A new law allows people to pursue legal action if they experience discrimination based on hairstyles related to their ethnicity.

The state’s existing anti-discrimination law already has a clause prohibiting discrimination by race and color. The new law adds a clause related exclusively to hair-related discrimination in workplaces, opening the door for people to file a private cause of action.

This bill was sponsored by Rep. Jonah Wheeler, who told members of the House Judiciary Committee that discrimination based on people’s hairstyle is a problem in New Hampshire. He called it the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), modeled after similar legislation adopted in dozens of other states.

The bill also drew support from Shaquwanda Allen, who runs an all natural hair salon in Manchester called Roots Natural Hair Shop. She said she has had clients who wanted to wear their hair naturally or wear protective styles at work, but encountered confusion or resistance from their employers.

Allen said she teaches her clients how to communicate and advocate for themselves, as part of her efforts to educate the community on natural curls and hairstyles. She tries to let people know that wearing their hair naturally is an option, and they don't have to resort to using chemicals to change their hair texture.

A national coalition advocating for changes to these laws commissioned studies on the impact of race-based hair discrimination. In 2023, they found that more than 20% of Black women between the ages of 25 and 34 “have been sent home from work because of their hair.” An earlier study from the same coalition also found that “66% of Black children in majority-white schools have faced race-based hair discrimination.”

More than half of all states have passed some version of the CROWN Act, according to the CROWN Coalition. Allen said she is happy Gov. Chris Sununu signed the law and hopes it encourages more people within the state, especially people of color, to want to be here in New Hampshire.

“In my journey of being a stylist, a lot of people left the state because they couldn't find a hair stylist or a hair salon that actually catered to our curls,” Allen said. “Him passing this allows us to open up these services so that we can keep more people here."