Today, Governor Josh Shapiro joined legislative leaders and local business owners to sign HB 439(opens in a new tab), also known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, into law. The legislation amends the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to expand the definition of “race” to include traits historically associated with race, including hair texture, protective hairstyles, and religious creed.

With the signing of this bill, Pennsylvania becomes the 28th state in the nation to prohibit discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles historically associated with race, ensuring that all Pennsylvanians can live and work without fear of racial bias in their hair or appearance. According to a 2022 Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) report, 916 complaints were filed that year alone related to racial discrimination involving hair texture and protective hairstyles.

The CROWN Act prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or applicants based on hairstyles such as locs, braids, twists, coils, Bantu knots, afros, and extensions, while still allowing businesses to enforce valid health and safety policies that apply equally to all employees.

The legislation was introduced by Representative Mayes and passed the General Assembly with strong bipartisan support.

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I’m financially struggling to keep a float, with bills constantly stacking due to me being my families only source of income. I’m currently taking care of my siblings and other family members. My grandma passed in September and they’ve been struggling since after paying funeral costs. I’m financially drowning in a constant loop not being able to make ends meet. Utilities has been late for months now with us praying they won’t shut anything off. I get paid only $15 an hour full time. The job market is terrible so this is all I have. We’ve had to go days without food due to not making enough even though I work almost everyday, doing doubles. Just needing help with getting ahead of things so that we can get out this loop. With the way things are going we can be at a high risk of being homeless by next month for the winter. My parents are a lot older and wouldn’t survive it. Any help is appreciated!

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