The fourth national CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Day will not be a one-day hair affair.
Presented by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, CROWN Day has been extended to a two-week celebration after its first signing, four years ago on July 3, 2019, Happi reports. 2023’s CROWN Act festivities kicked off during the 2023 BET Awards in Los Angeles and will continue during the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans with the CROWN Awards.
Hosted by Tai Beauchamp, the ceremony will honor advocates and celebrities including Essence president and CEO Caroline Wanga, Academy Award-nominated hairstylist Camille Friend, rapper and actress MC Lyte, actress Quvenzhané Wallis, news correspondent Michelle Miller, social media stars Lynae Vanee and Tabitha Brown, and comedian Kym Whitley. The CROWN Awards highlight the strength, grace, and impact of these Black women and girls who are leading the path to advance the legacy of Black beauty and intellect.
Esi Eggleston Bracey, president of Unilever U.S. & CEO of Unilever Personal Care, said that Dove is proud to continue to sponsor the work toward ending hair discrimination in the workplace. “While there is much to celebrate with 23 states and 50 municipalities that have passed CROWN legislation, there is still work to be done to ensure protections and inclusivity,” Bracey said, according to a press release. “We look forward to uplifting Black women and girls who are standing proudly in their full, unapologetic beauty as part of this year’s fourth annual CROWN Day festivities.”
Unilever, which owns some of the most popular haircare brands including Vaseline, Shea Moisture, and Dove, recently took an additional important step toward understanding the importance of Black haircare: It opened a salon, called the Polycultural Center of Excellence, for Black people to test its products and give their honest opinions on what works best for them and why.