OLBCF Applauds Cuyahoga County’s Historic Passage of Ohio’s First CROWN Act

Yesterday marked a pivotal moment for equity and dignity in Cuyahoga County as the County Council officially passed the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Ordinance, making Cuyahoga the first county in the state of Ohio to adopt such legislation.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Cuyahoga County Councilmembers Michael J. Houser and Meredith Turner and every member of Cuyahoga County Council for their leadership, courage, and commitment to justice.

OLBCF is proud to stand with Enlightened Solutions, NAACP Cleveland Branch, and all those who worked behind the scenes to shepherd this through, your vision has made real change possible.

The new law amends the county code and the county employee handbook to prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair texture or hairstyles commonly associated with race in housing, employment, and public accommodations.

The ordinance responds to troubling data showing that hair-based bias remains pervasive. A Project Noir survey of 1,324 Black women in Northeast Ohio found that 68% of respondents had experienced inappropriate comments about their hair at work, and 51% faced some retaliatory action when speaking up. 

Hair discrimination is often dismissed as trivial, but for many Black people it carries serious consequences: exclusion from jobs, derision in school settings, unwarranted discipline under dress codes, and daily microaggressions. Legislation like the CROWN Act is a concrete tool to dismantle one frontier of systemic bias.

“This is more than policy. It is protection. Black hair is culture and identity. It should never be policed or punished. We deserve to live, learn and work without discrimination for being our natural selves," said OLBCF President Shayla L. Davis.

By passing the CROWN Ordinance, Cuyahoga County is telling every resident: who you are and how you wear your hair matters, it is valid, and it will not be used as a basis for discrimination. We call on every county in Ohio to join this movement to follow Cuyahoga's lead and affirm that fairness, inclusion, and respect are not optional but essential.