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Douglas Byrd student urges board to adopt CROWN Act protecting natural hairstyles
Summary
A Douglas Byrd High School student and Girl Scout presented research and urged the board to enact the CROWN Act locally to ban hair discrimination, citing Wake County Schools' July 2024 adoption and pending state-level bills.
"Can you imagine being a student suspended from school for the natural hairstyle you chose to wear?" said Toria Council, a senior at E.E. Smith High School, during public forum, although Council identified herself as a student and Girl Scout working on a Girl Scout Gold Award project.
Council asked the Cumberland County Board of Education to enact the CROWN Act — "creating a respectful and open world for natural hair" — to ban hair discrimination based on race in schools and workplaces. She said she had not identified documented cases of hair discrimination in Cumberland County Schools but argued for a proactive policy: "Why do we have to wait for that 1 incident to happen to take a stand?" Council referenced Wake County Schools' adoption of the CROWN Act in July 2024 and said state lawmakers have introduced related legislation.
Council said her Girl Scout Gold Award research on "texturism" showed discrimination based on hair texture affects self-esteem and morale and urged the board to send a message that "all natural hair is okay." The board took the comment under advisement; no board action was recorded during the meeting.
Ending
Council concluded by thanking the board; the meeting record shows no immediate move to draft or consider a local policy during that session.
