06.02.23
Gov. Greg Abbott has signed the Crown Act into law in The Lone Star state, prohibiting race-based hair discrimination in Texas workplaces, schools and housing policies.
The policy goes into effect on September 1.
Democratic Rep. Rhetta Bowers of Rowlett introduced House Bill 567 in 2021, which was swept by both chambers of the legislature following a brief delay.
The Crown Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, is championed by the Crown Coalition, a group of 80-plus community and advocacy organizations that are working to drive real, actionable change, to push for the passage of the Crown Act in all 50 states, and to end hair discrimination. Harris County and Austin have also adopted versions of the legislation. The Crown Act is gaining coverage; the US House of Representatives passed the Crown Act in March 2022 and to date, 20 US states have passed the act.
Sen. Borris L. Miles expressed his gratitude for its passage, citing the policy as a “civil rights law that will improve the lives of countless Texans, and it will be appreciated by more people than we can imagine.”
The movement against natural hair discrimination made national headlines in 2020 when a pair of students near Houston were told to cut their hair or face disciplinary action. Per 2020 census data, the racial and ethnic composition of Texas was 42.5% white (39.7% non-Hispanic white) and 11.8% Black or African-American.
Hair Care Brand Dove Flocks to Support the Crown Act
In the past two years, Dove has been instrumental in standing in solidarity with the Crown Coalition and encouraging passage of the Crown Act by establishing marketing campaigns to further the message of Black women and girls having the freedom to wear their hair how they choose without the fear of job loss or education. Roughly 2.3 million Black children nationwide are most vulnerable to race-based hair discrimination.
In 2021, the Unilever-owned company released a body of research, “Dove 2021 Crown Research Study for Girls,” which revealed that 53% of Black mothers, whose daughters have experienced hair discrimination, say their daughters experienced the discrimination as early as 5 years old, and approximately 86% of Black teens who experience discrimination have endured it by the age of 12.
On the heels of these findings, Dove released a short film entitled, “As Early As Five,” inspired by the real stories of those who have experienced hair discrimination and bias in both schools and the workplace. Check out a clip here: