The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color Of Change, along with 90+ members of the CROWN Coalition are excited to announce a few new champions of the CROWN Act. Maine Governor Janet Mills signed LD 598, the CROWN Act into law on April 20, 2022. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed SB 136, the CROWN Act into law on May 27, 2022. Most recently Louisiana, Illinois and Alaska all passed legislation to make hair discrimination illegal in their state and are all awaiting their Governor’s signature. Black hair has been unjustly regulated in schools and the workplace for years. Dove and the CROWN Coalition want to bring an end to hair discrimination once and for all with the CROWN Act. CROWN stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.
“Another major moment for this grassroots movement that continues to grow!” stated Esi Eggleston Bracey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever. “We applaud all the great work done in Maine and Tennessee to make the CROWN Act law! The Dove team is equally thrilled Louisiana has passed anti-hair discrimination legislation inspired by the CROWN Act in both chambers – now it’s up to Governor John Bel Edwards to sign it into law. We appreciate the leadership of State Senators and Representatives as they stand up for the CROWN Act! We applaud Representative Candace Newell who introduced House Bill 1083, inspired by the CROWN Act, to protect Black men, women and children in the workplace and schools from hair discrimination. As we head to NOLA this summer to celebrate National CROWN Day (July 3, 2022), we look forward to celebrating Louisiana’s victory along with Tennessee, Illinois, Maine, Alaska and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
“I am proud to say House Bill 1083 is the first CROWN Act inspired legislation to pass a state legislature in the Deep South. Discrimination based on hair texture, natural hairstyles, and protective hairstyles is deeply rooted in the belief that straight hair is ‘more professional.’ This is a win for the people of Louisiana but specifically for Black and Brown individuals who have been historically marginalized based off their hair for generations. – Representative Candace Newell.
Here is an update of where the CROWN Act stands:
MAINE – The CROWN Act is law!
▫ On April 20, 2022, Maine Governor, Janet Mills signed LD 598, the CROWN Act, into law.
▫ The bill was sponsored by Senator Mattie Daughtry, (D-Brunswick), “An Act to Prohibit Discrimination in Employment and School Based on Hair Texture or Hairstyle”.
TENNESSEE – The CROWN Act is law!
▫ The Tennessee legislature has become the first state in the Southeast region of the U.S. to pass the Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act — known as the CROWN Act.
▫ SB 136 was signed into law by Governor Bill Lee (R) May 27, 2022.
▫ Sponsored by Senator Raumesh Akbari (D – Memphis) and originally proposed in 2021.
▫ Some of the specific kinds of protected hairstyles include braids, locs, or twists.
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – The Virgin Islands CROWN Act of 2022 is law!
▫ On April 11, 2022, U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. signed Bill No. 34-0147, ‘The Virgin Islands Crown Act of 2022’ into law.
▫ This amends the Virgin Islands Civil Rights Act (VICRA), which prohibits discrimination in employment, as well as with respect to public accommodations and with respect to rental transactions, because of race, creed, color, or national origin.
▫ The law also prohibits discrimination under “any program or activity of any school or educational institution, on the basis of race.” In addition, the law amends Title 17 of the Code of the Virgin Islands to include a new section that prohibits educational institutions from creating “a dress code or policy that prohibits the wearing of protective hairstyles at school during school hours or school events and disciplining a student for wearing a protective hairstyle.”
LOUISIANA | *pending Governor John Bel Edwards signature
▫ Inspired by the CROWN Act, House Bill 1083, authored by Representative Candace Newell (D-New Orleans).
▫ The bill passed in the Louisiana Senate by a 29-4 vote on June 3, 2022.
▫ The House approved it with a 74-24 vote on May 23, 2022.
▫ House Bill 1083 awaits Governor John Bel Edwards signature.
ILLINOIS | *pending Governor J.B. Pritzer signature
▫ The Illinois legislature unanimously passed an amendment to the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) clarifying the meaning of “race” discrimination under the law, April 9, 2022.
▫ Led by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), Senate Bill 3616 – also known as the CROWN Act amends the Illinois Human Rights Act.
▫ The amendment, known as the “CROWN Act” will update the definition of “race” under the IHRA so that “race” will include traits associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locs and twists.
▫ On August 13, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed into law a version of a CROWN Act which, due to various amendments, ended up only applying to schools and not places of employment, despite the “CROWN” acronym referencing a respectful and open “workplace.”
▫ Senate Bill 3616 awaits Governor JB Pritzker’s signature.
ALASKA | *pending Governor Mike Dunleavy’s signature
▫ The Alaska Legislature has passed SB 174, a bill that would prohibit discrimination against Black hairstyles in schools.
▫ The bill was introduced by Sen. David Wilson, R-Wasilla, and cross-sponsored by Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage. School dress codes would prohibit hairstyles like afros, cornrows and braids. Schools would be barred from requiring students to alter their hair.
▫ There would also be a prohibition on schools banning students from wearing traditional and cultural regalia at graduation ceremonies.
▫ Senate Bill 174 awaits Governor Mike Dunleavy’s signature.
FEDERAL BILL
▫ On March 18, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act, which would ban race-based hair discrimination at work, federal programs, and public accommodations.
▫ It has not been voted on in the U.S. Senate.
Together with The CROWN Coalition, Dove is committed to progressing The CROWN Act until hair discrimination is illegal in all 50 states and at the federal level.
Since its founding, Dove has conducted several KEY RESEARCH STUDIES showing:
- Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair
- 80 percent of Black women being more likely to report that they have to change their hair from its natural state to fit in at an office.
- At school, 86 percent of Black students said that they experienced discrimination based on their natural hair by the age of 12.
- At majority-white schools, the micro-aggressions for non-white students can begin early and impact a child’s – then teenager’s – mental health and school performance.
- In fact, Black female teenagers are missing a week of school per year because of the strain and stress of hair dissatisfaction.
The CROWN Act has galvanized support from federal and state legislators in the movement to end hair discrimination nationwide. As a founding member of The CROWN Coalition, Dove has championed The CROWN Act movement, created, and driven by a team of Black leaders working with a village of women who share a desire to end discrimination including Esi Eggleston Bracey, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Holly J. Mitchell, and JOY Collective agency leaders, Kelli Richardson Lawson and Orlena Nwokah Blanchard, and Adjoa B. Asamoah as lead legislative strategist.
To support the movement, we are encouraging everyone to help us #PASSTHECROWN to end race-based hair discrimination in the U.S. by signing the petition and emailing your Senator at www.dove.com/crown.
About The CROWN Coalition
The CROWN Coalition is the official national supporter of the CROWN Act movement; an alliance founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color Of Change, along with 90+ CROWN Act supporting organizations. For a full list of CROWN Coalition members, visit www.thecrownact.com
The CROWN Coalition is proud to have sponsored and/or supported anti-hair discrimination legislation in California (2019), Colorado (2020), Connecticut (2021), Delaware (2021), Illinois* (2021), Maine (2022), Maryland (2020), Nebraska* (2021), Nevada (2021), New Mexico* (2021), New Jersey (2019), New York (2019), Oregon* (2021), Tennessee (2022), Washington (2020), Virginia (2020), and U.S. territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands (2022). The bills address unfair grooming policies that have a disparate impact on Black women, men and children and has drawn attention to racial discrimination taking place within workplaces and public charter schools. The CROWN Coalition members believe diversity and inclusion are key drivers of success across all industries and sectors.
( * ) inspired by the CROWN ACT legislation
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