‘CROWN’ Documentary Celebrates, Explores Black Hair In Sports
Just in time to celebrate Black History Month, CBS Sports Network on Sunday (Feb. 19) premiered its original documentary CROWN, which explores the nation’s complicated relationship with Black hair through the prism of competitive athletics.
Iconic athletes, whose hair styles changed the game and helped Black Americans live authentically by embracing their hair, are featured in the documentary, including 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, NBA Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving, three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, seven-time WNBA All-Star and WNBA champion Nneka Ogwumike, three-time NBA champion A.C. Green, NFL Hall of Famer Edgerrin James and three-time NFL All-Pro and Super Bowl champion Tyrann Mathieu.
“It’s a reason why it sits up top,” Carmelo Anthony quips in the documentary. “That’s the crown.”
Other notable interviewees in the doc include six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, 2021 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Tournament champion Haley, Bill Reilly, who was the third Black player in the history of the NHL, and more.
The documentary comes four years after former high school wrestler Andrew Johnson was forced to cut his locs before a wrestling match. The anger was visible in a viral video, when the referee gave Johnson an ultimatum to “cut your hair or forfeit the match.”
In the documentary, Johnson tells the story of the incident that helped sparked a movement leading to the CROWN Act, a measure that prohibits racial discrimination based on hair style or texture in the workplace and schools.
“They're stripping my identity, they’re taking it away from me” an emotional Johnson says in the documentary. “It was just an awful, awful feeling. As it was happening, I went black — stone cold. As soon as the match started, I just wanted to hit something, hit somebody.”
Director Sarah Kazadi-Ndoye says every strand tells a story and the team is “grateful to be able to celebrate the beauty and versatility of Black hair.
“We understand how important these stories are to tell across our CBS Sports platforms and really wanted to honor these sports heroes who were unapologetic about their culture and heritage.”
Following its premiere on CBS Sports Network, CROWN will also air on BET on Sunday, Feb. 26 (7:00 PM, ET).
CROWN is a production of CBS Sports. Sarah Kazadi-Ndoye serves as director for CROWN and senior producer of CBS Sports’ race and culture unit. David Cummings serves as senior director of CBS Sports’ race and culture unit. Jodi Logsdon serves as vice president and news director of CBS Sports. Emilie Deutsch serves as vice president of original programming and features. Ndidi Massay serves as vice president of workplace culture and diversity initiatives. Harold Bryant serves as executive producer and executive vice president of production.
