Everyone should be able to be their authentic selves at work, which includes wearing the hair that naturally grows out of their head in natural hairstyles. Yet, this is not the reality for many people of color. Congress has noted the seriousness of this issue as demonstrated by the United States House of Representative’s recent passage of the CROWN Act, which prohibits discrimination at work based on texture or style of hair. In Episode 2, we discuss the need for inclusive views of professionalism in the legal profession, why the CROWN Act is so important, and how the legal profession must adapt and embrace a culture of diversity.
Everyone should be able to be their authentic selves at work, which includes wearing the hair that naturally grows out of their head in natural hairstyles. Yet, this is not the reality for many people of color. Congress has noted the seriousness of this issue as demonstrated by the United States House of Representative’s recent passage of the CROWN Act, which prohibits discrimination at work based on texture or style of hair.
In Episode 2, we discuss the need for inclusive views of professionalism in the legal profession, why the CROWN Act is so important, and how the legal profession must adapt and embrace a culture of diversity. The hosts of this episode are joined by our special guest, Judge Ashleigh Parker Dunston, a District Court Judge in the 10th Judicial District of Wake County in North Carolina. Judge Dunston has extensively written and spoken about the CROWN Act. She also serves as a role model by embracing her authentic identity from the bench and promotes an environment that does not pressure black women or any person of color to conform to dated, Eurocentric views of what is deemed “professional.”
Our Hosts this Week:
E. Bahati Mutisya, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/bahati-mutisya
Tenia L. Clayton, Associate
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/tenia-clayton
Nakimuli Davis-Primer, Shareholder
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/Nakimuli-Davis-Primer
Special Guest Host:
Judge Ashleigh Parker Dunston, District Court Judge in the 10th Judicial District of North Carolina
https://judgeashleigh.com/about-ashleigh-parker-dunston/
Resource Guide:
My Crown is Professional: Wearing Natural Hair in the Courtroom by Judge Ashleigh Parker Dunston
https://www.actec.org/assets/1/6/MyCrownIsProfessional.pdf?hssc=1
Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (CROWN) of 2022 (H.R. 2116)
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2116/text