“Are you wearing your hair like that?”
My mother is the first to question my natural hairstyles, raising an eyebrow in disapproval.
My hair is temperamental. It does not obey any of the instructions printed on the back of the products that promise to lock in curls and control fizz.
I have shrinkage that make people question if I decided to sport a TWA (teenie weenie afro) for the summer.
A woman’s hair is her a crown, but as a Black woman it has felt as if it were a crown of thorns as I wrestled to meet the expected professional coif standards promulgated by those of other genders and races since high school.
I jumped up and down embracing liberation when India Arie sang “I Am Not My Hair.” I haven’t looked back and at this stage, I can even endure my mother’s raised eyebrow. I shift my headsets, adjust my lighting and few strands, and Zoom in and out meetings.
National Crown Day was July 3rd, marking the one-year anniversary of The CROWN Act being signed into law in California. The Crown Act calls for the solidarity and acknowledging human rights of Black women, men, and children to wear their natural hair boldly, and proudly, without the fear of being discriminated against in school or the workplace.
To all my Black families and friends sporting natural styles, do you! Embrace your natural crown, share the love, and Happy Crown Day!
Inspiring Minds 