By Megan Mitchell
A Deep Dive Into the CROWN Act:
Stopping Hair Discrimination One Strand at a Time
W
hile most eighth graders are relishing their last year of middle school and preparing for high school, J.J.1 spent part of her eighth grade year writing to the Texas Legislature about why they should support the Texas CROWN Act. J.J. expressed a desire to “wear an Afro as this is what makes me feel most like myself. I do not want to be treated differently because of the way I wear my hair or when I get it braided and it goes down to my shoulders. [M]y hair is a part of me. It’s a part of my culture. I love my fro.”2
I. Background of the CROWN Act J.J. can rest easier knowing House Bill 567, 3 also known as Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (“CROWN Act”), will take effect on September 1, 2023.4 Garland State Representative Rhetta A. Bowers authored the bill, which was sponsored by Houston State Senator Borris L. Miles, and introduced during the legislative session in 2021. The Texas CROWN Act prohibits discrimination in student dress or grooming policy and discrimination based on hair texture or protective style, by an institution of higher learning or an employer.5 How did we get to a point where Representative Bowers and Senator Miles could guide the bill across the finish line? The results are the culmination of several years of advocacy, followed by the creation of the CROWN Coalition, which formalized an approach to pursue policy and civil rights endeavors. The CROWN Coalition, formed around 2018, is a national alliance of organizations dedicated to the advancement of anti-discrimination legislation across the United States.6 Advocates Adjoa B. Asamoah, Orlena Nwokah Blanchard, Esi Eggleston Bracey, and Kelli Richardson Lawson co-created the organization.7 In its early days, Lawson organized the CROWN Coalition by assembling a group of four Black and Brown women leaders. “I reached out to a law firm run by a brother here in D.C. He brought in