As of June 2023, about two dozen states had adopted the CROWN Act. CROWN — which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair—is state-level legislation that intends to protect Black and brown women from discrimination based on how they style their hair.
![Monika Johnson-Hostler, vice-chair of the Wake County Public School Systems board, in studio at WUNC in Durham.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b0ff138/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2016x1512+0+0/resize/880x660!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8a%2Fbe%2F4285125745aba9f18c985a11ed9a%2Fimg-0648-1.jpg)
Stacia Brown/WUNC
In early March 2024, the Wake County Public School System introduced a school board meeting proposal to amend the district’s dress code policy to include language from the CROWN Act.
Studies show that Black students experience hair discrimination as early as age 5 and teenagers miss up to one week of school per year due to hair dissatisfaction.
Guest
Monika Johnson-Hostler, vice chair of the Wake County Public School Board