Despite the passage of Crown Acts in 28 states banning discrimination based on hair type and style, black athletes and students continue to face pressure to cut their hair. Credit: Andrew Mills (via TNS)
The Ohio State Sports and Community Initiative will host a presentation Wednesday discussing research on black hair in athletics.
The event, titled “Hair Matters: The Politics of Race, Gender, and Black Hair in Sports,” will be held Wednesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 360 of the Journalism Building and will be held by Letitia, assistant professor of sociology. Hosted by Mr. Brown. University of Cincinnati.
In addition to her research and writing on the subject, Brown said her personal experience is the driving force behind her interest in black hair. More specifically, Brown mentioned facing discrimination during a panel discussion she attended at her previous job.
“One of the panelists – I had braids at the time – said to me, ‘Maybe you should consider changing your hair when you go to a job interview,’ and I said, ‘I’m not here anymore. I thought, ‘I’m working.’ I was able to get a job with my natural hair,” Brown said.
Having experts closely connected to the issue at hand is essential when planning events, said Chris Noster, professor of sociology and SSI research chair.
“Unfortunately, there is a long history of Black people being criticized and unfairly scrutinized in sports and society,” Knoster said. “Dr. Brown uses her lens to really reveal some of the subtle but very important and meaningful ways that this continues to happen.”
Additionally, Brown said his presentation will analyze current political issues and laws that visibly impact Black people.
“In many states, it’s still legal to hire and fire people based on their hairstyle,” Brown said. “Students are kicked out of class for having dreadlocks. Students are not allowed to play sports while wearing hijabs.”
One example Brown touches on involves Maia and Deanna Cook. According to a March 2022 article in the Associated Press, the twin sisters were kicked out of their respective sports teams in 2017 after refusing to take off their box braids. Additionally, the same article states that a 16-year-old boy named Andrew Johnson was forcibly expelled from a sports team. He cut off his dreadlocks to compete in a wrestling match in 2018.
This repeated discrimination led to the passage of the Crown Act of 2022, which stands for Respect for Natural Hair and Creating an Open World, which Brown said he will focus part of his presentation on.
“Part of the value that Dr. Brown brings is not only recognizing some of the processes that occur in sport and society, but also working to eliminate those negative dynamics and alleviate the hidden challenges that often exist. It’s about getting more attention to our work with Black girls and women,” Knoster said.
Awareness-raising and research presentations are important elements of the discussion, but since the event is open to the public, Brown said she hopes participants will embrace open and respectful conversations with each other. he said.
“I recommend this is definitely a valuable talk, especially for those who are interested in sports and society from a black female perspective and understand misogynoir and anti-blackness,” Brown said. he said. “So I really hope people will come join me in this conversation.”
