hen diving into the topic of hair discrimination that we now often learn about by it coin viral, it is crucial to first examine the past to under the present.

In 1786, Governor Esteban Miro of Louisiana instituted the tignon laws, forcing free Black women to wear a headscarf or tignon in public spaces to make them distinguishable from their white counterparts and more closely associate them with enslaved Blacks. The purpose of this law was to discourage interracial marriage, as it was widely believed that the Black women of Lousiana were seducing white suitors with elaborate hairstyles and accessories. Although the initial intent of tignon laws was to distinguish Black women as inferior, it quickly backfired. The very women oppressed by the tignon laws turned it into a fashion statement by adorning their tignons or headwraps with the same jewels, feathers, and other symbols of luxury and status they formerly incorporated into their hairstyles. Empress Josephine of France took notice of the beautiful, decorated tignons of Louisiana donned the style and thus became a symbol of high-end fashion.

Fast forward more than three centuries, and hair discrimination is still commonplace in schools, government institutions, workplaces, sports, and everywhere in between. In 2012, the then 16- year old, Gabby Douglas became the first Black woman to win gold in individual all-around and the first-ever American to win both individual-all around and team gold at the same Olympics. While most were celebrating Douglas’ stellar achievements, there were many that were critiquing her hair. In 2020, the retired Olympian took to Instagram, where she opened up her struggles with tension-induced hair loss from years of tight gymnast ponytails and her journey to having healthy hair.

In 2021, a 16-year-old high school softball player for North Carolina was forced to cut her braided and beaded hair in order to play because the opposing team’s coach insisted that the “no beads” guideline be upheld. Last year also saw the ban of the Soul Cap, a swim cap made to accommodate Black hair, by FINA, an international water sports organization. This announcement came just before the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In a media statement, FINA addresses the backlash to the ban of the Soul Cap and others like it in competition but encourages the use of a cap for teaching and recreational purposes. FINA closes the statement by planning initiatives to make sure there are no barriers to swimming for sport or recreation but does not mention action planned to lift the ban from competition.

These incidents of hair discrimination are just a few of many that have been publicized in recent years, not to mention countless others that happen every day. Despite the ever-present perception of Black as “unprofessional” or “ unkempt,” we continue to make strides toward making Black hair acceptable in every school, workplace, pool, and field. Thanks to the organizations like The CROWN Act, which aims to end hair discrimination through education, we are one step closer to Black hair being accepted and celebrated in all places.