Crown Awards Presented by Dove Celebrates Fourth Annual Crown Day and Crown Act Inaugural Signing

FOURTH NATIONAL CROWN DAY EXTENDS CELEBRATION TO COMMEMORATE THE INAUGURAL SIGNING OF THE CROWN ACT ON JULY 3

Signature Moments Included Star-Studded CROWN Awards Ceremony on July 2 in New Orleans and Social Call to Action to Join the Movement and Be #CROWNProud on CROWN Day

National CROWN Day, presented by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, returned to commemorate the inaugural signing of the first CROWN Act (July 3, 2019) to “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” This year’s celebrations marked the fourth CROWN Day, and kicked off during the 2023 BET Awards, followed by several signature events during the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans, LA.

The hallmark event of National CROWN Day was the annual CROWN Awards on Sunday, July 2. Hosted by Tai Beauchamp, the ceremony highlighted the extraordinary strength, grace, and impact of notable Black women and girls whose talents and leadership help advance the legacy of Black beauty and brilliance. Some honorees and attendees included Caroline Wanga, Camille Friend, MC Lyte, Quvenzhané Wallis, Michelle Miller, Lynae Vanee, Tabitha Brown and Kym Whitley.

“Dove was proud to return to the ESSENCE Festival of Culture to celebrate the continued progress that has been made to end race-based hair discrimination in the US,” stated Esi Eggleston Bracey, President of Unilever US & CEO of Unilever Personal Care, NA. 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 protection and inclusivity. We enjoyed 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.”

As part of this year’s CROWN Day celebration, Dove invited newscasters across the country to wear their natural and protective styles on air and on their social channels on Monday, July 3 to represent the beauty and diversity of Black hair on air.

2023 National CROWN Day celebrations included:

ESSENCE Beautycon “For the Love of Black Beauty” Panel featuring award-winning Actor Kym Whitley, celebrity hairstylist Camille Friend and Dove Self-Esteem Project Educator Dre Brown on June 30.
Third annual CROWN Awards, hosted by Tai Beauchamp and honoring trailblazers and game-changers across various fields on July 2.
National CROWN Day – Black Hair Independence Day on July 3 featured a “CROWNs & Conversations” breakfast celebration in New Orleans, LA. Newscasters from across the US wore their natural and protective styles on-air and take to social media to post photos of their #NaturalHairOnAir #CROWNProud.

Visit Dove.com/CROWN to learn more about the CROWN movement.

About The CROWN Coalition

The CROWN Coalition was formed in 2019 by founding members Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, and Color of Change to “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” This alliance was formed to create a more equitable and inclusive experience for Black consumers through the advancement of race-based hair discrimination legislation known as The CROWN Act. The CROWN Coalition now includes over 100 community organizations working toward real, actionable change.

The CROWN Coalition was created by Dove, along with a team of Black women, including Esi Eggleston Bracey (President of Unilever USA & CEO of Unilever Personal Care, North America), Adjoa B. Asamoah (CEO of ABA Consulting), Orlena Nwokah Blanchard (Managing Partner of Seven Elements Group) and Kelli Richardson Lawson (CEO of House of JOY).

The CROWN Act and laws inspired by the CROWN Act have passed in 23 states and 50 municipalities since 2019: California, New York, New Jersey (2019); Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Maryland (2020); Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico*, Nebraska*, Nevada, Oregon*, Illinois (2021); Maine, Tennessee*, Louisiana*, Alaska*, Massachusetts (2022); and Minnesota, Arkansas, Texas and Michigan (2023); impacting more than 30 million Black lives. A CROWN-inspired Executive Order is in place in Arizona (2023). For more information on the CROWN Coalition, and Dove research studies on race-based hair discrimination, visit www.thecrownact.com.

*Legislation inspired by the CROWN Act

About Dove

Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove’s heritage is rooted in care – proof, not promises grew Dove from a Beauty Bar into one of the world’s most beloved beauty brands.

Real women have always been our inspiration, and since the beginning, Dove has been wholly committed to providing superior care to all, and to championing real representations of beauty in our advertising, communications, and campaigns. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone, and the Dove mission is to ensure a positive experience with beauty is universally accessible to all.

For 65 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. This includes the ‘Dove Real Beauty Pledge,’ and commitment to:

Portray women as they are in real life with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type and style.
Represent individuals with zero digital distortion, with all images approved by the women they feature.
Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world with a goal to educate 250 million young people by 2030.

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Tags: caroline wanga, crown act, crown awards, Essence Festival, Happenings, kim whiteley, tai beauchamp

About the Author

Crystal Willis Crystal Willis is an Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Entertainment Publicist and CEO of The Omni Firm. She is also a Transformational Life Coach and Founder of The Crysalis. Her personal story has been seen by millions of people on media outlets like Marie Claire Magazine, PBS, Blaze TV, Daily Signal and more.