Councilmembers introduce CROWN Act Ordinance in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Several council members are introducing Lexington’s CROWN Act Ordinance.

The C.R.O.W.N Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair is a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination.

According to the DOVE 2023 workplace research study, it revealed black women’s hair is 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional.

The report also states that 25% of black women believe they have been denied a job interview because of their hair, which is even higher for women under 34.

Councilwoman for the 6th District, Denise Gray is one of the sponsors of the ordinance, she spoke on facing discrimination based on her hair when she ran for office.

“Look at us on city council for the first time in history, we have women who wear their hair naturally. I too have faced discrimination in 2018, I ran for State Senate and throughout that entire time that I ran, I wore a sow in, I wore a sow in because I was told numerous things. But one of those things was that I needed to straighten my hair in order to gain votes, looking back in hindsight, I didn’t need that,” she says.

A sentiment shared by another councilwoman, Shayla Lynch, she’s with the 2nd District, “I love to express myself through my hair, and at one point in my career, right after I graduated law school, I was rocking a huge afro and I love my afro. But a woman pulled me aside one day and I was in a, my professional space and said, you know, in order to succeed, you’re gonna have to straighten your hair, right? And I was taken aback because it was coming from a woman and someone that I looked up to. And so, um I put a lot of thoughts in her words because I admired her and I looked at her as a mentor and her telling me that I needed to straighten my hair in order to progress in my career really hurt me.”

Currently, discrimination based on one’s hair is legal in Kentucky.

The ordinance will now be presented to a committee, the ultimate goal is to pass it and make it go into law immediately.