Pennsylvania has passed the CROWN Act, legislation that prohibits discrimination based on natural hairstyles. Philadelphia was the first municipality in the state to adopt similar legislation in 2020, led by then-City Council members Cherrelle Parker, now Mayor, and Blondell Reynolds Brown, in coordination with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR).
Governor Josh Shapiro’s signing of the bill expands the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. By officially adopting the CROWN Act, Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, Pennsylvania became the 28th state to provide legal protections against hair-based discrimination. According to the City of Philadelphia, the law addresses workplace practices and expression that have historically affected Black and brown communities, particularly Black women.
The law has implications beyond legislation, affecting civil rights protections. “This is an issue of workplace fairness and free expression that in the past has disproportionately impacted Black and brown people, and especially Black women. Hair is an affirmation of personal identity and often represents one’s culture and heritage,” PCHR Executive Director Renee Chenault Fattah said, as reported by the City of Philadelphia. Fattah noted that the law supports individuals in expressing themselves without being restricted by discriminatory practices…