DOVER, Del. - Delaware Governor John Carney will have his first public bill signing since the pandemic state of emergency was lifted Thursday as he signs The Crown Act, banning hair discrimination in public schools and workplaces.
The CROWN Act, which stands for "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair", is a national campaign created by The Crown Coalition in partnership with Dove and Unilever. The CROWN Act bans discrimination due to hairstyles including locs, braids, and twists, that are historically tied to race. It was inspired in part, when a New Jersey high school wrestler was forced to cut his hair before a match.
The bill's sponsor, Delaware State Senator Darius Brown (D-SD2), says The CROWN Act ensures women, especially can express themselves through their hair.
"I have a mother and a sister and cousins that have different hairstyles that they express, and I recognize, particularly for African-American women, it is a decision that they have to make when interviewing for jobs, when they're working in professional settings of employment," Senator Brown said. "This legislation now ensures that they cannot be discriminated against based on their natural hair - not just a hairstyle, but literally the natural texture and thickness of their hair."
Delaware became the ninth state to pass The CROWN Act last April, preceded by Maryland and Virginia in 2020. It is currently enacted in 14 states.
The CROWN Act is also on its way to becoming federal law. The bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last week, and is off to the U.S. Senate for approval.
"I'm just glad that while it is moving through the Congressional process in D.C., that Delaware has added its name, it's voice to other states around the country, that we've passed this legislation here locally," Senator Brown said. "It's good to be in the first state and be one of the first states to pass The CROWN Act."
Thursday's bill signing will be open to the public, taking place at the Delaware Archives in Dover at 2 p.m.
Learn more about The CROWN Act at thecrownact.org.