2025 CROWN Day attendees pose in front of decorations at last year’s event in Busch House. Credit: Courtesy of Sydney Hopkins
A free event jam packed with different offerings including local hairstylists, hair product demonstrations, free products, catered food and more, the second ever CROWN Day event is set to teach attendees about natural hairstyles and hair legislation Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Curl Viewpoint.
CROWN Day is based around the CROWN Act, a California-based law that prohibits discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture. The CROWN acronym stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” and was introduced in 2022. Thirty states have enacted the law, but it has yet to become state law in Ohio, according to the CROWN Act website.
Sydney Hopkins, a third-year in public policy, chair of the Undergraduate Black Caucus and CROWN Day collaborator, said CROWN Day was held for the first time last year when multiple student organizations came together to plan the event.
“I reached out to The Sister Accord, Natural and Prosperous Society and the Black Student Association, and we all came together wanting to host an event titled CROWN Day that was really going to celebrate natural hair and expression,” Hopkins said. “Then, also talking about the CROWN Act legislation and how we could make that a possibility here in Ohio.”
This year’s CROWN Day is hosted by several Ohio State student organizations, including National Society of Black Women and Medicine, Natural and Prosperous Society, The Sister Accord, Undergraduate Black Caucus and Black Student Association, said Makayla Jethrow, a third-year in psychology and criminology, president of The Sister Accord and CROWN Day collaborator.
Jethrow said beyond discussing the CROWN Act, the event is meant to teach attendees how to embrace their natural hair.
“Braids, locks and things like that, were not seen as ‘professional,’” Jethrow said. “[The CROWN ACT] passed, basically stating that that was appropriate to be worn and that Black people, people of color, just people in general, can wear certain hairstyles in the workplace. This event was to celebrate that and also, as college students, have a place where you can learn about your natural hair, celebrate it [and] learn to embrace it.”
Goodie bags from haircare brand Miss Jessie’s at last year’s CROWN Day event in February 2025. Credit: Courtesy of Sydney Hopkins
The event will host different haircare brands that will provide free products, tutorials, hair type quizzes and more.
“There’s Paradise Naturals, which is a smaller brand, and she’s coming to the event,” Jethrow said. “We’re performing a demo with her products, so doing things like twist outs — all her products are very natural [and] healthy for your hair. Hydration, moisturizing, focusing on all those things that can be hard to find in other products. We’re just highlighting smaller brands, bringing them into the actual day [and] allowing them to demonstrate their products and their skills.”
Hopkins said the event will be set up in a station format, with different stations run by different student organizations. Attendees will also have the chance to eat a catered meal, take photos in a photobooth and ultimately leave the event with a goodie bag.
“There will be a hair trivia station, which The Sister Accord will be in charge of, hair history, which Black Students Association will be in charge of, CROWN Act legislation breakdown, which Black Caucus will be in charge of and there will be hands-on stations, which [Natural and Prosperous Society] will be in charge of, such as ‘Make Your Own Hair Oil’ [and] learning how to braid,” Hopkins said.
Jethrow said it’s important to emphasize that CROWN Day is open to anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity or hair type.
“I always talk a lot about Black haircare and the CROWN Act, but this event is open to all students,” Jethrow said. “So yes, there’s education on the CROWN Act and how that has affected people of color, but also, the types of haircare knowledge that they are getting is applicable to many different hair types. It’s not just limited to people of color.”
Hopkins said CROWN Day organizers want people to leave with new skills and knowledge, but an attendee leaving with new friends would fulfill their goals.
“Our goal is to increase our attendance … and then really just for students to continue to walk away feeling empowered and feeling like they learned something new,” Hopkins said. “Or even if they did not learn something new, they feel like they have met people that can support them throughout their college experience.”
