ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National CROWN Day, presented by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, is back and expanded to a two-week celebration to commemorate the inaugural signing of the first CROWN Act (July 3, 2019) to "Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair." This year's celebrations mark the fourth CROWN Day, and will kick-off during the 2023 BET Awards, followed by several signature events during the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans, LA. Read more.

AXIOS Axios Twin Cities — Minnesota is set to join a growing number of states that ban racial discrimination related to hairstyles. The DFL-majority Senate passed the so-called "Crown Act" 45-19 on Thursday. The bill, which cleared the House earlier this month, now heads to Gov. Tim Walz's desk. The legislation adds protections to the Minnesota Human Rights Act for "traits associated with race, including but not limited to texture and hairstyles such as braids, locs, and twists." Read more.

DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE: ST. PAUL — A bill that would create specific protections against discrimination based on ethnic hairstyles has passed in the Minnesota House and awaits a vote in the Senate. The CROWN Act, sponsored by Rep. Esther Agbaje, DFL-Minneapolis, would add hairstyle protections to the state’s existing human rights statute. If signed into law by the governor, hairstyles and textures would be added to the definition of race in the Minnesota Human Rights Act, offering protections for “braids, locs and twists.” Read more.

LOUISIANA ILLUMINATOR: Legislation to protect Louisiana students and workers from discrimination based on their natural or protective hairstyles failed to make it through the Louisiana Legislature for the second year in a row. House Bill 667, authored by Rep. Tammy Phelps, D-Shreveport, failed Monday in the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee by a 6-8 vote. Phelps’ legislation is modeled after the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), a national legislative effort that began in 2019. Read more.

NBC NEWS: A viral photo of some of Campbell's teammates and competitors frantically helping her remove the beads has been shared on Facebook more than 35,000 times, with many people remarking it was an "amazing" and "awesome" display of good sportsmanship. But Campbell; her mother, Melody; and a host of others said they see something different when they look at the image: the results of hair discrimination.

YORK DAILY RECORD: The York City Councilwoman Edquina Washington proposed the CROWN Act as part of city ordinances at Tuesday's meeting. According to Washington, resident pastor Theresa Hawkins brought the subject to her, and she teamed up with the York City Human Relations Commission to present the amendment to the board. During a press conference before the board meeting, Washington and Chair of the Human Rights Commission Stephanie Seaton spoke about why the legislation is important. Read more.

CNN: The bill passed the US House last month but needs to be approved by the US Senate, before it’s sent to President Joe Biden’s desk. “A lot of people are not aware that race-based hair discrimination exists,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, who leads Unilever’s beauty and personal care portfolio and is a co-founder of the CROWN Coalition, which champions the legislation. There are “implicit and explicit biases” against natural hair “deeply ingrained in workplace norms and society at large,” New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker, a Senate sponsor of the CROWN Act, said in a statement. Read more.

CNN -- Nothing makes Dyree Williams feel more like himself than his hair, which he has proudly worn in twists, braids and locks all his life – it’s part of his identity and a direct connection to his ancestors. But Williams’ locks became an issue after the 17-year-old moved from Cincinnati, Ohio, to East Bernard, 50 miles outside of Houston, Texas, in February. His new school’s dress code policy stated that “braided hair or cornrows will not be allowed,” a policy that went against his very sense of self. Read more.

U.S. Virgin Islands -- On April 11, 2022, U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. signed into law Act No. 8553, “The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2022” or “The Virgin Islands Crown Act of 2022,” which prohibits discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyle. The act amends the Virgin Islands Civil Rights Act (VICRA), which prohibits discrimination in employment, as well as with respect to public accommodations and with respect to rental transactions, on the basis of race, creed, color, or national origin. Read more.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., /PRNewswire/ -- The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color Of Change, along with over 90 members of the CROWN Coalition praise the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the CROWN Act of 2022. Led by Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey's 12th congressional district), along with 116 cosponsors, the Democratic-led House voted 235-189 to pass the CROWN Act. Read more.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The US House on Friday passed legislation that would ban race-based hair discrimination in employment and against those participating in federally assisted programs, housing programs, and public accommodations. The Democratic-led House voted 235-189 to pass the CROWN Act, which stands for "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair." The bill seeks to protect against bias based on hair texture and protective styles, including locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros. Read more.

DALLAS, TX — Your voice is your power. Your words are powerful. We know this, right? All week long, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado has made a point to show that she knows the power of her words as well. But also this week, when providing a vote on the CROWN Act, a bill that would outlaw discrimination based on hair textures and hairstyles, she referred to it on the House of Representatives floor as "the bad hair bill." Read more.

TRENTON, NJ – Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (D-Hudson) issued the following statement Wednesday in response to House Republicans blocking the passage of the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair or CROWN Act. Read more.

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE – This is the second year Sen. Derek Kitchen of Utah is bringing forward an effort to add hairstyles to discrimination protections.

A bill aimed at preventing race-based hairstyle discrimination has hit a roadblock in the Utah Legislature for the second year running. Read more.