Heavy is the Crown

a himbo. Mike. Just grow the dreads out, let the wind blow voice and beat the ship met to crescendo. Now i'd be rapping unil I'll be a ghana. I don't care. I'm doing what I wanna smoking on a bunch of marr. Wanna got about a truck you would think it was a farmer. Dopey people. I'm Dope Knife and we are waiting on reparations up rock. So how you doing. I'm great. I've been thriving. I've been on

the ocation. We're on summer recess from the commission for about a month um and so I've just been chilling, super hard it took me like the first two weeks to even begin to relax, Like I was like constantly like I need to be checking my email and like just like bugging out every day or anything. No, I don't even know what I've slapped this taking like very long naps is the only thing I've done with this time. Um and general and actually, okay, let's so my second

album was now done, so that's not that's not nothing. Yeah, so use that little feature from our boy dumb knife there. Yeah so um so yeah, that's been like damning that to make sure it's ready for the world. I don't know what it's coming out or anything, but likes, the whole thing is, the whole thing is just like you definitely should spend as much time, you know, I mean put like thinking about putting it out as you spent into making it, so you're gonna totally yeah, it's probably

not gonna come OUTTI next year. Um, but just like final tweaks because like it's funny because my first album literally like I got it like mixed and everything, and like they send it to me and I refused to listen to it for like a month and a half. They're like Hey, do you have any notes? And like I just couldn't. You know how you kind of hate

the sound of your own voice, Yeah, especially the start. Yeah, I res like I think I ultimately was like, yeah, it sounds great, and I like never even listened to like the final version of it. I was just like, sure, let's do it, because I just couldn't bring myself to But with this one, I'm actually really excited about it. Uh yeah, I think I'm actually really proud of it.

So I've been listening to it, so I'm just to be minor tweaks here and there, but also just like, man, I'm really excited about you guys, So I'll stay tuned for that. But how you been, I've been a good Joe. I'm kind of doing the same thing. Like I recorded a bunch of songs like months ago. You guys might remember there was like a plane a few months ago. I was like, hey, I've been recording a bunch of ship.

So I kind of went through all of that stuff and picked out like the best joints and then like I wrote like four more new ones. So I'm putting that together to put the final touches on my album to get ready, So I'm doing that and then um oh I'm opening for Afroman August eleven in Savannah, Victory, nor A. I'll definitely mention it more as the time gets Yeah, definitely bring your vis you know, bring yours. Oh my god? Does that? Does he have new music?

Is he still making making music? You know? I don't know. Um, but I'm about to go brush up and like I'm only a casual out for Afroman fan to begin with. But like when they when they came to me with the you know, the pairing for it, like yeah, do you want to do this? I was like, oh wait, dope knife Afroman. That yeah, we've got the props. That's just like six bottles of visin up on the stage and uh yeah, amazing. Well let's dope. Let's dope. So

what we got today? So today, in honor of Natural Crown Day, which is on July three, which was a day of action on social media, we're predominantly black woman. We're posting pictures of themselves the hashtag Crown Act to draw attention to a piece of federal legislation, uh, the Grown Act, which stands for creating a respectful and Oakland World for natural hair. Um, it's an act that is meant to prohibit discrimination based on a person's hair, texture

or hairstyle. So in honor of of this day of action that happened recently, UM, we were gonna talk a little bit about you know the importance of of of hair and with regards to our sense of racial identity discrimination. Folks have haste historically as a offshoot of racial discrimination, particularly you know, surrounding um hairstyles both natural and this one case we found where the girl got kicked at school for a weave. It's like, what do you want

us to do? Natalie has side you don't like the natural hair, you don't, we haven't we I don't understand which what you want me to do? Um, and then touch on how this has been addressed in hip hop. That's kind of what we got going on today. So UM as a man, but you got I mean, like you can keep it, keep it pretty close, pretty tight

over there. I don't know if you have any like personal reflections to share on the world of the world of hair, sir, but well, I mean, I definitely like for the last I should I don't know how many years, But to be honest with you, the more that I was getting serious about what I was trying to do, I just stopped paying attention to my hair and I was just went with whatever was the easiest, which is

just shaving it like every three days or so. But when I was younger, I definitely did more interesting show. If you have any pictures we got a post session on Instagram, definitely, Yeah, I'm a grab one right now,

alright butt yeah, but yeah. I mean, I guess this is gonna be somewhat of a uh, informative episod for me to hear about some of these things, because it's like, you know, I've always considered anyone's being denied service for their hairstyle or something like that that's illegal and I think it's whacked and we probably need legislation if they're like discriminating against kids in schools and stuff like that.

But just just thinking back to working in service industry, I kind of understood in a sense because I had worked for different places that had different policies, you know what I mean, Like some places I was bartending, and it's like it's all about, hey, we want people to come to this place for you, like whatever who you are, so whatever you have, that's gonna be like an identifier to you. Go ahead and rocket. So you got mad tattoos, you want to do whatever with your hair, go ahead

and do it. But then I've worked at other spots where it's like, no, it's it's about the ambiance and the blah blah blah blah. You know what I mean. If you have tattoos, cover them up, and if you're if you're if there's if your hair is doing anything that is attracting attention, check that ship. Sure they and you did. They want you to pretty much not exist exactly.

And this is completely anecdotal, but like just in the particular place that I worked, it was like for the most part, it was really like the kids coming the white kids coming in with like aqua green and purple hair that they were like, no, you can't do that, but they left us at I mean, like black people who had dreads. I just told you that there like to tie it up so that it's not dangling and ship.

But other than that, you know what I mean. But again, that's just one experience, and you know, like one thing. But obviously I've heard like the stories and and all that sort of stuff. So I'm interested to hear more

about this Crown Act. I mean, and on that. I think one area where, particularly with an employment it's like, uh, it's like easy, it's easy for employance together, it was a discrimination when they claim like issues of hygiene because they don't understand something like dreadlocks or something like an afro to them because of the way um um, you know,

black folk folks have been perceived historically. It's just like inherently dirty sort of then transferred that like undertation projection onto your hair when they don't understand anything about like maintenance or this or that, and so like you know in and um in we I actually tried to bring forward or an amendment to a piece of legislation here in Athens to protect against hair discrimination in our non

discrimination ordinance. And we're talking about like, oh, well, you know, if it's your natural hairstyle, um, if a white black whoever, like, they can't discriminate against it. It's like okay, but both me and this other white commissioner technically have her hair down right now. She's an old white lady with like long, you know, gray hair, and I got the afro out, Like if they tell me to put mine up because it's a sanitation issue, but they don't tell her to

put it up. Like we're both wearing we're both wearing your hair natural, so like count and we had this long discussion about whether or not that counted as discrimination. Um, so just on that and what's your like? First of all, I mean, how long have you You've always rocked the giant afro since I've known you, But how long have you rocked it? In? What's you're like? Background? Yeah, I

should totally give some background. Yeah, no, no, yeah, So I stopped straining my hair and I was think fifteen years old, so I've been wearing like this for about thirteen years now. Um, And like at the time, it was just purely like I fucking hated going to the salon, just like I hated sitting in a chair for hours and getting my scalp burned, and just like and like and straining my hair with a way to become invisible, like just to fit in to get to like keep

it low key. It wasn't like I felt like it was an expression of who I was, nor did I really feel like an afro was nexpression when I was I was just looking sick of just you know, every month or whatever, getting all these chemicals and in my hair and all the ship and so to stop and just kind of like out of rebellion, like just fuck you guys, I don't do this anymore. But like I didn't. I wasn't aware of like the like you know, the ties of like natural hair and that's like symbolism within

the civil rights movement or anything like that. People started telling I always like the name is, I don't know who funk that was? Um, Like I was just like it's kind of almost more of like a punk emo sort of thing. I was just like, look authority, bro. Yeah, it wasn't necessarily like a cultural identified No no, no, no, it was just like yeah, I mean, being an angsty little bit and just not wanting to deal with like yeah, it's in the like all this effort that put in

I put into like disappearing at school, you know every day. Um, and then I just wanted to like this ever since, because yeah, I just don't. I mean, I I value salons. It's like the therapeutic environment, Like I understand what this place they hold in our culture, but like personally for me, it's just easier to not like worrying, Oh when am I kind of book my appointment and hey a hundred dollars and dada, I just like, you know, get up,

watch it, brush it. It goes like this and then I just lived my life and I just don't think about it. I just don't care. But that freedom, that freedom to not care, the freedom to whether it's like, oh, you know, you can go to your job interview and your dreadlocks and not be worried about it. You can wear your hair natural and afro and not worry about it. You can where are we've and not worry about it like that that I think is at the essence of

what this Act is meant to accomplish. That. But in terms of like freedom, you know, I mean I have I have like some other questions, but I guess we should, uh, we should let them out. What We're gonna get more in depth into the set everything after the jump. Yeah, So I'm wondering if you know, and please stop me if we get into it. But so, how do they enforce it or what's the plan to like enforce it.

So in my research on the Crown Act at the federal level, like they repeatedly say like, oh, the bill outlines um methods of enforcement. Um, if you give me a second, I will actually um the bill. Because here if if an employer, like, for example, if they're gonna discriminate against somebody who has dreadlots. But then like somebody can come in with like a mohawk, a white person come in with a mohawk and do an interview, and that's like a clear cut example, you know what I mean?

But what happens when there's not that clear cut example? And how do you like, I'm wondering, like, how do they determine when it's just yeah, it's interesting that it is specifically focused on hairstyles that are linked to racial or ethnic identity, and so it does not like if you get discriminated against some faces, up, I have pink hair, and then I actually then be something that we might

discuss later. I wanted to talk a little bit about, you know how Shaky Richardson sort of inspired a lot of people with having a very unconventional per to no solemn general but like she had orange hair, that's not necessarily something that isn't like inherent to black culture or something that people seek out as like a black thing. But because she is a black woman, it might be looked upon differently than if she was a white woman. Um.

There's interesting implications there. But with regards to enforcement, UM, the federal the federal bill says that if you're discriminated against her federally assisted program, so like if you are if you are participant in public housing or any other sort of UM, I don't know, wicked snap programs like that, and someone tries to deny you on the basis of

you know, your dreads look gross or something. UM, they say it should be enforced by the same means as if um, it was a part of the Similar Rights Act of nineteen sixty four. So there's like a precedence said from state to state assuming UM, yeah, probably very state to say it says, you know, to say, within the same jurisdiction as would be in for if it were a part of the Civil Rights Act. Um. But what was gonna say, Um, So yeah, same thing with

like housing programs. UM. You know, it would be UM enforced with the same measures as would any other infraction

under the Fair Housing Acts. And so it sort of tucks it into um, some of these other pieces of legislation that already exists in terms of existing enforcement mechanisms rather than like piloting yeah yeah, and interesting, the Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty four, um actually did um, it did protect I mean it prohibited prohibited discrimination based on race, but only protected against discrimination against Afros specifically. I guess it's like the fucking stereotypical well that was.

That was like as as much as the imagination went yeah yeah, you know, like they see the yeah with the Caesar or afro, Yeah exactly, and so some of the more some of the protective hairstyles like locks, twists, trades, um. And I guess I mean we could get into this a little back and forth about like whether like we'ves count because this what is this one example? Or this girl I mean she had like she had extensions, let's say, so they were meant to look like natural hair, but

it wasn't her natural hair. And even so, I mean I guess that one to see a picture. I mean, the whole thing, the whole thing is the whole premise. I just whatever it is that we you know, end up getting into, I just want my position is the whole premise of it is whack. Somebody's hairstyle isn't determinative, determinative who they are as a person, you know something about their personality, or what type of worker they are, what type of student they're going to be, all of

that ship. So wait, wait, do you want to just you want just get started. I'm sure we can. Being his fault, yeah, we're kind of jumping all around. Yeah, let's let's just let's get into it, and then let's get into where this bill comes from. So the spill or these bills rather the federal one, and then there's various versions that have been passed the state and municipal level. Go to stores of discrimination against black people with dreadlocks,

twist natural hair, or even shockingly weaves. Um. A study connected by Dove found that black women are more likely to change their hair their natural hair to conform with social norms or expectations at work, and the black women are one point five times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair. Um. I definitely got told, particularly when I was so yo, look check the ship out. This is kind of wild, and I kind of find it a little suspect, But like

I think I'm down. So Dove is like the leader of this political coalition of the National Urban League, Color of Change, Western Center on Lawn Poverty to like pass the Crown Act. Like they are championing the passage of the Crown ex federally. Um. If you go to the Crown Act website, they give you information on there's like model legislation, there's sun a petition, There's that gives you a link to the mail your senator. There's other resources.

So like they're like, it's like, I personally have never seen a corporation like lead the charge on passing legislation like this before. It's kind of like creepy and girls some I just did. I just did a Google search for Dove hair study and like a bunch of stuff about the Crown Act that's coming up. Yeah. They yeah, they did research into both perceptions and changes and attitude or like the things that people have actually done, as well as like fears that people have about discrimination in

their right places. I don't see what insidious motivation there could be, So I mean it seems like yeah, and any good thing. Yeah. I mean, like I feel like you very frequently with like you know, corporate diversity initiatives, etcetera. You see them give money to organizations to do this kind of work. But process is more common than I realized. I just don't funk with corporations that much, So I didn't didn't dune at me that they do this kind

of all the time. But from what i've a good amount of this stuff is actually dated back in a minute, yes before. Yeah, they were here before the George Floyd ship. Yeah, and so it's like they've been at it. And from what I can tell from their social media presence around the campaign, it's not like, you know, like by Dove, you know, like they're not promoting themselves. They just happened to be a partner in this word, which I just

find really interesting. But anyway, so they did they they did a study, um, you know around uh, you know, behavioral changes that black women often have to make or feel they have to make in order to fit in in the workplaces, and then actual punitive action that's been taken against black women, you know, black women being sent

home from work more often. UM. I definitely felt pressure when I was going to become a teacher, Like I got people telling It's like who told me, like you can't, you can't, we can't be a teacher and looked like that. It's like straight up not like it like not like job interviews. But when I was like consulting with people in the profession, like most time honestly almostly got it from like white guys. But um, but they were like, yeah, no,

that's not gonna work. And then it don't even it did, but that but that alone, when you do you think they were telling you? Do you think they were telling you in terms of like what they thought or what they thought the reaction was going to be exactly so um, not necessarily on the basis of anything they had seen

with regards to workplace policy and probably their own racism. Um, but even hearing that, like that's enough to this way someone like M and I was looking into a little bit later in the episode, like maybe I want to apply for that job or like oh there's nobody they'll let me work there, you know, look you know, or or enough to change your style like with a legit change the way you look because it scared of what

might happen. It sucks, But it's just like, you know, there's just other things that it's like that same sort of thing applies to like for example, it's no secret I smoke, you know what I mean. And I've always had to navigate from jobs that drug tests. It's always been like a man, that job would be cool, but I'm weighing it out, and it's like, it's not really worth me changing my style, you know what I mean,

get to go work there. But if I personally know that if I was in a situation to where I had to have that job where my choices were more limited, hey, I might have to stop smoking in order to pay the light bill, and that's a decision I have to make. It's like, from a cultural aspect, it sucks because that shouldn't even be the case, you know what I mean, It should not be the case. No, Yeah, but it's

interesting with that. Um like that both of these things, both hairstyles and um consumption habits, could be seen as a lifestyle choice, whereas like protective hairstyles for like black hair, it's not really a choice like if you to keep your hair healthy, if you're trying to like grow it out, if you're trying to prevent breakage, etcetera. Like you kind of if you kind of gotta do it, and that's

no offense. You can like you said, you can stop smoking if you really had to, but like you kind of got aware, like your braids, you know, if you're gonna keep your hair out exactly. I mean, I just don't. Yeah, people from out the culture don't don't stand that. And so like employers like, well, why don't you choose to

cut your dreadlocks off to work here? Like it's not that big deals Like actually, I mean but both of these I would say they're in the same category of like knows that's actually a big deal, Like this is my you know, yeah, lifestyle choices should not be impediments to your because it doesn't. You definitely got to do some some work like culturally, But I mean, I think we're like a generation away again, you know. I mean it's just like tattoos, you know, when I when I

first it's crazy to think that. It's like when I first got into the like job market as like a young adult, like oh manner right, I'm looking for a job, it was still a thing of oh man, you've got that tattoo on your forearm. I know, yeah that up like that was still the thing. So it's not even ancient history. But I've watched in the last fifteen years that it's every job that I go to there's people with full sleeves and tattoos on their neck and stuff,

and no one really cares. But again, I'm in Savannah. But things like you know, the Crown Act even happening. I think those moved the pendulum of that sort of thing. But on the topic of like, oh you, why don't

you just cut your druads off? I mean there's famous examples. Recently, omen by the name of Chastity Jones got into a ten year legal battle after she says an employer at a call center in Alabama took back her job offer because she refused to cut her dreadlocks, which like working in a call like working in a call center, are you fucking like if ever when you find dining like I already can't like really excuse it, but like I

sort of understand where you're coming from, understanding and barely yeah, um, but did a call center you literally not even see anyone face to face? Yeah, ten years she fought with them over their rescinded job offer in that regard, and

then we see it frequently in schools as well. Black students are disciplined at a rate four times higher of any other racial or ethnic group, and research has found that seventy of these suspensions are discretionary and that many of them actually stemmed from dress code violations, which in turn can include unapproved hairstyles. So um. Another one example in eighteen UM, a Louisiana sixth grade greater was kicked off school grounds because her um, like her bread extensions

violated school policy. Um. You know the her elementary school uh head of policy that states that only that students can only wear their natural hair, which is kind of like a reverse of what we have been talking about regards to this act. They said in a statement that they offered her family an opportunity to comply with the uniform and dress policy, but her family chose to withdraw

the student. The student was not as suspended or six spelled, which I don't really think it's how much better because it's like they would have suspended her probably for violation of this policy. Your family chose to not put her

through that and sept her out of school. Um. But again, you know, extensions like if you're growing your hair out, um, and you know it's not quite yet the link you're trying to get it at but do you want to emulate a more natural hairstyle like braids, you know, just get you just get brainds, brake extensions, UM, like a private school or something like that. Yeah, it was like

it was like a private Christian school or something. Um. And so another example a little somewhat you know, I think it pushes the limits of what we understand this act to do. But um, ultimately, yeah, I mean it does protect against discrimination against hairstyles that are associated with

your racial or ethnic group. That included if you have if you have um extensions that emulate like a black hairstyle or you know, are you know, affiliated with black culture, That too, I think is encompassed in the protections that this bill would offer. Well, I mean, dress codes definitely historically have been used to you know what I mean, like on to covertly discriminate against ethnic groups and stuff like that. So oh for sure, the whole framework of

professionalism is a like classis and white supremacist concept. I think, like just like what we deemed professional is is based on like white middle class, upper middle class like you know, Western norms, um, that don't actually have anything to do as you said earlier, with your ability to enact the functions of the job professionally. What do you think about what I said earlier about like how we're most likely

like a generation away. I agree, I agree. I mean, I think with the passage of acts like these that then allow us to break down the cultural barriers and open opportunities for those those um for that cultural education, like oh, once people start working together with folks of different who have different hairstyles and come to learn more about the maintenance, the history, the functionality, like why these

things are this way. It's not dirty, it's it's this way on purpose, and this is how you know it works. Then and um, yeah, I think like in a generation, people won't care anymore and we won't even probably won't even need the legislations just because from a cultural exactly. Yeah, we had to break the door down someplace. So so I guess let's getting to this other story right up. So a few months later, a wrestling officials told New Jersey high school athlete athlete Andrew Johnson, who'd have to

cut his dreadlocks in order to compete. Johnson opted to cut his hair and compete. The video incident shows the trainer cutting his dreadlocks as people in the gymnasium watch. I remember seeing that so just so dehumanizing, so dehumanizing, because like everybody standing around watching you get your hair cut off in the middle of the school gym bro.

Honestly though, actually it's really funny. In one article on this story that I found, um, the referee in question into that sixteen was accused of calling a black reference and then he got body slammed in the great there you go. So yeah, this guy probably wasn't like yeah, you know what I'm saying there, because it just it's it's again, it's it's one of those things where it's like, man, I've never heard of that. That doesn't seem like a thing. Why wouldn't you just have him put his hair out

if that was the issue at all? That I mean, you can't be like cut your hair more like right there in the middle of everybody, like nigger, we see you. It's on cameras. Ship like I know, yeah, like you're laying that ship on a little thick you know what I'm saying. It's like the different forms of racism and ship you got like the oh, dear, I don't feel safe with that black guy in the neighborhood racism and then you got like that weirdo, we are the master

race racism. That's like that sort of ship like cut your dreads now, I know. Yeah, but thankfully the the athlete he did, he did cut his hair, sadly, but he went on to win the match by takedown, which you honestly do love to see. And then the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights in the New Jersey State Interschalactic Athletic Association investigated an incident and bench the referee for the duration of the investigation. So okay, so at least I had a somewhat good ending to it. But

sucks he had to cut his ship. But okay, So let's talk about Shikari Richardson speaking of athletes and hair. So her issue is like, you know, in all honesty, I haven't really heard too many you know, it's too much commentary about her hair. But again, I wasn't really following her until the whole thing with weed because me but but um, yeah, no, So I mean it's like, but it's like, obviously, the whether she wears her hair in the sport that she's in, you know, it obviously

makes her stand out. The combination of the tattoo, she got the long nail, she got the orange hair. But yeah, those she happens to be dope, the fastest woman in the I say it to America. Yeah, so I have have people been talking about her hair like negatively or something? Yeah, I mean, well, I think I think a lot of people found it really inspiring that, you know, rather than like there's something about athleticism where it's like it's not about how you look, it's about what you do with

your body. Um. And so the fact that she could combine both in a way like combining like aspects of personal style that ordinarily it would be seen as very ratchet like oh she got you know, law orange hair, she had these crazy nails, etcetera. But like, also she can fucking out run any of you bitches any day

and highest hell probably at the same time. Um was like really, I think the stories like that really inspired people and be like, oh, you can be who you are and do do up ship at the same time. So yeah, well the reason can the thing that makes me um, you know, it feeds into also why I think it's like we're a generation away from that is like, you know, I watched basketball a lot. And again it's like I was, I was watching basketball where like in

the late nineties and ship, everybody's hair. Everybody was either bald headed or had a caesar or like a little fro, a little bit of a fro or something like that. But Alan Iverson was, you know, one of the first ones to come in and have the corn rows and the ship and he would get like different configurations of

corn rows and the designs and ship. Yeah, but again he was feeding off of what Dennis Rodman did before him, who was coming in with a colorful hair when you know, and Dennis Rodman was doing it when really nobody nobody anything interesting. Nobody was rocking tattoos like that or anything like that. I think things like that trickled down and

into society. I think I didn't do that, and that that like we've way into my personal ethos around like style and professionalism and like my job as elected official.

Like I I mean, I'll like dress up if I have to, but like when I go to a community events and stuff I very frequently just like where would I wear, you know, saggy hoodies and just like stuff I wear a hip hop show because I think it's really important for the people I represent, especially the children in the in the district, to know that you can just like look how you look and how you feel comfortable, um and represent where you come from culturally, and also

just kick ass that whatever you're trying to do, like rather than reinforce the notion that like, you can only be good at your job if you look a certain way, It's like, oh no, Like, actually, I spend more time focusing on legislation that makes the community better than I do, Like, oh, you know, do is my we've good and like my heels on fleet and ship because that doesn't doesn't that doesn't impact anybody's life. Yeah, but it's all part of normalization.

I think that's kind of what you do, you know what I mean. It's it's like rights, normalization is important ever going to get there and it might seem incremental, but at the end of the day, it all compiles

on and it all means something. It's like, it's important that there's a politician like you doing what you're doing because that, you know, how however big, that will you a point of reference years from now when the next person wants to get in there exactly and it was important for this where I'm going to do his things.

So Alan, I received this thing, and it was important for you carry to do her thing telling us from now, the whole US team be looking to you know, authentic at hell whatever that means to them, that without question, because they're like, no, I'm focused on being the fastest motherfucker out here, and I'm not focused on what y'all think folks to look like. Or I'm out here trying to win some motherfucking basketball. I do not care if y'all think the designs of my corn rows are like

goofy or whatever. It's a beautiful thing. But um, let's move on to discuss some um state level versions of the legislation which I've been adapted adopted. I think thirteen states at this point, California, New Jersey, New York, California. I said that twice. Uh, California, California, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Maryland, Connecticut, in New Mexico, Delaware, and Nebraska. Some of these are

kind of struck me as surprising, Like Nebraska. I mean, I know, I don't know you all had black people in Nebraska. Well, I mean, it's like I would imagine the black people in Nebraska probably feel, oh they're feeling it. Oh they need, oh they need They're like, please protect us, please yeah. Um. And then several of the states have similar bills in the works, I mean as the valleys as well as well of taking it upon themselves to

pass ordinances banning hair discrimination in the absence of state action. UM. One such place, UM Louisball, Kentucky, which I think passed UM Crown Act legislation earlier this year. UM in part due to a hip hop song produced by some middle schoolers who we had the pleasure of speaking to you

a few months back. UM. They called themselves the Prodigies, and they had a song called Crown and a TikTok challenge that went with it, where UM they encouraged viewers UM and content creators to show off all the various hairstyles they like to rock. UM and you know, I'm just gonna be proud of it. And the lyrics to talk about my curls, motswist, moltops, my braids. Uh, it's actually playing a little bit of it. UM. I think

that a second. So in March, congresswoman in Yanna Pressley of Massachusetts seven District, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey twelve, Barbara Lee of California thirteen, Alan Alan Omar of Minnesota, OH five, and Gwen Moore of Wisconsin o for announced reintroduction of Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, which is a Crown Act in the House of Representatives, simultaneously releasing a letter since Vice President Kamala Harris urging

her to use the platform is the first black woman to hold that office, to help ensure the bill reaches the President's desks in Congress. Senator Corey Booker of Democratic New Jersey y'all know him, also announced reintroduction of the Crown Acting Senate. So the chrome passed to the House this last year, but it's still wait a wait to vote in the Senate. So, you know, shout outs Senator Booker for trying to bring that to the floor. What

do you think the chances are? I mean, we all know that it's we're not it's not exactly the I think that things like they make fucking June team thought that they had vote against making Juneteenth the holiday. Bro Like they like they don't care about they're gonna believe it happens. I think this, I think I think issues like this is Unfortunately it's it's exactly what, you know,

the sort of fight that they would want. I think the Republicans would want because this is, this is critical race theory, this is wokenness, this is you know what I mean. It's like pretty much that's that's kind of their thing is to try to define everything that involves being a decent human being as woke pre cisely. Um So we'll we'll see where it goes from here. It's

been reintroduced. I don't know how many times I guess, I mean, I guess it's been up for discussion two thousand nineteen and so they reintroduced it, you know, every House session. Um so they brought it back. We'll see. But you know, they get infrastructure to deal with voting rights. Someone I wouldn't be I wouldn't be super mad if they don't get to this to like December, Let's take a little bit and listen to you talking with the

Young Prodigy about their TikTok challenge. We are here with the Young Prodigies, a rap group out of Louisville, Kentucky. And rather than trying to have me give an introduction to y'all, because I think you know it's really powerful to give the youth their own voice. I wanted to see if you wanted to introduce yourselves, tell us a little bit about who you are and where this project came from. So Keyshawn, if you would uh give us a little intro onto the who the young products are?

My name is Keyshawn ak looky the newest member that you real young produgies. What a prod of gy is is a holly telling to chill or a young person gifted with exceptional abilities. And like, we all have our own different styles and we all are very good at writing, performing, just speaking about injustice situations and changing the world with our voice and bropping. Um. My name is Andrea, but I go by name Greezy um, and I'm like the

second oldest young produg and I'm fourteen. Um. Yeah, it comes dry a k a juju like basketball and baseball and I gotta WB the boys Academy. What's up, y'all? My name your nay at Ka Driman Bill because I'm always dripping, you know what I'm saying, And I am the youngest member of the Real Young Prodigies. But I've been in this group since kindergarten. I really would have been in it since preschool, but I was a little

bit too young. My name is okay A Ray okay Um, I'm the second youngest of the Real Young page Um. I'm a living years it turned twelve one month, um, a book, two Great Day's Academy and I live. And I'm a young entreprene in my life. And my mom of my boat called Boat by Room. My name is Divine. My rap name is Connie. I've been in the Young Products the longest, so the oldest member from fifteen. I've been in the Young Pridges for seven years. All right, So thank you all so much for giving an intro

into who you all are individually. Divine, while we have you here as the oldest and longest standing member of the really Young Producties, because you talk talking to us a little bit about where this project came from. Okay, So, the Young Prodigies, it was like, I'm pretty sure nobody affected to go like as far as it did, or get um as serious as it did. It started as

more of a project, like an actual school project. When I was in like fourth grade at Wheelie Eleventtory and Nini was my teacher for my writing class, and she wanted us to do a project for something that we had coming up called Phillis Sweet Wee Day. And she asked us who wanted to make a rap for the for the day. So I was the only girl on the carpet. It was like me and like four or five other boys, and I killed it. Like we wrote a song called Phillis Sweep Love Words. Um. From there

we started taking it more seriously. People I've came and going in the group. We started doing more performances. Um. After the day that we performed, we figured out our name, which is the Prodigy. Now we like performed locally and like it's just a growing a lot of sense day. So talking about talking a little about inspiration behind y'all hit and um what y'all are advocating for, what y'all calling for. But it all started when we all was in a Rodney session. The big kids were doing third

thing with their new songs that's really coming out. I don't know when, but um so basically me Renee and ms Naren or ak Needi um. So we so we started brand storing what we love about himself. And then we started and we all said our hair, so that really get integration, that's really going into the chronic. And I look think it that the Crown I Will really helped us. And we're really trying to get the chronic passed into move with Kakstucky and also we're trying to

get Ayana Pressley who saw the Chronic and WASHINGTDC. So we so we so become produced, but we got people protect and watch tv T and yeah, and I'll started and when I heard well, UM's and the stud which we all over here, we all own there that we all love who filed the Cronac. That's how we get

That's how we all get started. And then me May started doing all these reshirts about the Pronic and we see how everybody gets discriminated by their air and I was like way by textures, by skin color, and I was really frustrating about that, and so we start to get ad So the Crown Act is basically letting you be free on walking around on that you're not gonna get fired or you're not gonna get suspended for the hair that you're in or the skin that you're in

and a lot of people, actually Caucasian people have gotten a notice that you can't do this if your hair is this way. So like they come wear Mulich if they played baseball, So it's kind of like the same with us. We can't. They have butler that had a list of what we couldn't wear, and as you could tell, it is all black hair. We should be proud of our hair. That's how I'm gonna say that, Like, there's no reason that we should have to do different things

to our hair just to make somebody else happy. Up, We're happy with the way our hair look. That it shouldn't matter to anybody else. People should up left and not put people down about their hair. Crown stands for creating a respectful and open world for natural hair, so making it to wear Black men and women feel comfortable wearing their natural hair and cannot be discriminated against wearing their natural hair and a school environment or in the workplace,

in slighting in general. Let make sure you subscribe to our YouTube and lack our videos and comment and share uh and you can find us on YouTube at the real young part of Juice, I just wanted we wanted to say thank you. It's our honored. The heavy the honor is all mine. I really appreciate time and y'all's advocacy. You're very inspiring and you're gonna inspire thousands of people. All right, those dope little dope kids, would you what was your impression of them? Yeah? So, I mean they're

from my hometown. Um, I'm really excited to see like the way they you know, the way they progress is theyell, it's a lot of them are in middle school or early high school, but they've already made a lot of waves, um politically with you know, they're still in reparations. Have I shown you that? Did we talk about that? We did? I think we maybe on our Reparations episode while ago a while ago. If you haven't seen, if you haven't seen the music video for Reparations, it's fucking bananas. It

is bananas. Um. And then yeah, with their advocacy through this TikTok challenge, raising awareness about the Crown Act um and using performances as like an opportunity to bring people together for you know, direct action to lobby their legislators there, they were actually successful in passing a version of the Crown Act in Louisville, Kentucky UM and then also went and they performed and like lobbied at the state capitol

to get the state law passed. And so it's like it's really dopef what they're doing for young people, for you know, people this young, and an example of how hip hop can be used to social awareness about you know, like I feel like very popular themes are you know, police brutality, massive carceration, but like very specific pieces of

policy like banning hair discrimination. You know, I think the fact they're already deviating from some of those, um those like core themes in hip hop and focused on like more niche public policy, Like I think that holds a lot of promise for their future, both as advocates and artists. Just to like have a very distinct lane of like should they talk about It's pretty close, that's what's up. Yeah, you love to see the youth doing doing that ship. You love to see it. It's in a dope way.

Our next song up for discussion is in they Aris I Am Not My Hair featuring a con um. I think that I mean addition to there's two things about the song that I think, well, should we just ahead, let's do it. Yeah, let's check it out real quick. We're not going to get no job lets one, no dread love, Yeah, dope, I do remember that track. No Ayre had some bangers back in the day. I hope she's thriving. She's we're both Savannah College of Art and

Design alumnia. Yeah, she's sad back in the day. Um yeah, I know. So the song is kind of like about reclaiming your identity and realizing that you're more than the shell that makes you up, I guess. But at the beginning she has like at least that's what I took away from it, especially with the hook. But the thing she does have a a you know, a good string of lyrics where she's talking about how she was her

hair was like the source of ridicule. But then, you know, actually got older and around eighteen she just started you know, going natural and kind of getting more very very distinct chronology of events of just like when she she got older, it was dreads. This year it was this, Yeah, that that sort of thing I did that. I mean, it sounds kind of like maybe like might hit a little

bit close to home for you, it does. I mean, I have some rap lyrics about like my own trajectory, like when I was you know, fifteen, stop straightening, what that decision meant for me, etcetera. Um, But the thing about this song, really, like in the statement I am not my hair that I finally interesting, is that like, yes, you are not your hair. You are what you choose

to do with, like your talents, your mind, your body. Um, if that's you know, you're able to run fast or dribble great or time management or whatever, dad da da da, Like you are those things and people should value those things over what they see immediately about you. But I feel like they can also be pretext for someone to say, oh, if you're not your hair, then why is it a big deal if you cut it to come work for me? I mean, how do you how do you feel about

how do you feel about that? That paradox? And so I feel like it's like it's somewhat of a problematic statement because it's like, no, you are, It's okay that you are your hair too, Like they're like these things can need to coexist because yes, people should see your the value you bring to your workplace or your school or your church or your team, um, beyond what you

look like. But if what you look like is important to you, like it's okay to claim I am my hair too, like I am I am my afro, I am my dreads, like this is something that's really important to me that I'm proud of and that I claim. Um as, yeah, I feel like it is kind of like it it Uh, there was a paradox underlying that statement that seems very not oh yeah, I'm not my hair,

but it's actually can be used as ammo. But another thing I think is interesting about this song as a Coon touches on a really really like powerful point um about the relationship between policing of hairstyle and like economic marginalization, cultural marginalization with like deeper impacts. He says, corporate wouldn't hire no dreadlocks. Then I thought about my dogs from the block kind of understand what they chose to steal

and rob. So like people like from getting pushed out of schools for adherence to like hip hop or you know, you know, black hairstyle, black manners of dress, of speech, etcetera push out from the workplace, as you know, then following as fault, you know, following from that, some man people are socialized into assuming or you know, normalizing, and then it's a part of it's not maybe not the biggest part of but it does kind of form this overall like uh framework or I guess you could say,

in which people choose not to be participating mainstream culture, like if I got to cut my dreadlocks off to go work at the poultry plant or go work in corporate or I fear that they might, why don't, Why don't why not just like sell drugs instead or become a rapper and stuff that can authentically be myself. Yeah, it's those like those little things that happened throughout society that just make it harder for you to do stuff that exactly, it might not be the biggest form of discrimination,

but it is. It is a form of discrimination, and its still all these layers together, and then suddenly it's like, well, no fucking wonder people hanging on the block selling crack. Exactly. It's like if you're it's like a you're like, it's like if you're living in a lesson ideal situation and your neighborhood is this, and the school system was this, and then on top of that, you can't this job wants you to exactly. You're like, that's the straw that

breaks the camel's back. We're like, nah, I ain't doing it. Yeah, and so I think, I mean, and then I had this like thing about famous hair and hip hop. We can skip over. I think, let's just go to this one. But yeah, so we talked a little bit about both how hip hop has been used for advocacy around the Crown Act, why it's needed, and I'm kind of outlined

by um a con in the ire. But then there's this therapeutic nature of like embracing your hair that we didn't really get into this episode that I think it's laid out really well in Mario's braid my Hair, which I love back my dad love so that it's such a smooth Yeah, I must play a little bit when we were talking about like, oh, I'm not my hair or am I my hair a little bit earlier with reference to in the Ari, I mean, it's not just like the way I look when I go out in

the world. It's also like these cultural, these ritual that are that deeply tied to Black culture that go with go with the way your hair looks. So like the act of getting your hair braided, the act of going to the swan, the act of going to the barbershop, or you know, having your like you know, your wash day or whatever. That are like very you know, inherent to who you are and who your community is. That I think he touches on here that make it so

that look, no, I am my hair. I am I you know, do the shade butter, you know, I get the I have the bonnet in the satin pillow a night, so it stays nice and soft like all these things that I do around my hair also me. And that's cool too, and that's why I embrace it that. I think it's really kind of cool about this song. In a little wider context, well ship, it makes me want to wrap about wrap about my hair kind of I kind of feel angry and definitely want to wrap about

my hair. You want, Okay, let's do it, yo, Joe. Can we get a beat? Oh oh ghetto satin bout the hell? Yeah rock some little back rays go back there we call a little hot top fain. I felt like just ben't looking like a head of BROCOLI maybe like a money I could put The way your locks were don't really matter however you want to Startlet you

could be a doctor, you could be a pilot. Let you ever, if you're trying to get to my letter dribbling the circle round it suckles like I'm a simple when I had stopped, when this judgeon frowned, Remember these bars, let them play like a soundtrack. Steva back down because you ought to be proud that we ain't taking ship. Yeah, we're passing the crown. Next it's Lingle Frank, guys, and we are waiting on reparations. See you guys next week, waiting on reparations of the production of I Heart Radio.

For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, check out the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.