Reflecting on the 1-Year Anniversary of The CROWN Act
When The CROWN Act was first introduced by California Senator Holly J. Mitchell in January 2019, the coalition behind the law could not yet predict how it would be received.
However, six months later, on July 3, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law. And on January 1, 2020, it officially went into effect in the state — but that was just the beginning of the movement.
"When California became the first state to sign The CROWN Act into law, I was incredibly proud because I knew many other states would follow," Esi Eggleston Bracey, executive vice president and chief operating officer of North American beauty and personal care at Unilever, tells InStyle.
Today, the CROWN Act — which prohibits employers and public schools from discriminating against Black people who choose to wear their in its natural state or in a protective style — is now the law in six additional states, including New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, and has been introduced in 23 others.
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"It has been incredibly gratifying to witness the progress that Dove and the CROWN Coalition have made," Eggleston Bracey says. "Hair discrimination has impacted the Black community for far too long and the support and excitement over the CROWN Act lets us know that we are on the right path and making a difference."
To mark the one-year anniversary of the act first being signed into law, the coalition will mark July 3 as National CROWN Day, also known as Black Hair Independence Day.
They are asking for people to use the hashtag #PassTheCrown on social media to showcase how they are taking action against hair discrimination, which will hopefully encourage others to do the same.
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Damn right.
But hair inclusion is only one part of the battle when it comes to systemic racism. With one year down, the coalition is now focusing on larger-scale issues, in addition to their original initiatives, in order to make a bigger impact.
"We will be expanding our current work to help address racial discrimination as a whole through legislative advocacy and societal change," Eggleston Bracey explains. "CROWN now stands for Creating an Open and Respectful World with No Racism."
Dove will be donating $5 million over the next five years to help the ever-evolving initiative do just that.
To learn more about The CROWN Act and to find out how you can help, visit www.dove.com/crown.
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