North Carolina Reintroduces CROWN Act Legislation

Will North Carolina follow other states in the passage of the CROWN Act? After several localities including Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Durham, and Raleigh passed the CROWN Act, state legislators in North Carolina are hoping to pass a CROWN Act legislation. The bill seeks to prohibit employers from denying or refusing employment nor discharge an employee due to their hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles as accustomed to their race. The protective styling defined in the legislation includes but does not limit hairstyles to cantu knots, braids, locks, and twists.

The passage of the legislation in North Carolina would be many years in the making as the CROWN Act legislation was introduced in 2021 and 2023 without passage.

The Crown Act passage has quickly increased its presence since its first passage - July 2019 in California. As of March 2025, twenty-five states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington) have passed the CROWN Act. The passage of the legislation could potentially aid North Carolina with ensuring large employers the state supports its diverse workforce.