This interview aired in the April 24, 2023 episode of Crosscurrents.
"We shouldn’t need legislation for our hair. Nobody else needs it.”Lyzette Wanzer
Black hair is a complex issue in the U.S. For many Black people their hairstyles are a form of expression and a celebration of their culture. Or how one styles their wear, is simply just what they want to do. But there has been controversy around Black hair. Black people have lost jobs, been expelled from school and endured other forms of oppression simply for how others view their style and hair texture. California was the first state to pass the CROWN Act in 2019 to protect people from hair discrimination.
Wanzer gathered Black women writers, including Afro Latinas, and gave them space on the page to voice their thoughts and share their personal stories in "Trauma, Tresses, and Truth: Untangling Our Hair Through Personal Narrative."
This interview was co-produced by Porfirio Rangel.