TO KATIE HOBBS, GOVERNOR of the State of ARIZONA:

The purpose of this petition is to request that Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona sign an Executive Order (within her first 100 days in office) to adopt the “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” or CROWN Act and officially end race-based hair discrimination within Arizona state government.

After experiencing and witnessing numerous instances where Black people have been denied employment or harassed because of their natural hair and protective hairstyles, and an overwhelming number of cases of Black children being sent home from school because their hair, we have decided to take action to end racial based hair discrimination across the state of Arizona.

Studies have found that Black women and girls, in particular, experience pressure to conform to certain standards of appearance and suffer from unfair judgment and discrimination based on their natural hair and protective hairstyles, including braids, locs, bantu knots, and twists. For example, Black women and girls are far more likely to be sent home from work or school or are counseled regarding their workplace appearance policy or face disciplinary action more often than their non-Black colleagues because of their hair, and 1 in 2 Black children have experienced hair discrimination as early as five years old – and the impact can last a lifetime.

As citizens of the State of Arizona, we are asking that our governor affirm our State's commitment to the elimination of all barriers to employment that artificially restrict hiring, promotion, recruitment, compensation, and tenure based on any status or characteristic that is not directly related to the performance of the job; and discrimination against those of African American descent based on their natural hair or protective hairstyles and adopt the CROWN ACT in Arizona.

The CROWN ACT movement is nothing new and is part of a national campaign to end race discrimination based on an individual’s natural hair texture and protective hairstyles. So, we want a state where we may express our individuality, especially at work and at school, without fear of harassment or discrimination.

Please join the effort to encourage Governor Hobbs to use her executive authority to adopt the CROWN Act and officially end race-based hair discrimination in Arizona state government.

You can also join in the Pass the CROWN Act in AZ movement by calling or emailing the Office of the Arizona Governor at: (602) 542-4331 or https://azgovernor.gov/contact/form/contact-governor-hobbs