Democrats continue exploiting every cultural flashpoint they can find, doubling down on symbolic “equity” gestures designed to appease the activist Left rather than address any real problem.
These moves rarely result in meaningful policy change, but that isn’t the point.
They’re crafted to shape perceptions, not solve issues.
For decades, equality under the law has been a settled fact in the United States.
Yet the modern Left operates on the premise that racism is an eternal crisis requiring permanent political agitation, government intrusion, and corporate compliance.
The more they push for “equity,” the more division they manufacture.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is now taking his turn at the podium, insisting racism remains an urgent crisis in his state.
His solution: passing the “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” (CROWN) Act.
The law criminalizes discrimination based on hairstyle, type, or texture.
CROWN is crafted almost entirely for the Democrat base, particularly black voters in urban PA.
Despite being framed as universal protection, it is all but guaranteed to be enforced through a political lens.
No one expects, for example, a black manager wearing wigs or weaves to face discrimination complaints.
But a white supervisor disciplined for enforcing hygiene rules could easily find themselves targeted under this new standard.
That’s how these laws work, not equal protection, but new privileges and liabilities based on who fits the Left’s preferred narrative.
Shapiro framed the law this way:
“Real freedom means being respected for who you are – no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or who you pray to…
“For too long, many Pennsylvanians have faced discrimination simply for hairstyles that reflect their identity and culture – that ends today…”
PA House Speaker Joanna McClinton added that the law ensures employers won’t “look at your hair and decide you can’t work here” or “don’t belong in this C-suite” or “in the boardroom.”
Pennsylvania state Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, a Democrat, declared:
“Hair discrimination has taken confidence from our children, but that ends today.
“Hair discrimination has taken dignity from workers, but that ends today.
“It has taken access to economic opportunities, hopes and dreams, but that begins to end today.”
The rhetoric is sweeping and disconnected from reality.
No Constitutional Right to Be “Respected”
Despite the Democrat narratives, respect is not a protected class.
The Constitution does not shield anyone from criticism, judgment, or personal preference.
The idea that the government should police how people feel about someone’s hairstyle is the ultimate overreach.
No Race-Exclusive Hairstyles
Activists commonly claim certain styles are culturally proprietary, but history tells a different story.
Dreadlocks appear in Minoan frescoes from 1600–1500 BCE.
Elaborate braids were worn by Germanic and Norse cultures.
There is no objective standard by which a hairstyle can be racially owned.
Law Unenforceable by Design
Hair discrimination can only be proven if an employer explicitly states the reason, an exceedingly rare scenario.
That’s why legislation like the CROWN Act functions not as a protection, but as a legal weapon: a tool to intimidate employers into DEI-compliant hiring practices and to threaten costly civil action.
According to EEOC data, out of roughly 130,000 race-based complaints filed annually, only 20–30 involve hair.
Pennsylvania may go years without seeing a single genuine case.
Yet Democrats now have a new law to signal an epidemic that doesn’t exist.
The Real Goal: Engineering a Perception of Oppression
The CROWN Act is not a response to widespread abuse; it’s a political narrative in legal form.
A message to voters that Democrats are fighting an imaginary crisis, reinforcing the belief that racism lurks behind every door and only government intervention can make life tolerable.
In reality, there is no epidemic of “hair racism.”
There is, however, a growing effort to convince the public that such a crisis exists.
And that is precisely the point.
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