More than Just Hair
What is the Crown Act?
For most Black women, hair is a lot more than just hair. It is political and can cause barriers in the workplace due to discrimination.
In the US, the national CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) provides protection for race based hair discrimination. So far, in Canada there isn’t any similar sweeping federal rule but people are pushing for that to change.
Hair Discrimination in Canada
- US House passes Crown Act which would end hair discrimination (BBC News)
- Black people deal with hair discrimination everywhere. Will Canada take a cue from the U.S.’s CROWN Act and end it? (Toronto Star)
- Zara employee accuses store of discrimination over her hairstyle (CBC)
- A Black AGO worker was told her hair could ‘scare’ customers. The gallery agreed that was discrimination and promised to do better. A year later, she’s still fighting for justice (Toronto Star)
Related videos
Instagram Accounts to Follow
Our hope is that the Subjects of Desire community facilitation guide will enable diverse girls and young people in Canada to explore these critical issues for themselves and get empowered and equipped as advocates for gender justice.
Paulette SeniorCanadian Women's Foundation 
At Hungry Eyes Media we believe in creating opportunities for audiences to transition from passive viewers to engaged and active beneficiaries of content where they are inspired to feel, learn and do more.
Jennifer Holness, DirectorHungry Eyes Media 
The film can be a beacon of hope for racialized girls.... and a tool for non-racialized girls to have to think about and reflect on the ways they may be perpetuating negative stereotypes about girls and women who identify as Black.
Belinda Longe, Superintendent of EducationTDSB 
The film is informative and empowering: it tackles Black beauty’s historical roots, from the intersectionality of race, class, and power, in smart and compelling ways. I consider it one of the most powerful anti-racist and decolonial teaching tools available to educators and researchers.
Amina MireAssociate Professor, Carleton University 
Fascinating, educational, and insightful, Subjects of Desire should be seen widely and considered thoughtfully by people of all colors...
Alliance of Women Film Journalists 
“Subjects of Desire is a thought-provoking film that explores how Western beauty standards have shifted to embrace Black women’s aesthetics, but not the Black women who originated those aesthetics. Educational and insightful, Subjects of Desire skillfully exposes the interconnection between racism and beauty standards in America, and deserves wide viewership.”
The Representation Project 
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Our hope is that the Subjects of Desire community facilitation guide will enable diverse girls and young people in Canada to explore these critical issues for themselves and get empowered and equipped as advocates for gender justice.
At Hungry Eyes Media we believe in creating opportunities for audiences to transition from passive viewers to engaged and active beneficiaries of content where they are inspired to feel, learn and do more.
The film can be a beacon of hope for racialized girls.... and a tool for non-racialized girls to have to think about and reflect on the ways they may be perpetuating negative stereotypes about girls and women who identify as Black.
The film is informative and empowering: it tackles Black beauty’s historical roots, from the intersectionality of race, class, and power, in smart and compelling ways. I consider it one of the most powerful anti-racist and decolonial teaching tools available to educators and researchers.
Fascinating, educational, and insightful, Subjects of Desire should be seen widely and considered thoughtfully by people of all colors...
“Subjects of Desire is a thought-provoking film that explores how Western beauty standards have shifted to embrace Black women’s aesthetics, but not the Black women who originated those aesthetics. Educational and insightful, Subjects of Desire skillfully exposes the interconnection between racism and beauty standards in America, and deserves wide viewership.”
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