Discrimination over hairstyles won't be allowed in Wake County schools, under policy changes approved by the school board Tuesday night.
The changes to dress code policies for students and staff say natural and cultural hairstyles would be allowed.
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Dress code policies have some safety exceptions, but mostly this change would mean students won't be punished for wearing things like braids, Bantu knots or twists.
It’s something Black students and families have been asking for, citing incidents across the country of children being punished or forced to cut their hair to comply with an organization’s rules.
Board Member Monika Johnson-Hostler said she personally knows of people who felt their children were discriminated against in Wake schools but who never filed a complaint because board policy never protected hairstyles.
“I think everybody should be as comfortable as they can be, especially in a school setting where kids should be learning,” said Madeline Wishart, an assistant at Lovejonez Styles Salon in Raleigh.
Lovejonez Owner and hairstylist Christina Jones said it’s about people needing to fell “confident” in a society that’s welcoming of my ways to wear one’s hair.
“I think it’s beautiful and it’s necessary for us, as a culture, to be more versatile in who we are. This is giving us that chance and that space to be that genuinely and naturally,” Jones said.
These types of protections are commonly known as the CROWN Act, for a bill template that’s been pushed in legislative bodies across the United States. It stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.”
The Durham school board, the Raleigh City Council and other boards in North Carolina have already adopted similar protections.
The board approved the dress code revisions without discussion Tuesday, after board members have previously expressed their support for the changes.
During a meeting last month, Board Member Toshiba Rice thanked Johnson-Hostler for pushing for the changes, allowing people “to rock our natural hair.”
Board Member Tyler Swanson echoed Rice’s sentiment.
“This is an historic first that students can actually embrace their hairstyles,” Swanson said.