A student-organized symposium at Rutgers University–Newark, titled RCROWNS, recently addressed the complex issues of racial and social inequities related to Black hairstyles. The event featured panel discussions and storytelling focused on the discrimination faced by individuals in the Black diaspora due to their hair.
Nathan Duguid, director and founder of #RCROWNS and a sophomore studying sociology, said, “It’s not that our experience is that our hair is inferior, it’s that it has been socialized for us and pushed upon us.” He explained that language plays a key role in shaping perceptions about Black hair: “Some of these words will help people understand where they come from, why they are being used, and detach them from their identity and attach them to their experiences, so that they can recognize how discriminatory those experiences are.”
The program included a panel titled “Decolonized Professionalism: Policy, Pride, and International Perspectives,” which examined how concepts like professionalism have influenced attitudes toward Black hairstyles in schools and workplaces. Duguid noted that even terms like “textured hair” can obscure the lived realities of discrimination.
Duguid credited Aaronae Everson (volunteer coordinator), Moutar Sampil (director of visual media), Tahquan Johynson (director of digital media), and Sarah Austin (student artist) for organizing the symposium over five months.
Panelists discussed persistent systemic barriers in professional environments. Cliff Dawkins, a Rutgers Law alumnus who moderated the discussion, asked: “Today’s panel asks a deceptively simple question, what defines professionalism and who does that definition serve?”
Dr. Patti O’Brien-Richardson drew on her public health work in Africa to highlight health consequences tied to Eurocentric beauty standards: “They were trying really hard to be like the Beyoncés of the world, the Shakiras of the world. They were willing to put in clip-ins and to the level where it damaged their scalp.”
Dr. Lenore Pearson from Rutgers Law School described her personal experience: “I just stopped caring what white America thought, what corporate America thought. I did not care what these people thought enough to change my look…in what their perception of me or what they feel you should be like in these environments.”
Kimberly Cross from the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice shared her background at an all-girls Catholic school in Jamaica: “When you look beneath the surface of what that actually means…we were not allowed to wear braids, weren’t allowed to wear afros, weren’t allowed to wear fades.” She pointed out how such policies suppress Black identity.
Cross also mentioned challenges finding accessible information about natural hair products: “I was so mesmerized by the information…it was not widely accessible to me and my peers.”
The panel referenced legislation such as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act—which prohibits discrimination based on hair texture or type—but noted federal law has yet to adopt these protections despite passage in 30 states.
Panelists raised concerns about recent anti-DEI laws affecting efforts toward inclusion nationwide.
Dr. Melissa Valle recounted her experience as a graduate student at Columbia University when she received backhanded comments about her hairstyle: “‘Your hair looks amazing,’ She thanked her. Then came the follow-up that reframed everything: ‘Light socket amazing.’” Valle added: “In my heart and soul, I wish that hair just didn’t matter at all. For all the joy that we can find in hair, there’s just so much pain.”
Data cited during the event indicated more than 20% of Black women aged 25-34 had been sent home from work due to their hair; Black women were 1.5 times more likely than white women to face this situation according to an Economic Policy Institute study.
The symposium concluded with presentations on using multimedia storytelling as tools for representation and advocacy within restorative justice frameworks.
Sarah Austin spoke about her artwork displayed at RCROWNS: “I thought of the word ‘embrace’ when I decided to start this painting…Just knowing that no matter what shape or form you come in you are accepted and there is a space for you I feel like is the main mission,” she said regarding traditional hair weaving showcased at the event.
Rutgers University–Newark operates as part of Rutgers University—the State University of New Jersey—and includes research centers dedicated to community development among other areas through its Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy (source). The school is nationally ranked for its graduate urban planning program (third place) as well as its undergraduate public health program (fourth place) (source). It focuses on fostering socially inclusive communities locally and globally (source).
Stuart Shapiro became dean of Edward J. Bloustein School in 2023 (source). The school recognizes alumni achievements through annual awards since 1994 (source).