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Community Gathers to Support Local Natural Hair Proposed
Ordinance.
By Tricia Hall
Sojourner’s Truth Reporter
A local group organized a rally to generate support for the
proposed discrimination ban ordinance. Youth for Change held
a two-hour event called, Wearing our Crown, on December 1,
2019 at Groomed Barber Shop on Monroe Street. The event
invited the community to hear stories and points related to
this issue.
Youth for Change founder, Precious Jackson, opened the event
by explaining that the ordinance impacts all aspects of our
lives and future goals. “When this passes in city council,
it will allow us to celebrate our differences. We are
impacted everyday by natural hair stereotypes, whether
you’re at work or even school. All we want is to feel valued
and want diversity embraced. This was adopted by Councilman
[Nick] Komives and will go before city council in December,
but the overall goal is to pass a national law.”
The first half of the event featured a panel discussion that
included four individuals who shared their different
experiences, then later the audience was invited to comment.
The panelists consisted of Megan Davis, The Kitchen Salon
owner, a loctician; The Ohio Natural Hair Coalition founder,
who wears deadlocks; Adrian Trenton, Youth for Change member
with dreadlocks; Diana Patton, an attorney with natural
hair; and Malachi Wattley, the Central Catholic high school
student who dealt a school ban policy because of his
deadlocks in 2017.
“There is an issue with natural hair, especially in
corporate. They want to uphold an image. I started working
on the corporate level in 1999. Back then you wouldn’t dare
wear natural hair during an interview, and you didn’t want
to see HR if someone had an issue with your hair. The goal
in corporate is to create uniformity, which starting back in
the 1930s. However, once blacks spoke up and laws were
passed, we entered the workforce. We have to say
discrimination is wrong. No one did back than because we
wanted to keep our jobs. As I speak out, I hear the worse
from blacks that are asking me what I am doing and why am I
doing this,” explained Patton.
Youth for Change was founded in February of this year. The
organization’s focus is to promote civic engagement and
advocacy among the youth.
“We’re not the only race that styles our natural hair, but
most policies focus on how African Americans wear our hair.
I was even told at work to cut my hair, so it would fit
under a work helmet. I didn’t have to cut them. Those of us
who speak out against natural hair discrimination aren’t
choosing to fight, but we have to fight this system,”
explained Trenton during the discussion responses.
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, discrimination is
defined as ‘a prejudiced outlook, action or treatment; the
act, practice, or am instance of discriminating
categorically rather than individually.’
“Discrimination isn’t just about natural hair, but also
about the right to style or wear your hair in it’s natural
state without fear of consequences from schools or
employers,” explained Davis.
“I am here because I don’t want to see another student deal
with the same situation that I did. I was told that my hair
was a distraction and was suspended. I was told the
suspension would remain until my hair that was in
dreadlocks, was cut. None of my teachers would send my
assignments home to me and my mom did inquire before I
enrolled if my hair would be an issue, because it’s
connected to my culture,” explained Wattley.
The proposed ordinance O-451-19 would amendment the Toledo
Municipal Code. It was proposed by City of Toledo Council
Memberss Nick Komives, Yvonne Harper and Cecelia Adams. It
would prohibit discrimination against natural hair types or
styles, headwraps that can be associated to an individual’s
race, culture or religion.
The November 26 vote was
delayed until after this event and set for a vote on
December 10, 2019.
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