Pennsylvania is set to join 27 other states across the country in officially prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s hair type, texture or style.
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is expected to join fellow lawmakers at Island Design Natural Hair Studio in West Philadelphia to sign House Bill 439 — or, Pennsylvania’s version of The CROWN Act — which is legislation intended to ban discrimination in schools and the workplace based on hairstyles.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is set to sign Pennsylvania’s CROWN Act into law at a hair salon in West Philly on Tuesday. The event is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. and it will be livestreamed at the top of this article.
The legislation is intended to protect those who wear natural hairstyles — like afros, cornrows or tightly coiled twists — from discrimination.
Lawmakers have said such discrimination is a violation of federal civil rights.
The CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” is law in 27 states across the country, including in nearby New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Delaware.
In 2019, California became the first state in the nation to pass The Crown Act.
According to organizers behind the act, a federal version of The CROWN Act was reintroduced before the House of Representatives by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).
The CROWN Act initially passed on a vote of 235 to 189 in March 2023. The bill also passed in the house in 2022.
On May 1, 2024, the measure was reintroduced to the Senate by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).