What historical prejudices did the CROWN Act address regarding hair?

Roots

The story of hair, particularly textured hair, is a living chronicle. It is deeply etched into the very fabric of identity, a visual language spoken across generations and continents. For far too long, however, this profound aspect of self has been subjected to a narrative of imposed uniformity, a silencing of ancestral expression. The CROWN Act, in its quiet power, steps into this enduring conversation, seeking to mend wounds that trace back centuries, aiming to dismantle the systemic biases that have sought to diminish the beauty and legitimacy of Black and mixed-race hair.

It acknowledges that the coil, the wave, the loc, the braid are not mere styles. They represent a heritage, a legacy, and a fundamental right to self-definition that has historically been denied.

To grasp the full weight of the CROWN Act, one must journey backward, understanding the biological distinctions of textured hair and how those differences became weaponized through a lens of prejudice. This act addresses the deep-seated historical prejudices that deemed certain hair textures and styles unprofessional, unkempt, or unruly, precisely because they defied Eurocentric beauty standards. These biases manifested in schools and workplaces, limiting opportunities and forcing individuals to conform, often at great personal cost to their hair health and sense of self.

How is Textured Hair Biologically Distinct?

Textured hair, encompassing a spectrum from waves to tight coils, possesses unique anatomical characteristics that set it apart. Its elliptical or flat cross-sectional shape and the presence of more disulfide bonds contribute to its distinct curl patterns. These structural variations influence how moisture behaves within the hair shaft, how light reflects from its surface, and its inherent elasticity.

Ancestral knowledge, long before the advent of modern microscopy, instinctively understood these qualities, adapting care practices to honor the hair’s natural propensity for dryness and fragility if not treated with discernment. In many African cultures, the care given to hair was not just cosmetic; it was a deeply holistic practice, attuned to the hair’s elemental biology and its needs for specific moisture and protective styling.

The systematic devaluation of this biological difference began with the transatlantic slave trade. Enslaved Africans, stripped of their names, languages, and cultural markers, often had their heads shaved upon arrival in the New World. This act served as a brutal erasure of identity, severing connections to ancestral traditions where hairstyles communicated age, marital status, tribal affiliation, and spiritual beliefs (Afriklens, 2024).

This forced conformity laid the groundwork for centuries of prejudice. The physical characteristics of African hair were misclassified by European colonizers as closer to animal fur or wool, providing a false biological justification for dehumanization and enslavement (Halo Collective, n.d.).

The CROWN Act seeks to restore the inherent value of textured hair, recognizing its biology as a natural expression of heritage, not a basis for prejudice.

What Prejudices Did Hair Classification Systems Hold?

The language and systems used to classify hair texture, while seemingly neutral today, carry historical echoes of prejudice. The popular 1A to 4C system, for example, attempts to categorize curl patterns. While useful for modern hair care, its historical predecessors often served to reinforce a hierarchy of beauty.

During and after slavery, a strict caste system emerged where lighter-skinned individuals with less coily hair, often due to nonconsensual relations with enslavers, received preferential treatment (Halo Collective, n.d.). This insidious hierarchy bred concepts of “good hair” and “bad hair” within Black communities themselves, equating straighter textures with social and economic advancement, while natural, kinky hair was deemed unkempt or unprofessional (Halo Collective, n.d.; Thompson, n.d.).

One stark historical example of this prejudice is “The Comb Test,” used in the United States after slavery’s abolition. Organizations would hang a fine-tooth comb outside their doors. If a person’s hair could not be easily combed through, they were denied entry (Halo Collective, n.d.). This seemingly innocuous test was a direct barrier against Afro-textured hair, effectively excluding Black individuals from spaces of opportunity and respectability.

Similarly, during Apartheid in South Africa, “The Pencil Test” classified individuals by whether a pencil placed in their hair would fall out when they shook their head. If it stayed, they were categorized as Black; if it dropped, they could be classified as white, illustrating the pervasive nature of hair texture in racial stratification (Halo Collective, n.d.).

The CROWN Act directly challenges these historical artifacts of texturism and colorism, asserting that no hair texture, in its natural state or traditional style, should be a barrier to education, employment, or dignity. It is a legal acknowledgment that the perception of professionalism and beauty has been unjustly narrow, privileging only a very specific strand of human expression.

Ritual

The journey of textured hair is profoundly linked to ritual, to the careful tending and artistic shaping that transforms it into a statement of heritage. From the intricate styling traditions of ancient Africa to the modern-day protective practices, hair has always been a canvas of cultural expression. Yet, these very acts of adornment and care often became targets of prejudice, forcing individuals to abandon their ancestral practices in pursuit of an imposed, narrow standard of acceptability. The CROWN Act directly addresses this historical burden, affirming the right to wear culturally significant styles without fear of adverse consequences.

Many of the historical prejudices the CROWN Act aims to correct stem from the perception of traditional Black hairstyles as somehow unprofessional or disorderly. This judgment forced a choice between cultural authenticity and professional advancement, a choice no person should have to make.

How Have Protective Styles Faced Historical Prejudice?

Protective styling, such as braids, twists, and locs, possesses deep ancestral roots, originating as sophisticated art forms in various African communities as early as 3500 BC (Afriklens, 2024; Historical Significance of Black Hairstyles, n.d.). These styles were not merely aesthetic; they served practical purposes, preserving hair health in diverse climates, and held profound social and spiritual meaning, communicating status, marital availability, and tribal identity (Afriklens, 2024). During enslavement, however, these cultural markers were systematically suppressed.

Slaveholders often forced enslaved people to shave their heads, a brutal act of cultural erasure (Afriklens, 2024; Historical Significance of Black Hairstyles, n.d.). When styles persisted, they were often hidden under headwraps, or later, subject to derision and judgment in dominant society.

The legal landscape also mirrored these prejudices. In a seminal 1981 case, Rogers V. American Airlines, a Black flight attendant was prohibited from wearing her hair in cornrows. The court sided with the airline, reasoning that cornrows were not an “immutable racial characteristic,” unlike an afro, and therefore not protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (JSTOR Daily, 2019).

This ruling set a damaging precedent, allowing employers to enforce policies that effectively banned traditional Black hairstyles. The CROWN Act was directly conceived to overturn such discriminatory interpretations, explicitly extending protection to these very styles.

The CROWN Act stands as a legal affirmation of the dignity inherent in textured hair’s protective styles, once dismissed as unprofessional.

The continued pressure to conform resulted in widespread adoption of hair straightening methods, such as the hot comb, which became popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by innovators like Madam C.J. Walker (JSTOR Daily, 2019; NMAAHC, 2019). While these tools offered versatility, their widespread use was often driven by societal pressure to align with Eurocentric beauty standards. The perception of straightened hair as “orderly” provided easier assimilation into professional and social spheres (Folklife Magazine, 2022).

• Braids ❉ Ancient and ubiquitous across African cultures, signifying everything from tribal affiliation to age and marital status. Their intricate patterns sometimes even communicated escape routes during enslavement (Historical Significance of Black Hairstyles, n.d.).
• Locs ❉ Recognized as a symbol of higher power among the Akan people of Ghana, reserved for priests, and later in the U.S. associated with resistance and connection to Africa, particularly during the Black Power movement (Historical Significance of Black Hairstyles, n.d.).
• Bantu Knots ❉ Tracing back to the 2nd millennium BC with the Bantu-speaking communities, these protective styles were historically used to symbolize tribal identity, social status, and family background (Historical Significance of Black Hairstyles, n.d.).

How Did Styling Tools Reflect Societal Pressures?

The tools and techniques associated with textured hair have their own complex history, reflecting both ancestral ingenuity and the pressures of societal assimilation. Before forced cultural disruptions, African communities used natural butters, herbs, and powders for moisture retention and scalp health (Historical Perspectives on Hair Care and Common Styling Practices in Black Women, 2025). The introduction of Western beauty ideals, however, ushered in an era where tools like the hot comb became ubiquitous.

The hot comb, a heated metal comb used to straighten tightly coiled hair, became a tool for conformity. While it offered a temporary alteration of texture, it also carried the risk of heat damage and scalp burns (Folklife Magazine, 2022). Madam C.J. Walker, a pioneer in Black hair care, popularized its use as part of a system to maintain hair health, though the broader societal context pushed many towards permanent straightening methods like chemical relaxers (JSTOR Daily, 2019).

The CROWN Act acknowledges that the necessity to resort to such tools, driven by discriminatory workplace or school policies, was itself a form of prejudice. It seeks to create environments where these choices are truly optional, driven by personal preference and hair health, not external pressure.

Relay

The essence of hair care, particularly for textured hair, is a relay race across time, a continuous passing of wisdom from one generation to the next. It carries the weight of history, the joy of reclamation, and the foresight for future well-being. The CROWN Act, in its legislative reach, is not merely a legal document.

It is a profound acknowledgment of this ancestral relay, offering a protective shield for holistic care practices and cultural expressions that have long been targets of misunderstanding and prejudice. The act steps in to ensure that the journey of textured hair, from its most tender root to its unbound coil, remains a source of strength and cultural pride, free from the constraints of discriminatory societal norms.

Historically, the very regimen of tending to textured hair was often politicized. Simple acts of care, deeply rooted in ancestral knowledge, were deemed unconventional or even unclean by dominant standards. This dismissal of traditional practices contributed to a narrative that positioned Black hair as inherently problematic, requiring intervention to be considered presentable.

How Does Ancestral Wisdom Inform Hair Regimens?

Ancestral wisdom, passed down through oral traditions and communal practices, shaped comprehensive hair care regimens long before modern science articulated the complexities of hair structure. These traditions recognized the unique needs of textured hair, emphasizing moisture, gentle handling, and protective styles to maintain its vitality (Historical Perspectives on Hair Care and Common Styling Practices in Black Women, 2025). Communities across Africa utilized a wealth of natural resources, their rituals deeply connected to the land and its offerings.

For instance, traditional African hair care often incorporated substances like Shea Butter (rich in vitamins A and E), Marula Oil (full of antioxidants and fatty acids), and African Black Soap for cleansing without stripping natural oils (Katherine Haircare, 2025; Africa Imports, n.d.). These ingredients, sourced directly from their environments, were central to regimens focused on scalp health, moisture retention, and overall hair strength (Katherine Haircare, 2025). The CROWN Act’s focus on allowing natural textures and traditional styles directly supports a return to and validation of these holistic, ancestral approaches to hair care, where the hair’s natural state is valued, not penalized.

The enduring significance of natural ingredients in textured hair care speaks to a timeless ancestral wisdom the CROWN Act helps protect.

What is the Historical Basis of Bonnet Wisdom?

The bonnet, in its quiet utility, carries a profound history, deeply intertwined with the experiences of Black women. While simple head coverings have existed across cultures, for Black women, bonnets and headwraps evolved into symbols of complex significance. During enslavement, head coverings were weaponized, used to visibly distinguish Black women as subordinate and to obscure their hair, which in African societies held deep cultural and spiritual importance (Byrdie, 2022; Team True Beauty, 2023).

Yet, even in oppression, resilience shone through. Enslaved women used the folds in their headscarves to communicate coded messages to one another, a silent act of resistance (Byrdie, 2022).

Post-slavery, the bonnet transitioned, still serving a protective function to preserve hairstyles and moisture overnight, but also reclaiming its purpose as an act of self-care and cultural pride (Annie International, 2023). The societal pressure to present hair in a straightened, Eurocentric manner meant bonnets often became a private necessity, shielding natural hair or styled hair from damage, away from public scrutiny (Annie International, 2023). The CROWN Act, by legitimizing natural styles, also implicitly validates the protective rituals, like bonnet wearing, that support their health and longevity. It acknowledges that the bonnet is not a symbol of casual disregard, but a testament to a rich tradition of hair preservation and a quiet act of self-respect within a challenging historical context.

The impact of these historical prejudices is quantifiable. A 2023 research study, cited by the Economic Policy Institute, revealed that Black women’s hair is 2.5 times as likely as white women’s hair to be perceived as “unprofessional.” Furthermore, approximately two-thirds (66%) of Black women change their hair for a job interview, with 41% altering their hair from curly to straight (Economic Policy Institute, 2023). These statistics underscore the deep-seated fear of discrimination that necessitated the CROWN Act, highlighting how the pressure to conform still influences personal choices in pursuit of opportunity.

The CROWN Act directly addresses this societal coercion. It recognizes that policies prohibiting natural hairstyles—like afros, braids, bantu knots, and locs—have been used to justify the removal of Black children from classrooms and Black adults from their employment (Legal Defense Fund, n.d.). Such policies reinforce harmful stereotypes and police Black identity (Legal Defense Fund, n.d.). The legislation aims to dismantle these institutional racist practices, allowing individuals to pursue education and career paths without compromising their cultural identity.

Reflection

The passage of the CROWN Act marks a pivotal moment, a legislative echo of long-held truths regarding textured hair. It reminds us that every strand carries the wisdom of ancestors, the resilience of generations, and the boundless potential of self-expression. The act is a legal declaration that the natural beauty of textured hair is not a variable subject to external judgment, nor is it a style that requires apology or alteration for acceptance. It is a heritage, vibrant and alive, deserving of reverence and protection.

This legislation invites a deeper introspection into societal standards of beauty and professionalism, challenging us to widen our gaze and appreciate the profound legacy woven into every curl and coil. It is a step toward a world where the soul of a strand can truly breathe, unbound by historical prejudice, free to tell its own story—a story of identity, culture, and an enduring human spirit. The CROWN Act acknowledges that the journey toward equity is a continuous relay, and it stands as a strong hand-off, ensuring that future generations can wear their heritage with uncompromising pride.