Balancing on a Hair with Evonne Bilotta-Burke and JoJamba Matthews

Hair.

A natural part of who we are, how we present in the world, and the understanding of why it is so personal to individuals and racial groups around the world.

Hair, especially for Black, African, and African-American women, has traditionally been subject to interrogation and judgment by non-Black racial groups as a way to demean and control. Sometimes, what seems like an idle conversation can be triggering and negatively impact individuals. We would like to bring clarity to the topic of hair and discuss how we can shift future conversations. 

 

Also, we have passed the one-year anniversary of Minnesota passing the Crown Act on Feb 1st, 2023.

The CROWN Act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, in partnership with then State Senator Holly J. Mitchell of California, to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools.