-density formation. The low porosity braids highlight an ancestral technique. This showcases protective styling traditions. This image is emphasizing heritage African American Sebaceous balance, showcasing her natural hair's aesthetic texture and beauty standards. Braiding reveals heritage identity expression.

Hair Discrimination Resilience

Meaning ❉ Hair Discrimination Resilience is the enduring capacity of individuals with textured hair to assert identity and dignity against prejudice, rooted in ancestral wisdom.
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A black and white studio portrait showcases a woman with dark skin and locs, some adorned with bright accents. The locs frame her face, partially obscuring one side. Her expression is serene yet intense, highlighted by a beam of light across her face. She wears an off-the-shoulder top, emphasizing her décolletage and the textures of her hair with ancestral heritage significance.

Decolonial Hair Studies

Meaning ❉ Decolonial Hair Studies critically examines the historical and ongoing impact of colonialism on textured hair, advocating for the reclamation of ancestral beauty and identity.
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The black and white portrait features a woman with intricately braided elements interwoven through her naturally textured hair. A patterned headband adorns her head, with smaller decorative braids framing her face and full braid accents visible at the bottom, creating symmetry that highlights her compelling gaze and refined features.

Hair as Symbol

Meaning ❉ Hair as Symbol represents the profound cultural, historical, and personal meanings woven into textured hair, reflecting identity, resilience, and ancestral wisdom.
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A striking portrait features a woman with intricately braided textured hair beneath a bowler hat. Her striped aguayo shawl, tied at her neck, accents a lace-trimmed blouse. The black and white image highlights the textured hair formation, facial features, and ancestral heritage embedded within the styling.

Racial Bias Laws

Meaning ❉ Racial Bias Laws are institutionalized societal and legal frameworks that devalue specific racial or ethnic characteristics, notably textured hair, impacting identity and opportunity.
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A monochrome image reveals two women amidst verdant foliage. The standing woman uses a brush on the sitting woman's textured hair, demonstrating hair care ritual. Light and shadow interplay accentuates the texture of the coiled hair formation. The image evokes heritage, wellness, and holistic approach.

Hair Liberation

Meaning ❉ Hair Liberation is the profound act of reclaiming one's textured hair, a journey from societal constraint to an affirmation of inherent identity and ancestral legacy.
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