Passing the Crown
On July 6, three days after “National Crown Day,” MuralsDC, in partnership with the JOY Media Collective, unveiled its first mural of the season. The mural, located in Anacostia on the south facing wall of Busboys and Poets (2004 MLK Jr. Ave SE), is a celebration of black hair and a promotion of the act designed to end hair discrimination. The CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” was created in 2019 to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists and knots in the workplace and in public schools. Dove co-founded the CROWN coalition along with the DC-based, black women-owned Joy Collective marketing firm, whose work is bringing awareness to this act, passed into law by seven states.
It took DC native Candice Taylor less than a week to produce the concept and complete the 34 x 30 foot colorful design that depicts black women of various ages sporting various hairstyles that allow black women to wear their hair in their natural state without use of damaging and potentially unhealthy straightening products or tools.
The event was a media draw, covered by former CNN news host Roland Martin, WTOP, and channels 4, 7 and 9. And we’re just getting started! Stay tuned for the locations of our six mural projects to be installed throughout the summer.
