STATE REP. LA’TASHA D. MAYES
State Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes was adamant about getting legislation passed to end race-based hair discrimination. She spoke about the right that people, particularly Black women and men, had to wear their hair as they please, with no blowback from employers or others.
The Pennsylvania “CROWN” Act was born, and on Nov. 25, 2025, the “CROWN” Act was officially signed into Pennsylvania law.
“It’s a win for Black Pennsylvanians,” Rep. Mayes told the New Pittsburgh Courier, Dec. 9, “and it’s a win for the entire commonwealth because we now have a more fair, just and free state in which we live, and I’m proud to have been the prime sponsor of the Pennsylvania ‘CROWN’ Act.”
GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO SIGNS THE “CROWN” ACT INTO LAW, NOV. 25, 2025.
“CROWN” stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” Signed into law by Pa. Governor Josh Shapiro, 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.
In a news release announcing the new legislation, Pennsylvania became 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.
Representative Mayes, whose 24th House District includes many East End neighborhoods, told the Courier that the legislation is among the “likes of which we have not seen in a very, very long time.” She called it a “landmark civil rights legislation.”
Speaking at Island Design Natural Hair Studio in Philadelphia, Nov. 25, Governor Shapiro was joined by business owner Lorraine Ruley, House Speaker Joanna McClinton, Rep. Mayes, and “CROWN” Act champion and advocate Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah.
“This is going to help people by making sure that, wherever you work, or wherever you’re applying for a job, they can’t look at your hair and size you up—not based on your qualifications and all of the professional development you have and all of your education,” said House Speaker McClinton, in a release. “They will not look at your hair and decide you can’t work here. They will not look at your hair and decide you don’t belong in this C-suite. They will not look at your hair and say, ‘you can’t be in the boardroom.’”
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.
“I want to thank Speaker McClinton for her tireless efforts — long before I ever became a member of the PA House of Representatives — to see this bill pass out of the House and Senate and now signed into law,” said Representative Mayes, in the release. “I also want to thank my staff; the statewide PA ‘CROWN’ Act coalition of over 100 organizations, businesses, unions, municipalities, and entities that have garnered public support for House Bill 439 all across this Commonwealth; and Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah, the ‘CROWN’ Act champion who has led this fight for years at the federal level; the national ‘CROWN’ Act Coalition; and so many more.”
Since taking office, Gov. Shapiro has advanced numerous measures to expand opportunity for historically disadvantaged businesses, including eliminating licensing requirements for natural hair braiders and increasing access to state contracts for Black- and Latino-owned businesses, read the statement. Under the Governor’s leadership, the Commonwealth has: Cut business filing processing times from weeks to same-day processing for small business and cosmetology licenses; Increased spending with Black- and Latino-owned businesses by 45 percent, reaching $150 million in fiscal year 2023-24; Surpassed $1 billion in contracts with small businesses, small diverse businesses, and veteran-owned enterprises for two consecutive years; and secured $20 million annually for the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program, supporting small business growth statewide.
“As a child growing up in the Virgin Islands with natural hair, wearing my natural hair has been all that I know,” said Lorraine Ruley, owner of Island Design Natural Hair Studio. “But as I opened my salon and spoke to different clients, clients that wear braids are telling me, ‘Lorraine, I have to take these braids out. I have a job interview,’ or ‘Lorraine, I have to cut my locs down because my job says they’re too long.’ The experience has been really heartbreaking… so, the ‘CROWN’ Act is very important to me.”
“Too many Black children have been suspended and missed what should be valuable instruction time because their hair, worn in ways that are aligned with their racial identity, have been deemed a violation of school rules. Too many Black adults have been passed over for promotions, had offers of employment rescinded, and even been fired for showing up authentically,” said Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah, the ‘CROWN’ Act champion. “And with an undeniable correlation between the use of chemical relaxers and the increased likelihood of developing uterine fibroids and cancer—the cost of conformity is simply too expensive.”
“The ‘CROWN’ Act protects dignity and affirms the freedom to honor our cultural roots. I’m incredibly proud to see Pennsylvania adopt this essential anti-discrimination legislation,” said Senator Vincent Hughes. “Discrimination is unacceptable. This legislation makes clear that in Pennsylvania, we celebrate people for who they are and protect their right to fully embrace their identity.”
For Rep. Mayes, she talked to the Courier openly about her 2-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and how much this legislation will positively affect her.
“Without this bill, she would have faced hair discrimination by the time she was 5 years old,” Rep. Mayes told the Courier. “The ‘CROWN’ Act now puts us in a position to change that, not only for my daughter, but for the Black children all across this commonwealth.”