What is the CROWN Act?

CROWN is an acronym for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” Before it became a legislative act, this movement began as a campaign by theCROWN Coalition – an organization founded by Dove, Color of Change, National Urban League and the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

This movement aims to enact legislation that prohibits race-based hair discrimination in the workplace. Subsequently, it also seeks to stop the pressure on Black women to make their natural hair conform to what society has deemed “standard” or “appropriate.”

Beyond legislation, the CROWN Coalition also educates the public on the importance of natural hair and the unique styles worn by Black men and women alike. The coalition shares the message that “protective” hairstyles, such as braids, have significant historical and cultural value to the Black community.

Combating hair discrimination on all sides, the CROWN Coalition provides legal resources to those who believe they’ve been wrongly targeted in the workplace due to their hair. Legal assistance is sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and phone numbers are listed for local agencies in each state that has already enacted the CROWN Act.

What states have already enacted the CROWN Act?

As of July 26, 2023, 24 states have already enacted the CROWN Act, which makes it illegal to discriminate against employees because of their hair. These states include:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Illinois
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• Oregon
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington

Other states are expected to follow suit with laws against race-based hair discrimination.

What is hair discrimination?

According to the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, hair discrimination includes any policies that prohibit natural Black hairstyles in schools or workplaces. Examples of natural Black hairstyles include braids, Afros, Bantu knots and dreadlocks.

Hair discrimination isn’t always obvious or even intentional, but it can occur at a subconscious level. This is evidenced by a recent study done by Duke University that found participants view those with natural Black hairstyles as less professional than their colleagues. The same study also found that women who wore their hair in natural styles were less likely to secure job interviews when compared to those who wore their hair straightened.

When is National CROWN Day?

National CROWN Day is sometimes referred to as Black Hair Independence Day. Celebrated on July 3rd, this special holiday commemorates the inaugural signing of the first CROWN Act legislation in California on July 3rd, 2019. Although there are no nationwide guidelines on how to celebrate National CROWN Day, the event’s website says the event is “…a declaration that when we ALL wear our CROWNS, it becomes a beautiful show of solidarity behind the movement and a formidable statement that we are no longer asking for permission. We are taking control of our narratives. We are fearless. We are unstoppable. We are CROWN PROUD.”

The official CROWN Act website also provides suggested guidance on how everyone, regardless of color or ethnicity, can help celebrate this holiday. People are encouraged to bring awareness to hair discrimination by using a special CROWN filter for social media and searching their favorite social media platforms for hashtags related to the movement. The website also asks people to sign a petition to help end race-based hair discrimination.

Why is this information important to your company?

There are two reasons this information may be important to your company: legalities and promoting an inclusive workplace environment.

Legalities

As a human resource professional or hiring manager, you likely aim to keep up to date on the most recent relevant legislation. If you live in a state or municipality where the CROWN Act has been signed into legislation, you may need to revisit your hiring and grooming policies. You may want to consider whether your policies discriminate against ethnic hairstyles and that your policies are inclusive to people of every race, color, ethnicity, gender and religion.

Promoting an inclusive workplace environment

Regardless of whether or not your state has signed the CROWN Act into legislation, this powerful movement presents an excellent opportunity to promote a more inclusive workplace environment. A few ways you might make your company more inclusive include:

• Education: Consider making workplace sensitivity training and diversity and inclusion training part of your onboarding so every member enters the workforce with a thorough understanding of what’s culturally appropriate.
• Revisit your company’s core values: Consider making it a habit to periodically revisit your company’s core values and make sure they’re inclusive. This is especially crucial during moments of change, such as the CROWN Act. For example, you might now want to look over your core values and workplace policies to ensure nothing there discriminates against natural Black hair.
• Model inclusive language and behaviors: Whether you’re a hiring manager, HR professional or business owner, you’re in a position to have employees follow your lead. Make it a point to use inclusive language, such as learning your employee’s preferred pronouns and using gender-neutral terms in your everyday speech. You should also model inclusive behaviors by making everyone feel welcome.
• Expand your company’s holiday calendar: Consider adding more holidays to your company’s calendar. Examples might include Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali and Chinese New Year.
• Create safe spaces: Safe spaces are often most crucial to people who identify as non-binary or genderqueer. An example of a company safe space might be a gender-neutral bathroom. But other groups can benefit, too. Spaces dedicated to the prayer of any denomination, lactation rooms and meditation areas are excellent examples.
• Begin with recruitment: An inclusive environment is also diverse, and the only way to create a diverse environment is by being proactive during recruitment. A person’s hair, religion or skin color should never play into your hiring decision. Some companies practice “anonymous hiring” practices, which place candidates into open positions based on skills and experience alone. These practices involve removing all of a person’s identifying information from their resumes or applications before the hiring manager sees them. This reduces the risks of unconscious biases, too.

The CROWN Act is helping to fight conscious and unconscious hair discrimination by enacting legislation that makes restrictive policies in work or school illegal. Regardless of whether your company is located in a state where this legislation has already passed, it’s a good time to revisit your company’s core values and workplace policies to ensure inclusion for those choosing to wear their hair naturally.