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Due South

Black athletes continue to face hair discrimination. Can the CROWN Act help?

By Leoneda Inge,

Published March 21, 2024 at 12:10 PM EDT

Black women athletes have long been scrutinized for how they present themselves in public and during competition. From Venus Williams being penalized for wearing beads in her hair at the 1999 Australian Open to Gabby Douglas facing ridicule for her hairstyles during the 2016 Olympics to track star Sha'Carri Richardson drawing attention for her colorful wigs (and quick wig removals) on the track, Black women's relationship to hair and beauty are distinct and marked by discrimination.

Co-host Leoneda Inge chats with Letisha E.C. Brown, PhD, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Cincinnati, about the history of Black women and beauty standards in sports and whether or not implementing the CROWN Act in professional sports may help combat discrimination.

Guest

Letisha E.C. Brown, assistant professor of sociology, University of Cincinnati

Due South

Leoneda Inge

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.

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Stacia Brown

Stacia L. Brown is a writer and audio storyteller who has worked in public media since 2016, when she partnered with the Association of Independents in Radio and Baltimore's WEAA 88.9 to create The Rise of Charm City, a narrative podcast that centered community oral histories. She has worked for WAMU’s daily news radio program, 1A, as well as WUNC’s The State of Things. Stacia was a producer for WUNC's award-winning series, Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon and a co-creator of the station's first children's literacy podcast, The Story Stables. She served as a senior producer for two Ten Percent Happier podcasts, Childproof and More Than a Feeling. In early 2023, she was interim executive producer for WNYC’s The Takeaway.

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