Title
To express support for the CROWN ACT - Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair and to recognize the impact of racism as a public health crisis and implicit bias in the City of Columbus.
Body
WHEREAS, The United States has a history that is filled with laws and societal norms that have equated “blackness,” to a badge of inferiority and thus have subjected people of color, and people with certain features and others to separate and unequal treatment - these physical traits include skin color, kinky and curly hair, and non- Eurocentric hairstyles; and
WHEREAS, Sadly these laws and societal norms have also come to embody society’s very definition of professionalism - professionalism remains closely linked to European features, mannerisms, and customs - and those who do not naturally fall into Eurocentric norms find themselves forced to alter their appearance in drastic and permanent ways which erase their very cultural identity - all in an effort to be accepted and respected as a professional and ignoring the impact and the struggle within themselves to find balance in their social, emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health; and
WHEREAS, Implicit biases remain a part of American culture, despite the efforts that have been made to create an accepting environment and laws that embrace diversity and inclusion all in the quest to reverse a racist ideology that Black traits are inferior - however black hair remains a rampant source of racial discrimination with serious economic and health consequences, especially for Black Americans; and
WHEREAS, studies show that Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair and that a Black woman is 80% more likely to change her natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work; and
WHEREAS, The Official Campaign of The CROWN Act Led by the CROWN Coalition was founded by Dove, the National Urban League, the Color of Change, and the Wester...
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