The Crown Coalition has declared today [3 July] the first ever National Crown Day in the US.

Marking the first anniversary of the signing of the CROWN Act, National Crown Day is a day to stand in solidarity with black people and the right to wear their natural hair without fear of discrimination.

The CROWN Act, which stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”, is a law that makes race-based hair discrimination illegal. This includes discrimination in the workplace and the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles.

On 3 July 2019, California became the first state to ban hair discrimination. Since then, New York, Washington, Colorado, Maryland and Virginia have also passed the CROWN Act as law.

Today is National Crown Day in the US. Here’s why it’s important