Protect Your CROWN
By Weenta Yacob
Learn about the CROWN ACT and why it is an important piece of legislation for the Black community and their reproductive health trajectories.
Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair
The CROWN Act, was developed in 2019 through a partnership between Dove and the CROWN Coalition to ensure and establish rights to race-based hairstyles in the workplace, school and other contexts. It is against any form of hair discrimination and was created to protect communities of color who protect their hair through the use of braids, locs, twists, etc. The act initially was developed after many accounts of Black people experiencing hair discrimination across the nation (1).
The 2023 CROWN Research Study found that in the United States, Black women’s hair was 2.5 times more likely to be viewed as unprofessional, Black women are 54% more likely to feel like straightened hair will increase their job interview success rate, and over 20% of black women were sent home from work due to their hairstyle (2). These staggering results go beyond the workplace. Research done on young girls found that 53% of Black girls have experienced racial discrimination from their hairstyles by the time they were five years old (2). The CROWN Act is extremely important to not only protect the rights of people, but to also ensure the emotional and mental wellbeing of our developing youth and adults.
With the CROWN Act currently in action in select states, it has the potential to combat adverse EDC-induced health outcomes. As mentioned in our Health Disparities article, Black women use chemical straighteners/relaxers and other heavily toxic hair products at much higher rates than their White counterparts. Whether it be to fit in societal beauty standards or ensure their employment and education, the CROWN Act can protect their right to embrace their own representative hairstyles. Additionally, it can lessen the staggering statistics of Black women feeling pressured to use harmful and toxic hair products to maintain straighter and Eurocentric hairstyles. This can reduce their chemical exposure-induced reproductive and endocrine issues; learn more about that in our Health Disparities article.
To continue the efforts to “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” please consider the following action items below and check out TheCrownAct.com!
