Raleigh leaders propose 'CROWN Act' protecting employees from hair discrimination

Raleigh City Council is considering an ordinance that would prohibit discrimination based on someone's hair. The ordinance is a part of a national push called the CROWN Act.

CROWN stands for creating a respectful and open world for natural hair. The national movement was born out of situations where Black Americans — particularly Black women — were told that their natural hair was not appropriate for school or the workplace.

Victoria Galloway, owner of Hair by Royal, says she has been teaching her clients to embrace their natural hair and hopes Raleigh city leaders will do the same.

"Come with the hair you have, leave with the hair you want. If you want to achieve it, I'll weave it," she said. "If you can't grow it, I'll sew it. Nobody will know it."

Galloway was diagnosed with alopecia when she was 10 years old. She had to do her own hair to cover the balding, she said.

"I want to make women feel beautiful," she said.

She said hair should not define who someone is, their skill level or education level at work.

Wake County Commissioners already passed a similar ordinance banning hair discrimination for county employees in March.

Durham was one of the first cities in the country to ban employers from discriminating based on hairstyle. Fayetteville introduced a similar proposal in March of this year.

The CROWN Act is already law in California, New York and New Jersey. The legislation has been introduced in more than 20 states

The Raleigh City Council will vote on this ordinance on Tuesday. If it passes, it will be the largest city in North Carolina to ban hair discrimination.