Greater Milwaukee Urban League’s Post

DID YOU KNOW? The National Urban League is a founding member of the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair) Coalition, an alliance of organizations including founding members Dove, Color of Change, and Western Center on Law and Poverty, that is dedicated to the advancement of anti-discrimination legislation across the country. Image DID YOU KNOW? National CROWN Day (July 3rd) is a day that reminds us of the importance of embracing the diversity of Black hair and why we must continue the fight to end hair discrimination in the workplace, schools, sports leagues and other public spaces. Image DID YOU KNOW? It is perfectly legal in 24 states for employers, schools, pools, and other entities to discriminate against a person based on their natural hair texture and/ or protective hairstyles. Image DID YOU KNOW? YOU can do something to end race-based hair discrimination! Use this link: https://p2a.co/TooEYln or text “PASSTHECROWNACT” to 52886 to urge your member of Congress to pass the CROWN Act of 2024, so that every man, woman, and child can live free from hair discrimination and harassment!

DID YOU KNOW? The National Urban League is a founding member of the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair) Coalition, an alliance of organizations including founding members Dove, Color of Change, and Western Center on Law and Poverty, that is dedicated to the advancement of anti-discrimination legislation across the country. Image DID YOU KNOW? National CROWN Day (July 3rd) is a day that reminds us of the importance of embracing the diversity of Black hair and why we must continue the fight to end hair discrimination in the workplace, schools, sports leagues and other public spaces. Image DID YOU KNOW? It is perfectly legal in 24 states for employers, schools, pools, and other entities to discriminate against a person based on their natural hair texture and/ or protective hairstyles. Image DID YOU KNOW? YOU can do something to end race-based hair discrimination! Use this link: https://p2a.co/TooEYln or text “PASSTHECROWNACT” to 52886 to urge your member of Congress to pass the CROWN Act of 2024, so that every man, woman, and child can live free from hair discrimination and harassment!

A School Board in North Carolina just signed The CROWN Act which prevents discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles! So far, only 26 states have enacted this law! As educators, it is our moral and ethical responsibility to fight for and to foster an environment where everyone feels safe, seen, respected, and valued! 🌟 Here are some statistics pulled from their website, highlighting information from their 2021 CROWN Research Study for Girls: 53% of Black mothers say their daughters have experienced racial discrimination based on hairstyles as early as five years old 66% of Black children in majority-white schools have faced race-based hair discrimination 86% of those children have experienced it by the age of 12 100% of Black elementary school girls in majority-white schools (who report experiencing hair discrimination) experienced discrimination by the age of 10 As we 𝗖reate a 𝗥espectful and 𝗢pen 𝗪orld for 𝗡atural Hair, our students will be able to rock their crowns 👑 with pride, be it braids, twists, or locs. To learn more about the CROWN Act, visit their website: https://lnkd.in/gXbaxDBw

North Carolina as a state, New Hanover County, and Wilmington have yet to adopt the CROWN Act legislation. This act protects against race-based hair discrimination in the workplace and in K-12 public and charter schools based on hair texture and protective styles. As of 2024, the CROWN Act has been enacted in 26 states. Without this protection, Black and indigenous people are denied basic 1st and 14th Amendment rights, often left to risk facing consequences at school or work for their natural and/or culture affirming hair, or they are forced to invest time and money (with Black women risking cancer or other negative health impacts) to conform to race-based, non-work related, Eurocentric professionalism and beauty standards that have no positive impact on job or academic performance. The CROWN Coalition is a group of 80+ community and advocacy organizations that have done significant work to drive real, actionable change, to push for the passage of the CROWN Act in all 50 states, and to end hair discrimination. For more information, contact https://lnkd.in/eZkpeZ-9 or https://lnkd.in/ehs7B-jS

The CROWN Act would: *Prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s style or texture of hair by including an individual’s style of hair that is tightly coiled or tightly-curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros and any other style of hair commonly associated with a race or national origin in the definition of racial discrimination. *Provide research, statistics, and precedent to support a sense of Congress that there is a need to define and prohibit hair discrimination in the workplace, schools, and housing to enforce the protection of civil rights. *Provide clear definitions that describe the enforcement mechanisms of the bill.

National CROWN day, celebrated annually on July 3, commemorates a pivotal moment in the fight for racial equity and the recognition of natural hair as a fundamental element of self expression. This special day marks the inaugural signing of the CROWN act legislation in California in 2019, a groundbreaking law that prohibits discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture in the workplace and public schools. The Crown act, an acronym for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair”addresses the systemic bias and discrimination, faced by individuals with natural hair, particularly Black folks, who have historically been subjugated to prejudice and limitations based on their hairstyles. This legislation, born from the tireless advocacy of the Crown Coalition, a diverse group of organizations and individuals dedicated to eradicating hair discrimination, stands as a beacon of progress, ensuring that individuals can express their cultural identity and unique beauty through their natural hair without fear of judgment or exclusion. National Crown Day serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for racial justice and the vital importance of recognizing and celebrating the beauty and diversity of natural hair. It encourages continued advocacy and action to ensure that all individuals have the freedom to embrace their authentic selves, regardless of their hairstyle or texture.

Beyond inspired by the work EJS has done, and the work that they continue to do… from contributing to the California Reparations Task Force, to assisting in a class action lawsuit for Black women who have gotten cancer after using hair relaxers, they are doing the work! Check out the video below to learn more. 🙏🏾 #dei #equity #justice #california #racism https://lnkd.in/g7UuCjbR

The ACLU campaign "Systemic Equality: Equal Access, Better Futures" uses nationwide litigation, advocacy, and public education to advance laws and policies rooted in racial equity. They feature various topics including fair housing, voting rights, economic justice, and more. This is a great resource to learn about the effects of systemic policies and the opportunities they block. https://lnkd.in/evET-37U.

Today (July 3rd) is National Crown Day. Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Crown Act being first signed into legislation in the state of California in 2019. Today we celebrate Black Hair Independence, and the Crown Movement. The CROWN Movement supports making race-based hair discrimination illegal, while also celebrating the beauty of Black hair. To date, the CROWN Act legislation (and/or Executive Orders) inspired by the CROWN Act has been enacted in 26 states and 50 municipalities, positively impacting the lives of more than 30 million Black people in the US. While there has been significant progress made, there is still so much more work to be done. The 26 states include California, New York, New Jersey (2019); Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Maryland (2020); Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico*, Nebraska*, Nevada, Oregon*, Illinois* (2021); Maine, Tennessee*, Louisiana*, Alaska*, Massachusetts (2022); and Minnesota, Arkansas, Texas, Michigan (2023), and Vermont (2024). A CROWN-inspired Executive Order is in place in Arizona (2023) and Kentucky (2024). *Legislation inspired by the CROWN Act. For more information on the CROWN Coalition, and Dove research studies on hair discrimination, visit www.thecrownact.com Take action to help end race-based hair discrimination by signing the petition at Dove.com/CROWN. #CROWNLOVE #CROWNPROUD #PASSTHECROWN #DOVE #impactthatmatters #everyonematters #everyonesincluded

Representation matters! Advocacy matters!