CROWN Act protects Black individuals facing hair-based discrimination
Key takeaways:
- The CROWN Act is a campaign to protect Black individuals against hair-based discrimination.
- As hair experts, dermatologists should be aware of the CROWN Act.
NEW ORLEANS — Black individuals continue to encounter hair-based discrimination in school and the workplace but can be protected under the CROWN Act, according to a presenter here.
While many Americans can style their hair without worry, Black men and women continue to meet social challenges in school and the workplace, according to Chesahna Kindred, MD, MBA, FAAD, founder of Kindred Hair & Skin Center.
During her presentation at The Society for Pediatric Dermatology Meeting, which preceded the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, Kindred explained that this stigma against Black hairstyles has made it necessary to enact a legal campaign called the CROWN Act.
The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, is a law intended “to protect against discrimination of race-based hairstyles,” Kindred told Healio. These hairstyles may include braids, locs, twists and knots.
Created by Dove and the CROWN Coalition in 2019, the CROWN Act is a product of legal and historical discrimination against hairstyles of Black individuals, such as the tignon laws in the 1700s and current pressure found in school dress codes and in the American workplace.
According to a 2021 survey conducted by Dove CROWN Research Study for Girls, 80% of Black women are more likely than white women to agree with the following statement: “I have to change my hair from its natural state to fit in at the office.”
Another study from the same group also found that 100% of Black elementary school girls in majority-white schools reported hair-based discrimination by age 10 years.
As a result, Black women have resorted to straightening their hair and using lye-based hair relaxers.
“There may also be a beneficial connection between the CROWN Act and hair disorders,” Kindred told Healio. “Since dermatologists are the hair experts in the U.S., they should join the campaign to pass the CROWN Act locally.”
Since 2019, laws that ban hair-based discrimination have been passed in 20 states and are pending in 24, according to Kindred. Since the CROWN Act seeks to remedy health and social risks, Kindred calls on dermatologists to contact their local politicians and express their support.
“Check to see if the CROWN Act was passed in your state,” she explained. “If not, email or call the politician trying to get the act passed. Let them know that you as a dermatologist, as a practice, or as a dermatology society support the CROWN Act. The politician will tell you how to help.”