The Crown Act Awards 2022

The Crown Act Awards hosted by Tashara Parker took place on July 3rd, at the end of Essence festival weekend and it couldn’t have been a more perfect time. If you didn’t know the Crown Act is a law that is passed in 17 states that stops the discrimination of hair at workplaces and schools. 17 may seem small compared to 50, but it's way bigger than 0 and there are many more to come!

The black community is the most affected as many men and women were denied jobs and sent home from school for wearing “distracting” hairstyles such as dyed hair, Locs, braids, twists and bantu knots. Every day is a work in progress for this law to be passed across the entire United States as the color or style of a person, especially a black human being, should not dictate whether or not they are efficient at school or work.

The award ceremony included Issa Rae, Mayor of New Orleans, Kim Whitley, Tabatha Brown and many more! On the red carpet, Divah Filez interviewed some of these stars to get their take on what the crown act really means and how important it is for women and men of color to embrace their beautiful head of hair no matter what style or color it is!

Throughout the event, Issa Rae took the stage and stated that she did not grow up seeing the texture of hair she has around all the time. As she grew older, she learned to love her natural kinks and curls and gave a speech that touched everyone's hearts. “Not seeing a lot of imagery that supported the beauty of us and I'm just really proud of what we have been able to do—” said Issa Rae as she accepted her award.

The Crown Act has inspired so many people in different ways, and to see celebrities stand in solidarity for the ones who felt powerless gives off a feeling of empowerment. It lets all of the black women and men know that they are not alone, they are heard, and they are seen.

Kim Whitley also received an award, and during her speech she stated that her mother cut off her two ponytails and she felt like she looked like a boy. Now we’ve all been in the moment where our mommas did a style that we could not stand, but some things we did not know is to them it was normal to perm hair and press it out with irons or hot combs because “straight hair” was looked at as more presentable. It's not that our mothers, aunties and grandmas didn’t like it, they just didn’t know any better. The Crown Act Awards 2022 was another year to celebrate the importance of Black men and women. They said we couldn't wear our hair a certain way, we got a law passed!

Tabatha Brown also took the stage with her fierce Afro that you could not help but to love embracing the culture! Ms. Brown shared a heartwarming speech as she spoke confidence into the women and men out there who suffer with lack of confidence because of their hair.

The Cast of Sista’s were also recipients of a Crown Award, as they flaunt their natural hair and wear, they're beautiful colors on the Tyler Perry’s series. Watching them be their authentic selves speaks volumes into the community, especially when they do so as their roles of important women with great careers, showing that hair does not define work ethic or ability to learn. Hair is not a distraction; it is a superpower.

We now have younger women fighting for the rights of not just their generations, but the ones before them and the ones after them.

Faith Fennidy, who was 11 years old at the time, was sent home from school for wearing braids. The video of Fennidy crying as she packed up her book bag went viral. It was then Faith made history. Fennidy’s family hired a lawyer and sued the school, making Fennidy a well-known activist as some people would have taken out the braids, but Faith said no, and for that we thank her for being such a strong and thriving young woman. In fact, Faith was the inspiration behind the song “Love My Hair’ by Mickey Guyten.

The Crown Act will continue to thrive and history within the Black Community will continue to be made. It does not stop until everyone is accepted for their natural and authentic selves, and we cannot wait to see what greatness this act will bring next!