FORT MYERS, Fla. — There's a certain curiosity that comes with exploring hair, especially if you've worn it the same way for years.
La Toya Turner has worked as a hairstylist for more than 15 years. She's the owner of Ascension Hair Care in Fort Myers. She says now more than ever, women like Lakeesha Allen Thomas are transitioning their hair from relaxed and traditional, to natural styles.
But some share concerns about making that change. "A lot of people just wanted to see what their texture looked like," says Turner. "But they didn't want to seem unprofessional in their workplace or be reprimanded for wearing their hair in braids or some type of protective hairstyle."
A 2020 study by Michigan State University researchers found Black women with natural hairstyles were perceived to be less professional, less competent, and less likely to be recommended for a job interview compared to Black women who straightened hairstyles and white women with curly or straight hair.
That's why there's a national push known as the "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair" Act, also known as the CROWN Act. The goal? To protect against discrimination of hair texture and styles like braids, locs, twists and knots in the workplace and public schools.
At the federal level last year, the bill passed in the house but not in the Senate. Supporting lawmakers are expected to try again this year. At the state level, 20 states have voted yes so far. However, Florida's lawmakers were not on board.
The bill died twice in the Sunshine State but has been re-filed as of this month. Opponents of the bill say they believe other issues impacting the country are more important than the discussion of what constitutes professionalism in the workplace.
But for Toya, and some of her clients, the question is simple... "who determines what is professional?"
