Dove and the Crown Coalition support Maine and Tennessee states passing illegality of hair-based discrimination

09 Jun 2022 --- The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, has been signed into law in the US states of Maine and Tennessee. The CROWN coalition is formed by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color Of Change – the national supporters of the CROWN Act movement.

The CROWN Act was formed to end discrimination on “race-based hairstyles,” says the Coalition.

“Another major moment for this grassroot movement that continues to grow,” comments Esi Eggleston Bracey, executive VP and COO at North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever. 

This comes as the US Virgin Islands become the first to enable the Crown Act. Also, Louisiana, Illinois and Alaska are a step away, waiting for their Governor’s signature after successfully passing the legislation to make hair discrimination illegal. 

“The Dove team supports that Louisiana has passed anti-hair discrimination legislation inspired by the CROWN Act in both chambers – now it’s up to Governor John Bel Edwards to sign it into law,” comments Eggleston.

Dove and its coalition intend to end hair-based discrimination in 50 states and at the federal level. The CROWN Act was formed to end discrimination on race-based hairstyles. 

Research on discrimination
Dove has researched how hair type affects how people are treated. 

Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair, and 80% of Black women are more likely to report that they have to change their hair from its natural state to fit in at an office, says the company. 

Also, 86% of Black students face discrimination based on their natural hair by age 12. This has also had negative impacts on mental health through micro-aggressions. 

A petition can be signed on Dove’s website to support the movement.

In natural hair developments, industry players have been rolling out products that cater to textured hair. In this space, haircare brand Imbue is expanded to the US to feature its natural hair product line, including styling products in Target retail stores and online nationwide. As Imbue has already established its offerings in the UK, this move will enable the brand to continue “empowering” the natural hair community.

Meanwhile, Helen of Troy’s subsidiary acquired Recipe Products, the owner of Curlsmith, for US$150 million in cash. Curlsmith products are specifically designed for curly and wavy hair textures.

Natural beauty
The law’s passing aligns with the younger generations, Millennials and Gen Zers, who increasingly embrace their natural looks, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Natural makeup looks have resonated well within this group because it promotes an ideology that you who you naturally are beautiful. The No Makeup “Makeup” trend embraces what younger generations value the most: authenticity and inclusivity,” Myriam Bougdim, marketing and communication associate at Active Concepts, recently told PersonalCareInsights. 

“Natural makeup incorporates cosmetics that accentuate your natural beauty rather than conceal your imperfections while avoiding ingredients linked to harmful health effects.” 

By Venya Patel