Back in June, we shared a progress map on the CROWN act with 7 states that have adopted it, the first being #California then #NewYork, #NewJersey, #Virginia, #Colorado, #Washington, and #Maryland. @helloupdo wants to protect our crown, especially from those who want to strip it away from us! It’s our responsibility to push this bill and share this update.
The CROWN Act (@thecrownact) was passed in the House of Representatives and has moved to the Senate on 09/22/2020.
Our community is making strides to fight against the many forms of racial discrimination, like those who are against the wearing of textured hair and protective styles in schools and the workplace. Andrew Johnson’s case was one that brought attention to the reform needed on this issue, but so many more students and employees have been subjected to this kind of micro-aggression.
THE CROWN ACT
The CROWN Act ensures protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and state Education Codes.
Led by the CROWN Coalition, founded by Dove, National Urban League, Color Of Change and Western Center of Law & Poverty.
The state-by-state push is part of the federal initiative.
While federal law already prohibits hair discrimination as it relates to “racial or national origin discrimination” it is argued that some federal courts have “narrowly construed” those rules in a way that allows schools and workplaces to discriminate against black people who wear specific natural or protective hairstyles.
The CROWN Act legislation being passed at the federal level would make it clear that discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles associated with people of African descent, including hair that is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots and Afros is a prohibited form of racial or national origin discrimination
FIRST STATES THAT JOINED THE CROWN ACT
- California
- New York
- New Jersey
- Virginia
- Colorado
- Washington
- Maryland
THE CROWN ACT: A Step further
The fight is not over until the CROWN Act is passed as a law. As the Bill moves to the Senate, the CROWN Act Campaign encourages people to join the movement by signing the petition to help #PassTheCROWN in other states.
Sign & Share The Petition:
https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/help-make-hair-discrimination-illegal
Find Your Legislator:
https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/
Find Your U.S Senator:
https://www.senate.gov/senators/index.htm
Send a Letter to Your State and U.S. Representative: https://www.dove.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/the-crown-act.html
Receive Help If You've Experienced Hair Discrimination in a Banned State:
https://www.thecrownact.com/hair-discrimination-help