Congressman Brian Higgins announced that the House of Representatives has passed new legislation making it illegal to discriminate against ones hair texture or style.
The CROWN Act explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of hair texture or style, commonly experienced by Black Americans.
CROWN Act stands for "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair."
“Nobody should be harassed or discriminated against for wearing their natural hair or choosing a style based on cultural heritage and preferences, yet people face these biases every day,” said Higgins in a press release. “The CROWN Act solidifies in federal law that race-based hair discrimination is illegal.”
The legislation applies to any federally funded program, housing, public accommodations such as hotels, and employment. The Senate will still need to act on the bill.
The legislation states, “No individual in the United States shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, based on the individual’s hair texture or hairstyle, if that hair texture or that hairstyle is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin (including a hairstyle in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros).”
