Discriminate against someone because of their hair? There's a law prohibiting it

The Crown Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” was first introduced in California in January 2019 and signed into law six months later. Photo: AFP

In 2018, high-school wrestler Andrew Johnson was forced to have his dreadlocks cut off during a match in New Jersey, in the United States. It’s a decision that was made by the referee, who considered that the sportsman’s hairstyle broke regulations. The young wrestler was then faced with two options: shave his head or forfeit the match.

Opting for the first one, he suffered a humiliating ordeal, as he would later say himself, in an event that sparked criticism of this decision and support for him throughout the US.