Pflugerville community invited to CROWN Act discussion

Efforts continue to pass CROWN Act legislation in Pflugerville. The community has been invited to a discussion on the Act on Feb. 21.

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - Meme Styles is motivated by her daughter, Joy.

"My dream is that baby Joy experiences joy and has no negative experience or thought about her hair," said Styles.

Styles, along with Angel Carroll and Yolanda Gary-Fisher, are some of the women working to raise awareness of efforts to pass the CROWN Act in Pflugerville.

"The CROWN Act is really about doing what’s right for our community, our community of color, so we don’t have to worry about going into work and changing who we are because we have braids or we wear our hair naturally," said Styles.

CROWN stands for ‘Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.’ The CROWN Act is a law that prohibits discrimination based on hairstyles associated with race.

"I remember in 8th grade I was forced to cut off my braids for school," said Carroll. "They were seen as distracting, and that experience has stayed with me even into adulthood."

Activists work to pass the Crown Act in Pflugerville

Crown stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. The City of Austin recently passed a similar legislation.

According to a 2019 Dove CROWN Research Study, black women are 80% more likely to change their natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work.

Other cities, including Austin, have passed CROWN Acts. Lawmakers will also be considering similar legislation this session at the state level.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Pi Omega Zeta Chapter will be hosting an open, community discussion on the CROWN Act at Abundant Life Church in Pflugerville on Feb. 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.