The Crown Act prohibits bias discrimination against natural hair textures and hairstyles. While the law has passed in several states, and passed in the US House of Representatives on March 18, 2022, there is limited or no texture education in cosmetology schools and the state board examination as it pertains to curly, coily, braiding, locking and natural hair styles.

Unfortunately, that means all next generation stylist all over the United States are not being taught haircare and scalp care, cutting, and coloring on textured hair: curly, coily and Afro coily hair textures in traditional cosmetology schools. The Good New is NYS passed Texture Inclusive Education of all hair types and textures into Law in 2017 to update the state board and course curriculum in NYS.

In 2020 Diane Da Costa, CEO of SimpleeBEAUTIFUL created the Teach Texture Education campaign to address the lack of texture education taught in beauty schools after editing and co-authoring inclusive texture education into the Milady Standard Cosmetology Textbook. In 2021 SimpleeBEAUTIFUL partnered with Models of Color Matter and the Natural Hairstyle & Braid Coalition to influence legislation and advocate for change for inclusive educational standards for all hair types and textures on cosmetology state board licensing and curriculum requirements, natural hairstyle and braid licensing, braiding licensing in New York State and nationwide. SimpleeBEAUTIFUL CurlyTextured Academy partnered with TRESemme Future Stylist Fund to create the TRESemme x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Textured Certification Program in April 2022. This complimentary master program was developed to close the gap between licensing and texture education taught in cosmetology schools and to educated Stylist nationwide. The program was opened to 1000 stylist in the United States to learn new techniques in Texture Hair Fundamentals, Cutting & Styling.

Join the Movement! Now is the time to include texture education, natural hairstyling and braiding education and a basic standard of education with questions pertaining to natural haircare, and textured styling for all types and textures on the state board examination for cosmetology requirements and the beauty school classrooms.

Students should graduate with a standard working knowledge of natural haircare, curly and textured cutting, coloring and styling techniques. All new stylist entering the workforce should be prepared to provide general services for all types and textures. Including the diverse range of all hair textures;  natural haircare, scalp care natural hair styling, all texture types; foundational texture cutting, coloring and styling methods and techniques for all textured hair within beauty school curriculums. The NHBC and Natural Hair Stylists and Braiders are dedicated to promoting textured hair and braiding styles best practices in the beauty industry, while elevating the art and the science of natural hair and ensuring inclusion, equity,  safety and consumer protection within the Textured Hair Industry.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE:

Curly and textured subject matter has been written into some cosmetology textbooks, however the next generation of cosmetologists, still today have not been taught or trained in textured education. Why? Because it isn't taught in most classrooms. Additionally, there hasn't been any inclusive updates to the New York State Board and other states’ Cosmetology examinations for decades. 

How We All Can Make A Difference!
We all can make the change! Join the Movement! Let's start texture inclusive programs for all beauty schools in the nation here today! Sign the Petition!

Please sign the petition that will be presented to the New York State Board of Cosmetology and New York State Office of the Professions - State Education Department and National Cosmetology Review Boards to begin the process for inclusive standard education of curly and textured haircare, styling techniques; training taught for beauty school certification for licensing across the nation. 

BACKGROUND & FACTS

FIRST STATE TO REQUIRE TEXTURE EDUCATION ON STATE BOARD

NYS passes the first Law to include texture education and inclusivity for all hair types and textures in cosmetology licensing, course curriculum and the state board testing in 2017.  As of 2022, NYS is working to update the texture requirements and course curriculum for texture inclusive education for cosmetology licensing.

As of November 2021, Louisiana became the second state to require textured cutting - textured education to be taught in cosmetology schools and required to receive a cosmetology license. The law is implemented in June 2022.

NYS Natural Hair Styling License

In 1993/1994 session NYS Department of State, Division of Licensing passed into law the first Natural Hair Styling License with 900 hours as part of the cosmetology course. The Natural Hair Styling license has since been revised, and includes a separate license obtained with 300 hours of course curriculum pertaining to natural styling, braids, weaves and twisting. However, to date, natural hair styling, curly or textured services is not taught in most beauty school curriculum. To date, The New York State Board of Cosmetology has been slow to update the subject matter for students to receive a general working knowledge of curly and textured education on theory or practical examinations that reflects today's general beauty market.

FACTS: Several books have been published by veteran cosmetologists and introduced to the general market since the early 1990's. These books specifically address wavy, curly, coily and tightly coiled hair textures; Diane Bailey, Natural Hair Care and Braiding, (1991), Andrea Walker, Andrea Talk's Hair, (1997), Quidad, Curl Talk, (2002), Lorraine Massey, Curly Girl, The HandBook, 2002, Anthony Dickie, Hair Rules, (2003) and Diane Da Costa, Textured Tresses, (2004).

• Since the early 1990s to 2000s women with waves, curls, and multi-textured hair began wearing their natural ringlet curls without blowouts and/or straighteners and by 2010, Sixty-five 65% percent of women have worn their hair in it's natural curly texture. (Source: naturallycurly.com)
• By 2018 Fifty-one percent of African American women state that they feel more beautiful when they are wearing a natural hairstyle.
• African-Americans spend $1.2 trillion each year, and that number is projected to rise to $1.5 trillion by 2021.
• In 2018 the Black hair care industry raked in an estimated $2.51 billion, as Black consumers have progressively made the switch from general products to those that specifically cater to them. (Source: Mintel). I’m
• In 2019 The CROWN Act and New York City Human Rights Law were passed into law in California and New York. The law prohibits race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots. March 18, 2022, US House of Representatives passed the Crown Act, prohibiting discrimination of hair textures and styles.
• In 2019 Models of Color Matter conducted a survey of models of color across all 4 major Fashion Weeks about their experience in the industry. 66% of the models interviewed had experienced poor treatment of their textured hair backstage and on set.

Today, more than ever as the industry calls for more diversity and representation by brands we need to not only give textured models a seat at the table, but the tools to succeed and look their best. It is evident that we need textured hair education taught in cosmetology schools to make a change.

Thanks for your time. Please sign the petition!