CROWN Coalition

With the Passage of the CROWN Act, Sen. Holly Mitchell Paves the Way for Natural Hair Acceptance

By Imani Sumbi, Special to the SentinelJuly 11, 2019

African Americans have long been punished for appearing in professional or academic settings while wearing their natural hair. In 2010, a Black woman in Alabama refused to cut her dreadlocks, and a job offer disappeared. Last December, a video of a Black high school wrestler who was forced get his dreadlocks cut off before a match, went viral. Not long ago, a Google search for “unprofessional hair” returned results mostly featuring Black women wearing their natural curls or braids.

Daily Briefs Political

Bill to End Hair Discrimination Passes First Assembly Policy Committee

Sentinel News WireJune 4, 2019

SACRAMENTO – The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove, announced today the bill they are sponsoring, Senate Bill 188, The CROWN Act, passed its first policy test in the Assembly. Introduced by Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, SB 188 aims to “Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair” (the CROWN Act) by clarifying that traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, be protected from discrimination in the work place and in our K-12 public and charter schools. “Many Black