Dreadlocks, cornrows and natural hairstyles could get new protections in Wake schools
Hairstyles such as dreadlocks, cornrows and afros could soon be expressly allowed and protected against discrimination in Wake County schools.
The Wake County school board’s policy committee backed Tuesday adding protections for natural hairstyles to the student dress code, employee dress and anti-discrimination policies. The policy changes are part of the national CROWN Act movement meant to address concerns of hair discrimination against some Black women.
The updated policies include wording such as that students are free to adopt hairstyles of their choice. The policies also warn that it’s unlawful to use concerns about hairstyle as a proxy for racial and ethnic discrimination.
“The CROWN Act is a pioneering piece of legislation that seeks to eliminate discrimination in workplaces and schools,” Clinton Robinson, Wake’s chief of staff and strategic planning, told board members. “This law specifically prohibits the unfair treatment of individuals based on their natural hair textures and protective hairstyles.
“These styles are often worn by African Americans and are deeply rooted in their culture, ethnic and personal identity.”
The policies received unanimous support on Tuesday. They’re expected to get approval by the full board.
Movement to adopt CROWN Act
The CROWN Act stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.
The CROWN campaign is part of a national effort to include hair and hairstyle as part of discrimination protections. Supporters of the campaign say it’s in response to how Black women have endured discrimination due to wearing their natural hairstyles.
There have been highly publicized cases around the country involving hairstyles with racial overtones. In April 2021, a Black softball player at Hillside High School in Durham had to cut out her beads to continue playing in her team’s senior night game.
County governments in Wake, Durham, Orange and Mecklenburg, as well as cities such as Raleigh, Durham, Carrboro and Greensboro have adopted non-discrimination policies based on the CROWN Act.
Legislation to make the CROWN Act state law has stalled in the General Assembly. But hairstyles have been added to state agencies’ racial discrimination protections.
Schools ‘must permit’ cultural hairstyles
At the request of several school board members, wording explicitly supporting the CROWN Act was added to the student dress code on Tuesday.
“Students are free to adopt hairstyles of their choice, whether short, long, shaved, braided, curled, twisted, knotted, or otherwise,” according to the updated student dress code policy. “In particular, schools must permit protective, natural, or cultural hairstyles, including but not limited to such hairstyles as braids, dreadlocks, locs, twists, tight curls or cornrows, Bantu knots, afros, geles, and other culturally expressive hair ties or headwraps.”
Similar wording that schools must permit natural hairstyles is included in the new employee dress code policy.
Schools would be allowed to impose restrictions on hairstyles “only when strictly necessary” for “health” or “safety” reasons. Examples listed include physical education classes, science labs and wood shop.
The employee dress code says personnel will be “appropriately attired for the work to be done.” It also says an employee’s dress must not disrupt or distract from the educational process or work environment.
Hairstyles protected in anti-discrimination policy
The policies warn that any hairstyle restrictions “must be applied consistently without regard to race, ethnicity, or other protected status.”
“Differential treatment of student hairstyles because of the hairstyles’ historical association with a particular race, ethnicity, or other protected status is strictly prohibited as discriminatory under Board Policy,” according to the updated dress code wording.
The updated wording in the anti-discrimination policy goes even further.
“Singling out persons with hairstyles that are historically associated with a particular racial or ethnic group (such as afros, bantu knots, dreadlocks, braids, or twists) for unfavorable treatment is a form of unlawful discrimination if the expressed concerns about hairstyle are a proxy for racial or ethnic discrimination,” according to the revised anti-discrimination policy.
Violation of the anti-discrimination policy could result in an employee losing their job, according to Neal Ramee, a school board attorney.
This story was originally published May 28, 2024 at 5:53 PM.
