A special thank you to our consultants: Don Blackshear, Sara Brown, April Jennings, Mariah Moorman
Formally known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act and know as the CROWN Act is a federal bill that was announced during the 117th Congress and passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 235-189. It remains in committee within the Senate. It aims to prohibit discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle. This includes hairstyles commonly associated with race or national origin, such as locs, braids, twists, Bantu Knots, afros, and natural hair textures.
The intention of the CROWN Act is to address a pervasive form of racial discrimination that disproportionately affects Black people, particularly Black women and girls. Studies have shown that Black people are more likely to be discriminated against based on their hair. This discrimination has many forms, including the denial of jobs or promotions, being sent home from school or work for "inappropriate or unprofessional hairstyles," or being subjected to harassment or bullying. The CROWN Act is meant to combat this discrimination by making it illegal to treat someone differently based on their hair.
The CROWN Act have been passed in 17 states and the District of Columbia. The key purposes of the CROWN Act are:
The CROWN Act is an important step towards ending hair discrimination and promoting racial equality.
As of June 2023, 23 states have passed laws that prohibit discrimination based on hair texture. These states are:
Additionally, similar legislations have been introduced in:
On March 17, 2023 Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed an executive order prohibiting hair texture discrimination in state agencies and by state contractors.
The CROWN Act impacts racial discrimination, pay equity, and just cause protections for people of various cultural backgrounds, but especially Black people. With over 31.6 million Black people in the U.S. labor force, the CROWN Act could help reduce discrimination for more than 12% of labor force participants (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2021a).
April Jennings: In the spirit of a personal annual tradition, the first three months of each year I’m adorned with beautiful hair wraps that complement my outfits. This practice is a celebration of my deep pride in cultural roots, manifesting not only in hair but also in dress and clothing. Unfortunately, this joyful expression became painfully apparent as unacceptable in my workplace, predominantly composed of Eurocentric ideals of beauty. Comments like, "It's not Black History Month, why do you wear that on your head?" echoed through the office. After years of rude, insensitive, and invasive comments, I started to notice the differences, especially from those who didn’t look like me. These encounters compelled me to navigate a choice between embracing my authenticity or conforming to societal norms for acceptance. It led me to question, whether expressing my true self should be restrained for the comfort of others? Sadly, I was pushed to take a back seat to societal expectations. As my ability to self-express was overshadowed and dismissed, it marked the beginning of a prolonged journey of suppressing individuality, cultural expression, and authentic identity. With the legislation of the CROWN Act, individuals with natural hair can now initiate a disruption of the patterns that have perpetuated systemic inequalities and contributed to the overarching problem of marginalization.
“Throughout my life, these incidents became significant chapters in my journey, a testament to the strength it takes to be true to oneself in a world that often struggles to appreciate the diversity of individual beauty.” April Jennings - OCLS Training and Development Specialist
Mariah Moorman: I have no way of knowing if I have been discriminated against based on my choice of hairstyle or texture as I have never had any overt encounters that would lead me to believe as such.
I can say that every single time that I have ever gone out for a job interview I have been acutely aware of the fact that my hair can be a barrier and have had to take that into account in terms of how I choose to present myself in a way that I know people who are not people of color do not have to think of. No one wants to be perceived as unkempt in a professional setting, however, it is difficult to combat when, for Black people, there are only one or two styles that are considered to be 'acceptable' due to social conditioning. Particularly when I know that it will be a subconscious aversion on the other person's part.
