Join Stark & Stark on Monday as we discuss the CROWN Act with:

• Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congresswoman, New Jersey's 12th District
• Dr. Pamela Pruitt, Executive Director, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Rider University
• Professor Charles Ray, Legal Ethics and Sports Law, Rider University
• Trina L. Glass, Esq., Shareholder, Stark & Stark

The CROWN Act is a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots, or any other style of hair commonly associated with a race or national origin in the definition of racial discrimination.

Currently, 20 U.S. states have passed the CROWN Act or some other form of legislation that prohibits discrimination based on hair style or texture. New Jersey passed the CROWN Act on December 19, 2019, and New York passed the CROWN Act on July 12, 2019. To date, Pennsylvania has not yet passed legislation addressing discrimination based on hair style or texture. Additionally, there is not a federal law that prohibits this form of discrimination but there have been legislative proposals and actions to do so.

We will discuss the letter sent to Senate leadership on December 15, 2022, led by Congresswoman Watson Coleman and the Congressional Black Caucus requesting the Senate to include the CROWN Act in its year-end funding legislation. We will also discuss what is going on with the CROWN Act in New Jersey and what we can do to continue pushing the spirit and intent of the CROWN Act locally and nationally.