Hair
National CROWN Day Celebrates Movement To End Natural Hair Discrimination
Since 2019, 16 states and 43 municipalities have enacted laws making race-based hair discrimination illegal.
Happy CROWN Day! Sunday, July 3 marks the third annual celebration of the movement to end natural hair discrimination. In 2019, California became the first-ever state to pass the CROWN Act, legislation making race-based hair discrimination in school and the workplace illegal. Since then, 16 states and 43 municipalities have enacted legislation to keep the movement going.
[SEE ALSO: House Passes CROWN Act To Make Race-Based Hair Discrimination A Federal Crime]
Who would have thought that in the year of our Lord 2022, we would still be fighting to wear our hair the way God made us? Sadly, research also shows that Black girls experience discrimination based on their hair texture and styles as early as five years old. Back women are 1.5 times more likely to have reported having been sent home or know of a Black woman being sent home from the workplace because of her hair.
And, of course, we are still going viral for everything from having our kinks chopped off by teachers, being kicked out of school and wrestling matches, being denied walking at graduations, losing out on job opportunities, and more.
That’s why I’m personally grateful for the continued efforts by the CROWN Coalition, an alliance founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, and Color Of Change, along with 90+ CROWN Act supporting organizations. The group is not only helping change laws, but the discussions around hair through research (because some folks need reports to believe us), activations, and ongoing campaigns.
The push inspired Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) to introduce a federal version of the act. The House of Representatives passed the bill this past March, after several unsuccessful attempts. We are still waiting to see what happens in Congress. Until then, states have continued their individual pushes.
Most recently, Maine and Tennessee passings laws in April and May, respectively, with the U.S. Virgin Islands becoming the first U.S. territory to pass the Act. Alaska, Illinois, and Louisiana have already voted for the act and are simply awaiting signing by their respective governors. The Illinois bill will extend protections from just school to also include the workplace.
Here is a list of all the states that have passed the CROWN Act or similar anti-hair discrimination laws thus far:
- California (2019)
- Colorado (2020)
- Connecticut (2021)
- Delaware (2021)
- Illinois (2021) – in schools only
- Maine (2022)
- Maryland (2020)
- Nebraska (2021)
- Nevada (2021)
- New Jersey (2019)
- New Mexico (2021)
- New York (2019)
- Oregon (2021)
- Tennessee (2022)
- Virginia (2020)
- Washington (2020)
Is your state not listed? You can join the movement by clicking here to sign a petition calling on governors and state lawmakers to get on board. You can also have fun with CROWN Act Photo Booth and make a pic, like mine above, to show your support.
And, if you’re in New Orleans for ESSENCE Fest, CROWN Coalition is hosting a beauty carnival, panel conversations, and mural presentation. On Sunday, they will host the 2nd Annual CROWN Awards to honor Black women and girls who have significantly shaped the beauty landscape.
