We have a special bonus episode today, about some big news coming from the state of California.

We're talking about hair. In today's bonus episode, we will be discussing a ban on discrimination against natural hair that was recently passed in California. The act banning this discrimination was introduced by the Democratic senator, Holly Mitchell, and it is changing the course of history in America. Tune in now, to find out more.

We also have an already-recorded episode coming up, where we're talking about the history of black hair in America. That will be followed by a second part, which will come out later this summer, featuring some of the very popular first-person narratives.

Show Highlights:

• On Wednesday, July 3rd, Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, signed into law the Crown Act.
• The Crown Act makes California the first state to ban workplace and school discrimination against black people for wearing hairstyles such as braids, twists, and locks.
• The act was introduced by the Democratic senator, Holly Mitchell, a black woman from Los Angeles who wears her hair in locks.
• California is the first state to explicitly state that those hairstyles are associated with race.
• Hairstyles which were previously defined as professional have historically been founded on a Eurocentric model, based on straight hair.
• People who don't have European features feel that they need to fit the Eurocentric model in order to be considered professional.
• Professional women also sometimes feel that they have to fit the masculine norm in order to be considered professional.
• What Gavin Newsom had to say about the discrimination that black Americans face.
• The beauty company, Dove is part of a coalition pushing for more hairstyle protections.
• Barbershop Books has just been featured in the New York Times and they are adding a layer of involvement into the importance of black barbershops in the United States, this time focusing on the literacy of black boys.
• And... The US Women's National Soccer Team beat the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup! But we're still fighting for equal pay...

Links:

Barbershop Books https://barbershopbooks.org/