The CROWN Act, much like The Halo Code (opens in new tab) in the UK, aims to protect Black people against hair discrimination. Sadly, race-based hair discrimination still runs rife with coils, afros and braids often deemed "unkempt" in offices and classrooms.
Similarly, it's like the hair industry only recently received the memo that it needs to cater for all hair types, from styling products that respect each curl pattern to conditioners that nourish even the tightest coils and the best brushes for curly hair (opens in new tab).
In an effort to eliminate hair discrimination once and for all, many states have begun passing legislation that addresses this issue.
In June 2019, California made headlines by becoming the first state to outlaw the racial discrimination of individuals based on their natural hairstyles. The law, also known as the CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair), states, "In a society in which hair has historically been one of many determining factors of a person’s race, and whether they were a second class citizen, hair today remains a proxy for race.Therefore, hair discrimination targeting hairstyles associated with race is racial discrimination."
The measure notes that while Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on race, it only protected against discrimination against afros. California’s ban unequivocally protects all presentations of natural hair—including braids, twists, locs, and knots—from discrimination in the workplace and K-12 public schools.
Want to do more to make sure that every state passes The CROWN Act? Join The Crown Coalition via The CROWN Act's website (opens in new tab). Or sign a petition here (opens in new tab) to help end hair discrimination.
The states where The Crown Act is law
- California
- New York
- Colorado
- Washington
- Virginia
- Maryland
- New Jersey
States where The Crown Act has been filed or pre-filed
- Oregon
- Utah
- Arizona
- New Mexico (*The CROWN Act is law in Albuquerque)
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- South Dakota,
- Missouri (*The CROWN Act is law in Kansas City)
- Tennessee
- Kentucky (*The CROWN Act is law in Covington)
- Indiana
- Georgia (*The CROWN Act is law in Clayton County and Stockbridge)
- South Carolina
- Florida (*The CROWN Act is law in Broward County)
- Connecticut
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- Deleware
States where The Crown Act has not been filed or passed
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