U.S. House Passes Bill Banning Hairstyle Discrimination

March 18, 2022

“This bill, as I just said, is not about hair, it’s about the reaction, the inequality, the discrimination, the ‘you’re not welcome here’ if your hair texture is different.”

—House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)

The gist:

The full title of the CROWN Act is the “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act.”

It failed to pass through the House in February, with opponent Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) calling the failed vote “unnecessary and duplicative,” citing instances “when federal courts have said that hair discrimination may constitute racial bias.” Meaning, it did not constitue requiring it’s own full scale legislation.

Advocates “in support of the bill say a split of opinions between federal appellate courts necessitates the clarification the legislation would provide.”

And the White House, in support of the Bill, said in a March 15 policy statement:

“Such discrimination has imposed significant economic costs, learning disruption, and denial of economic opportunities for people of color…Black women, for example, experience discrimination in hiring because of natural hair styles, and Black girls experience disproportionate rates of school discipline, sometimes for discriminatory hair violations.”

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