The US Army Is Becoming More Hair Inclusive - Will States Follow Suit?

Creating a Respectful Open World for Natural Hair. That’s the mission of the CROWN ACT.  

The CROWN Act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools. Ending hair discrimination would, as Rep. Ilhan Omar puts it, step forward to combat racial discrimination. She states, “For far too long Black women have been penalized for simply existing as themselves.” 

The CROWN act is backed by numerous studies on how hair discrimination affects women in the workplace. A national study by Dove reveals Black women are 80 percent more likely to change their natural hair to meet social norms or expectations at work. Moreover, Black women are 1.5 times more likely to have reported being sent home or know of a Black woman sent home from the workplace because of her hair. Seven states made the bill law and it is now at the federal level and is making its way to the senate. If it is approved by the senate and President Biden, all 50 states would adopt more inclusive practices. 

While we wait on the CROWN Act on the federal level, The US Army is making changes of its own. The US Army is known for its uniform regulations that extend to soldiers’ bodies. The imagery of men’s buzz cuts and women’s low, tight buns have become synonymous with the US soldier aesthetic. The grooming regulations and policy of the Army have had similar discriminatory guidelines and language as US businesses, but that changes this year. While we await several states to put the CROWN Act on the books, the US Army has made integral updates to their grooming standards that reflect the inclusive practices and protection included in the CROWN Act. The grooming policy is changing to allow a broader range of standards, especially when it comes to Black women’s natural hair and the language used when referencing hairstyles associated with diverse populations. 

The changes come from the US army taking suggestions from female soldiers who noted how their hair affected their performance. Sgt. Major of the Army Michael Grinston said these new policies are “about listening to our soldiers, taking what they are saying and determining how can we incorporate that into the Army. They spoke out, we listened, and I think we went through a really good process. I’m really excited about the changes we’re making.”

The new policies allow women to shave their heads or wear ponytails of any length. Previously, hair ponytails could only be worn during training and many female soldiers commented that their helmets actually stayed on better when their hair could remain in a ponytail and tucked into their uniform (for safety measures). Hairstyle combinations such as braided twists and locs were also approved to wear outside of training. The changes ensure that Black soldiers have more options and choices when it comes to styling their hair for both comfort and safety. Black soldiers used to have to straighten their hair or remove protective hairstyles or face penalties. Black hair is now being considered in terms of both length and texture, which is a huge step forward for hair inclusivity as well as the mental health and physical health of Black soldiers.

The change of language in the policy is also notable. While locs were allowed in 2017, the language in the army grooming regulation’s description still used the term “dreadlock”- a term with a strong association to slavery. In the previous description, there is certainly racial bias reflected in the description of locs as seen below: 

Males: Are not authorized to wear braids, cornrows, or dreadlocks (unkempt, twisted, matted, individual parts of hair) while in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty. Hair that is clipped closely or shaved to the scalp is authorized."

Females: Dreadlocks (unkempt, twisted, matted individual parts of hair) are prohibited in uniform or in civilian clothes on duty.

The new regulations are changing the term dreadlocks to locs and removing the description of the hairstyle and removing the term “Mohawk.”

There are several other changes coming as well regarding lipstick, nail polish, earrings, and name tag names (soldiers can finally put their full name if it is hyphenated and include any accent marks). While all of these changes are certainly notable, we believe that some of the gender performativity of some of the changes will still need to be considered in the future. For instance, women’s nail polish can be nude while men’s cannot. 

These changes in the US Army’s grooming policies are a demonstration that it is time (or more plainly, past time) to cross-examine policies to allow for language to be openly inclusive. Our history has taught us that bias and discrimination thrive in the unexamined shadows of procedures. Passive inclusivity when it comes to a person’s natural existence or even preferential grooming practice is not enough; we should be creating safe workspaces through active inclusivity rooted in policy, action, and change in order to truly aim for health and safety for all members of society. 

Will the States follow suit? According to The CROWN Act, the Act was filed in 2020 in the following states, but did not become law:

Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode, Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and  Wisconsin.

Want to see change happen in 2021? Visit the CROWN Act’s petition to sign and learn more about how to end hair discrimination!