Skip to main content

CROWN Act

Meaning ❉ The CROWN Act establishes legal protections against discrimination based on hair texture and styles frequently worn by individuals of Black or mixed heritage. This legislation provides a clear framework for understanding that hair, in its natural forms—such as coils, locs, braids, and twists—is a valid and respected presentation within schools and workplaces. For those seeking structured hair care, the Act supports systematization by removing barriers that might otherwise compel individuals to alter their hair’s natural state for professional or academic acceptance. It permits the practical application of care routines and styling choices aligned with hair health and cultural identity, without fear of adverse consequences. This legal measure grounds the ability to present one’s hair authentically, ensuring personal styling decisions align with inherent hair needs and cultural expression rather than prescriptive societal norms.

A black and white portrait captures a striking woman with a large, defined Afro. Her gaze is direct, skin luminous, and shoulders bare. The hairstyle showcases tight coils and voluminous texture. This image embodies beauty, heritage, and the expressive power of natural hair formations.

Hair Choices

Meaning ❉ Hair Choices denotes a complex interplay of personal, cultural, and historical decisions shaping textured hair expression and care.
Roothea Roothea
A monochrome study showcases a woman with meticulously styled locs cascading alongside her face, partly obscuring the right side, the lighting accentuates the texture and depth. She dons a one-shoulder top emphasizing her radiant skin. The composition speaks to beauty in natural Black hair expressions and ancestral heritage.

Institutional Hair Policing

Meaning ❉ Institutional Hair Policing is the systemic control of hair appearance, often marginalizing textured hair of Black and mixed-race individuals, rooted in historical racial bias.
Roothea Roothea
Monochromatic portrait showcases an elegant woman with a closely cropped, dark, type 4 hair texture haircut, emphasizing facial contours. Dramatic lighting highlights her smooth skin, full lips, and structured brow. The stark contrast amplifies the inherent beauty and cultural significance of natural hair, emphasizing minimalist styling and confident presentation.

Sociocultural Hair Impact

Meaning ❉ The Sociocultural Hair Impact is the profound meaning hair carries, shaping identity, social dynamics, and heritage within communities.
Roothea Roothea
A monochrome silhouette captures a woman with flowing braided hair, strands illuminated by backlighting. This image highlights textured hair's beauty, suggesting ancestral heritage through hair styling, promoting holistic hair care rooted in expressive and historical beauty practices, and celebrates black hair traditions with radiant pride.

Black Hair Stress

Meaning ❉ Black Hair Stress is the profound emotional and psychological burden Black individuals experience from societal biases against their natural hair.
Roothea Roothea
A monochrome portrait unveils a woman's profile, highlighting her sculpted undercut with etched lines and a crown of tight coils. Her confident gaze meets the viewer, drawing attention to her defined features and sharp eyeliner. A sleek white top exposes a hint of the back, set against a dark backdrop. This emphasizes the natural hair texture and artistic styling.

CROWN Act Advocacy

Meaning ❉ CROWN Act Advocacy is a movement to legally protect individuals from discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles rooted in racial and cultural heritage.
Roothea Roothea
This striking black and white portrait presents a young, bald Black woman. A pair of parallel lines shaved into the scalp offers a geometric accent. Stark light and shadow define her delicate features, emphasizing high cheekbones. Her skin glows, and her eyes gaze down, conveying introspection and powerful elegance.

Societal Hair Control

Meaning ❉ Societal Hair Control defines the formal and informal mechanisms that regulate hair appearance, profoundly impacting textured hair heritage and Black identities.
Roothea Roothea
A monochrome silhouette captures a figure facing left, radiant sun behind their head. The dark form emphasizes striking locs thrown upward in dynamic arrangement. Mountain silhouettes rest below, underscoring texture, and ancestral strength, celebrating the richness of Black hair traditions and heritage.

CROWN Act Precedent

Meaning ❉ The CROWN Act Precedent defines legal protection against discrimination based on hair texture and protective styles linked to racial heritage.
Roothea Roothea
Black and white shot features a woman expertly grinding herbs within a stone mortar, sunlight casts a sharp shadow alongside scattered grains. This scene evokes ancestral hair care traditions, utilizing natural ingredients for holistic textured hair wellness practices passed down through generations.

Post-Slavery Policies

Meaning ❉ Post-Slavery Policies represent the enduring legal, economic, and social frameworks that shaped Black communities following emancipation, impacting hair heritage and identity.
Roothea Roothea