2021-06-30
On Saturday, July 3rd, the 2nd KRONE act (C.reate a R.respectful and Öpen W.orld for Noatural Hair.) The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance formed by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, and Color of Change, originally sponsored the breakthrough legislation in January 2019 and signed it by California Governor Gavin Newsome six months later. National CROWN Day is a day of solidarity for the right of black men, women and children to wear their natural hair boldly and proudly without fear of dismissal or deportation.
In a survey of over 500 women in 2020 by All about hair, revealed:
- 44.3% of women said they were discriminated against because of their hairstyle;
- 46.5% were told that their hairstyles were not professional, and
- 52.3% of women felt pressured to wear their hair differently at work.
The CROWN Act is a law that prohibits racial hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and educational opportunities based on hair texture or protective hairstyles, including braids, locs, twists or Bantu knots. Virginia is the fourth state to pass the law on March 4, 2020. There are currently 9 states (CA, NY, NJ, VA, CO, WA, MD, CT, and DE) that have the law on their books. On the federal side, the House of Representatives passed its version of the CROWN Act on September 21, 2020. If passed by the Senate, the law would protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of racial hairstyles at the federal level, which basically makes hair discrimination synonymous with racial discrimination. In 2017, the 5 branches of the US military formally lifted the ban on natural hairstyles.
A statement released by the CROWN Coalition said: “With the increased spotlight on racial injustice, now is the time to move the country to eradicate all forms of discrimination that negatively affect the black community, including discrimination of hair asks the black community and its allies to share #PassTheCrown and join the movement by signing the online petition on thecrownact.com and also sending a letter or email to your state and federal legislatures in states that have not yet passed the CROWN Act. “
6 books to add to your summer reading:
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Contributor: Allison GiffordBranch: Legal library