July 3 is National Crown Day
The Crown Act, a law that prohibits discrimination based on hairstyle and texture, just got one step closer to becoming a nationwide mandate.
On May 18, the United States House of Representatives voted 235-189 to pass the CROWN Act. The act had previously passed in the House in September of 2020 but failed to pass in the then-Republican-ruled Senate. Now, the act will land once again in the hands of the Senate, which is split down the middle between Republicans and Democrats.
In order for the Crown Act to become law across the country, at least 51 of the 100 Senate members must vote for it to pass — then, it gets handed off to the President, who has the final choice to veto or sign it into law. If it is passed by the Senate, natural hair discrimination could be deemed illegal nationwide.
“For far too long, Black women have been penalized for simply existing as themselves—that ends today,” Representative Ilhan Omar announced to Twitter. “This passage is long overdue, but an important step forward to combat racial discrimination.”
In July, Massachusetts signed the Crown Act into state law, making Massachusetts the 18th state to adopt the act. The state joins California, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and more in banning discrimination based on hair textures and styles. State legislation is also currently pending in Alaska and is currently under review by the United States Senate.
The Crown Coalition, founded by Dove, National Urban League, Color of Change, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty has officially declared July 3 a national holiday to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Crown Act. National Crown Day will serve as a day to stand in solidarity with Black people and the right to wear their natural hair without fear of discrimination.