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.
PCHR Chairman Kareem E. Thomas described the statewide initiative as more than a policy change. “Pennsylvania's passage of the CROWN Act reinforces what Philadelphia recognized years ago — that protecting people from hair discrimination is essential to equity and dignity. This legislation is more than just a policy change – it is a civil rights advancement,” Thomas said, as per the city's release. The Commission has emphasized that natural hair should not be a barrier to opportunity. Thomas said that he was proud to lead a body that helped establish protections for natural hair within the framework of human rights and non-discrimination.
