Dove And The CROWN Coalition Commemorate The First Anniversary Of New York Passing The CROWN Act

NEW YORK, July 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 12, 2019, New York became the second state to sign The CROWN Act and the first to put the law into effect statewide.  On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, Dove and the CROWN Coalition will celebrate the anniversary of this historic triumph with a 90-minute virtual event. On the heels of a successful celebration of the July 3rd inaugural National CROWN Day, the CROWN Coalition will continue to commemorate the historic legislation that bans race-based hair discrimination in the work place and K-12 public and charter schools.

"Dove and the CROWN Coalition have accomplished so much over the past year, and as we continue the work to ensure the protection of Black women, children and men from hair discrimination, a form of racial discrimination.  While there's more work to be done, we must also pause to celebrate our victories along the way," stated Esi Eggleston Bracey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever.  "In New York The CROWN Act became effective immediately after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it into law, and we are excited to commemorate such a momentous occasion with this celebration."

The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, and Color Of Change, is supported by 64 additional organizations in its work against race-based hair discrimination. The newest member of the coalition is New York's own YWCA, White Plains & Central Westchester, an organization committed to racial justice and human rights. They are excited to join the coalition and be a part of this special New York celebratory event.

"This is an exciting moment in time to celebrate women of color and put an end to years of discrimination against natural hair textures," says Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO, YWCA USA.  "No one should be asked to hide what nature has gifted us, and as the Crown Act continues to fold into all layers of society, no one will. I commend The Crown Coalition for leading this charge and to the states of California, New York, and New Jersey for recognizing the importance of this issue to raise the confidence and pride of women of color. As we celebrate this monumental occasion on July 21st, I look forward to many more celebrations as other states, and eventually, our entire Nation become one on this important initiative."

For more information on The CROWN Act and the CROWN Coalition, please visit www.thecrownact.com.

Background:
The CROWN Act, which stands for "Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair," is a law that prohibits discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture.  First introduced in California in January 2019 by Senator Holly J. Mitchell (District 30) as Senate Bill 188, The CROWN Act expanded the definition of race in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and Education Code, to ensure protection against race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and in K-12 public and charter schools. The inaugural CROWN Act was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in California on July 3, 2019 and went into effect January 1, 2020. 

New York was the second state to introduce and pass The CROWN Act under the leadership of Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) and Senator Jamaal Bailey (Bronx, Westchester).  Governor Andrew Cuomo signed The CROWN Act into law in the state of New York on July 12, 2019, deeming the legislation effective immediately.  New Jersey was the third state to enact The CROWN Act in 2019 when Governor Phil Murphy signed The CROWN Act into law on December 19, 2019, on the one-year anniversary of the wrestling match where New Jersey high school wrestler Andrew Johnson's locs were forcibly cut off. 

As of July 16, 2020, a total of seven (7) states have passed the CROWN Act to provide legal protections against race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools:

• The CROWN Act is law in 7 states (CA, NY, NJ, VA, CO, WA, MD) and 2 municipalities (Cincinnati, OH and Montgomery County, MD)
• Nine (9) additional states are considering the CROWN Act and have either pre-filed, filed or formally stated an intent to introduce their own anti-hair discrimination bills, including Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.
• Of note, the CROWN Act was introduced in fifteen (15) additional states but didn't move through the legislature before the legislative sessions ended (Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, , Missouri, Mississippi, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). We will work to support reintroducing the CROWN Act.
• Federal legislation was introduced in December, 2019 by Rep. Cedric Richmond (Louisana) and Sen. Cory Booker (New Jersey)

The CROWN Coalition
The CROWN Coalition is an alliance of organizations, including founding members Dove, National Urban League, Color Of Change and Western Center on Law and Poverty, that are dedicated to the advancement of anti-discrimination legislation across the United States.  With the help of a diverse array of organizations in the social justice, business, legal, and education sectors, the CROWN Coalition has had tremendous success elevating the public narrative around this important issue and inspiring a movement to end hair bias and discrimination. 

Supporting members of the CROWN Coalition include:

ACLU California
ACLU Georgia
ACLU New Jersey
ACLU of Northern California
ACLU of Southern California
ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
AFSCME California American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
African American Mayors Association
Alliance for Boys and Men of Color 
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
American Academy of Pediatrics
Anti-Defamation League
Beauty and Barber Empowerment Center
Berkeley City Council
Black American Political Assoc. of California
Black Business Association
Black Women for Wellness Action Project 
Black Women Organized for Political Action 
Black Women's Agenda
Black Women's Roundtable
California Black Chamber of Commerce 
California Black Health Network
California Civil Liberties Advocacy
California Employment Lawyers Association 
California Teachers Association
City and County of San Francisco Department on the Status of Women
Courage Campaign
Curly Girl Collective
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated 
EarthGirl
EMERGE: Natural Beauty Industry Alliance
Equal Rights Advocates
Greater Sacramento Urban League 
Greenlining Institute
Hip Hop Sisters Foundation
ImpactEDI
Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated
The Links, Incorporated
Los Angeles Community College District
Los Angeles County Office of Education 
National Action Network
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.
National Association of Black Psychologists
National Association of Social Workers-California Chapter
National Black Child Development Institute, Inc.
National Black MBA Association, Inc.
National Coalition of 100 Black Women-Sacramento Chapter
National Council of Negro Women
National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL Women)
National Lawyers Guild – Sacramento Chapter
National Women's Law Center
The Natural Hair Industry Convention
Professional Beauty Association
Public Health Advocates
SAVE A GIRL, SAVE A WORLD
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated
Ujima, Inc.
United States Black Chambers, Inc.
Women in Public Policy, Inc.
Women's Foundation of California
YWCA, White Plains & Central Westchester
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated

Visit us @ www.thecrownact.com
And www.dove.com/crown

SOURCE The CROWN Coalition

Related Links

http://www.thecrownact.com