Florida lawmakers are trying into whether or not to ban discrimination based mostly on hair texture, kind or type with a invoice filed within the state Senate this week.
The “CROWN Act” bill — quick for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” — was filed by Sen. Bobby Powell on Wednesday to prohibit discrimination based mostly on hairstyles in Florida colleges.
A former Florida senator tried to get the CROWN Act handed in January 2022, but it surely died in the neighborhood affairs committee a pair months later.
However, the CROWN Act is a regulation in 20 different states, and Central Florida hairstylists say that the laws is critical.
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Shakakan Stamper is a self-described grasp loctician: a specialised hairstylist who works with dreadlocks and related varieties of hair. She advised News 6 that she made the change from straight hair to locs years in the past, and she or he encourages different Black girls to embrace their pure hairstyles.
However, Stamper mentioned that a few of her former purchasers have been hesitant to put on their hair naturally within the office.
“Coming from corporate America, I can understand where the fear comes from,” Stamper mentioned. “We still have to live. We still have to eat, so sometimes, we do have to conform, but it hurts in the inside because it’s like, “OK, why can’t I be myself?”
Angel Neal, a cosmetologist of greater than 30 years, mentioned that she’s heard a number of related tales from her clientele.
“A lot of little kids now, their moms are keeping their hair natural, so they’re getting picked at, and they’re getting teased at school,” Neal mentioned.
The dialog about what’s and isn’t acceptable or skilled hair is ongoing.
“I think right now, it shouldn’t even matter how we wear our hair,” Neal mentioned. “I think that’s a shame that we’re still fighting for something to look natural, something that’s natural for us.”
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