FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DOVE AND THE CROWN COALITION CELEBRATE VICTORY AS THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT MAKES NATURAL HAIR DISCRIMINATION ILLEGALOIN THE CROWN ACT MOVEMENT
Connecticut Now Joins California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, and Maryland As States Prohibiting Natural Hair Discrimination in the Workplace and Schools
Connecticut Legislation Signed Into Law by Governor Ned Lamont on March 4, 2021
#PASSTHECROWN
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ – March 8, 2021 – The CROWN Coalition is excited and proud to announce Connecticut is the first state in 2021 and the eighth state to pass and enact The CROWN Act. The passage serves as a timely reminder that this prevalent form of discrimination warrants a legislative fix, and we reaffirm our commitment to supporting outlawing hair discrimination.
The CROWN Act – which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, is critically important legislation that extends statutory protection to traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and/or protective styles in the workplace and schools. The Crown Coalition is the official national supporter of The CROWN Act movement; an alliance co-founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color Of Change, with support from now over 80 organizations.
Connecticut State Representative Robyn Porter sponsored The CROWN Act (HB6515) and led the efforts in the legislature, with State Senator Julie Kushner serving as the Senate sponsor. On February 24, 2021, the bill passed in the Connecticut House of Representatives with a vote of 139-9. The bill passed in the Connecticut Senate on March 1, 2021, with a vote of 33-0. Governor Ned Lamont signed the bill into law on Thursday, March 4, 2021.
"I'm so proud of the important and impactful work we're doing with The CROWN Act," said Esi Eggleston Bracey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever. "Dove is excited Connecticut has joined seven other states in passing The CROWN Act – and appreciative of the leadership of Representative Porter, Senator Kushner, and Governor Lamont for taking action to make hair discrimination illegal."
"Advancing racial equity is not only my personal mission, but it's my commitment as a lawmaker. I am beyond proud to have sponsored and ushered the CROWN Act across the finish line—making Connecticut the first state to pass it this year. Partnering with Adjoa B. Asamoah, who was born and raised in my district, and is the legislative strategist for the CROWN Coalition, makes this win for the people of Connecticut even more special. Ensuring people can show up authentically and unapologetically, and be protected legally in workplaces, schools, unions, and all public accommodations is critically important." --State Representative Robyn Porter
"As a lifelong activist turned strategist, the Connecticut State Capitol is where I first participated in a hearing and testified, while I was a student at Hopkins School in New Haven. Having developed the legislative strategy for the CROWN Act movement, returning to Hartford and working with my hometown member, State Rep. Robyn Porter, in support of the passage of the CROWN Act brings it all full circle."-- Adjoa B. Asamoah
The CROWN Act movement was founded to create real change and aid in the efforts to ensure that Black women, men, and children, and other impacted groups, feel confident in expressing themselves. Supporters are invited to visit TheCROWNAct.com to learn more about how to end hair discrimination, and how to get involved in bringing anti-hair discrimination legislation to their state. Join the movement that's creating real change and aiding in the efforts to ensure Black women, men, and children feel confident in expressing themselves. Sign the petition at www.TheCROWNAct.com to help us end discrimination and learn how you can get involved in bringing anti-hair discrimination legislation to your state.
About The CROWN Coalition
About The CROWN Coalition
The CROWN Coalition is the official national supporter of the CROWN Act movement; an alliance founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color Of Change, along with 80+ CROWN Act supporting organizations. For a full list of CROWN Coalition members, visit www.thecrownact.com
The CROWN Coalition is proud to have sponsored and/or supported anti-hair discrimination legislation in California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Maryland and Connecticut. The bills address unfair grooming policies that have a disparate impact on Black women, men and children and has drawn attention to cultural and racial discrimination taking place within workplaces and public charter schools. The CROWN Coalition members believe diversity and inclusion are key drivers of success across all industries and sectors.
About Dove
Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove’s heritage is based on moisturization – proof not promises grew Dove from a Beauty Bar into one of the world’s most beloved beauty brands.
Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove’s mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.
For 60 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the ‘Dove Real Beauty Pledge,’ Dove vows to:
1. Portray women with honesty, diversity, and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type, and style.
2. Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
3. Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.
About Unilever North America
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington’s, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TRESemmé, and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.
Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) underpins the company’s strategy and commits to:
Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.
The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs, and reducing risks. In 2018, the company’s Sustainable Living Brands grew 69% faster than the rest of the business, compared to 46% in 2017.
Since 2010 we have been taking action through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being, halve our environmental footprint and enhance the livelihoods of millions of people as we grow our business. We have already made significant progress and continue to expand our ambition – most recently committing to ensure 100% of our plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025. While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognized in 2018 as a sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and as the top-ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders survey, for the eighth consecutive year.
For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/
About National Urban League
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague.
About Color Of Change
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by more than 1.4 million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people and our allies in America. Our campaigns and initiatives win changes that matter. By designing strategies powerful enough to fight racism and injustice—in politics and culture, in the workplace and the economy, in criminal justice and community life, and wherever they exist—we are changing both the written and unwritten rules of society. We mobilize our members to end practices and systems that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward.
About Western Center on Law & Poverty
Western Center fights for justice and system-wide change to secure housing, health care, racial justice, and a strong safety net for low-income Californians. Western Center attains real-world policy solutions for our clients through litigation, legislative and policy advocacy, and technical assistance and legal support for the state’s legal aid programs. Western Center is California’s oldest and largest legal services support center. Visit wclp.org.
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Contacts:
Marcy Polanco
917-940-3099
Shemika Harmitt
Shemika@joycollective.com
202.885.5527