Dove invited school administrators and middle school students to the Los Angeles County Office of Education to attend a Town Hall discussion around the issue of hair discrimination in schools. Throughout the discussion, participants, including Katrina Bellamy and Kimberly Hayes, Gotha Middle School deans, heard from students who experienced racially-biased treatment in their schools due to grooming and uniform guidelines. Students shared stories around identity, discrimination and self-image.
Panelists included Esi Eggleston Bracey, Unilever’s EVP & COO NA Beauty and Personal Care; Shonda Rhimes, television producer; Senator Holly Mitchell, The CROWN Act champion; and Janaya Khan, activist. The women spoke to the history of appearance-based discrimination and the importance of changing policies to ensure a more equitable society. Following this powerful conversation, Dove self-esteem educator Dre Brown led students in a workshop aimed at building hair confidence where the Gotha MS deans, Bellamy and Hayes, had the opportunity to serve as mentors.
Senator Holly J. Mitchell introduced the CROWN Act (SB 188) that became a state law in July 2019, making California the first state to make hair discrimination illegal. The bill recently passed both the New York Senate and the Assembly and has also been introduced in New Jersey. Once passed, these bills ensure that traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, are protected from discrimination in the workplace, K-12 public schools and charter schools. These bills are only the beginning, as the CROWN Coalition secures support for legislation to end hair discrimination nationwide.
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Gotha plans to use this experience as a resource within their mentoring programs.