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To: Lawmakers Across the Country

Help Us End Hair Discrimination in the Workplace, Schools, and Pools

Vote YES on The CROWN Act

Why is this important?

Currently, it is legal to discriminate against a person in the workplace, schools, and/or pools because of their natural or protective hairstyle in all states except for California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Illinois, Maine, Tennessee, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Alaska, Minnesota and Arkansas. Hair discrimination remains a source of racial injustice with serious economic consequences for Black people. The CROWN Act corrects these racial injustices by making hair discrimination illegal.

Join the movement to shatter racial discrimination based on hairstyles by signing this petition.
Now that we've reached 500,000 signatures, help us reach 1 million by spreading the word!

Not in the United States? Enter '00000' as your zip/postal code.

The CROWN Coalition (Dove, National Urban League, Color Of Change, and Western Center on Law & Poverty) believes natural hairstyles should be celebrated, not discouraged. For this reason, they are committed to Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair.

Senator Holly J. Mitchell was the first to introduce The CROWN Act (Senate Bill 188) in the state of California, the first state to sign the bill into law. New York was the second state to introduce the CROWN Act under the leadership of Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) and Senator Jamaal Bailey (D-Bronx, Westchester), and Governor Cuomo signed the CROWN Act into law on July 12th, deeming the legislation effective immediately. New Jersey became the third state to enact the CROWN Act. State Senator Sandra Cunningham (District 31) and Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (District 31) championed the legislation and Governor Phil Murphy signed the CROWN Act into law on December 19th, the one-year anniversary of the wrestling match where New Jersey high school wrestler Andrew Johnson's locs were forcibly cut off. The states of Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, Maine, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Texas, Arkansas, Michigan, and Minnesota have also enacted the CROWN Act. Additional bills were signed in New Mexico, Nebraska, Oregon, Illinois, Louisiana, and Alaska that were inspired by The CROWN Act. In addition, the CROWN Act has become law in forty-four (44) municipalities.

In March 2021, the federal bill H.R 2116 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and S.888 was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Cory Booker. On March 18, 2022, the federal CROWN Act bill passed in the House of Representatives with a vote of 235 Yeas and 189 Nays.

On December 14, 2022, the federal bill was brought to the Senate floor for passage by unanimous consent. Unfortunately, the bill did not receive a vote in the Senate.

Although we are deeply disappointed with this outcome, we won't stop until racial discrimination based on natural hair texture and protective hairstyles is illegal nationwide. Join us in demanding our elected officials #passthecrown nationally!

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Updates

2023-04-17 14:47:48 -0700

500,000 signatures reached

2022-03-20 13:42:30 -0700

400,000 signatures reached

2021-07-03 14:54:13 -0700

300,000 signatures reached

2020-10-05 12:33:45 -0700

200,000 signatures reached

2020-07-11 06:57:05 -0700

150,000 signatures reached

2020-07-05 16:04:55 -0700

100,000 signatures reached

2019-12-18 06:02:15 -0800

50,000 signatures reached

2019-07-09 19:25:06 -0700

20,000 signatures reached

2019-07-07 18:46:48 -0700

10,000 signatures reached

2019-07-06 13:35:42 -0700

5,000 signatures reached

2019-05-27 00:28:03 -0700

1,000 signatures reached

2019-05-21 19:19:56 -0700

500 signatures reached

2019-04-20 13:01:15 -0700

100 signatures reached

2019-04-20 11:57:30 -0700

50 signatures reached

2019-04-20 11:15:36 -0700

25 signatures reached