This post was originally published on Defender Network
By Amaka Watson
Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act to pass a federal law.
This legislation aims to outlaw race-based hair discrimination in schools and workplaces nationwide. The bill, backed by 84 co-sponsors, represents the latest attempt to establish a federal CROWN Act.
It passed the House in 2019 and 2022 but faced hurdles in the Senate. The renewed push comes amidst continued calls from the Congressional Black Caucus for leadership to take action, urging passage of the legislation that has yet to be addressed again by Congress.
If enacted, the legislation would prohibit discrimination against hairstyles commonly associated with Black and other minority cultures. This includes cornrows, locs, braids, twists, Bantu knots, afros, and other coiled or tightly curled hairstyles, as specified in the bill. The protections would apply to anyone participating in federally funded programs, housing programs, employment, schools and public accommodations based on their hair.
This news comes months after the national spotlight was drawn to the case of Darryl George, a Black high school student in Texas who was punished for more than a month for sporting a natural haircut.
Since the beginning of the 2023–24 school year, the 19-year-old senior at Barbers Hill High School in the Houston region has been suspended multiple times for what the administration claims to be a dress code infraction.
School officials claim that George’s natural locs below his eyebrows and ear lobes violate the district’s dress code for male students.
Lawmakers advocating for the CROWN Act say the issue goes beyond personal aesthetics. During a public testimony on the bill, Michigan State Sen. Sarah Anthony said, “The number one thing I heard was ‘Why are you focused on something as simple as hair? Can’t we address things like homelessness, food insecurity, and water infrastructure? My mama taught me that we can do both.”
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a leading voice in the fight for the CROWN Act, said, “This is not a partisan issue. The federal government would simply be following the lead of our states. This is an issue of justice. This is an issue of fairness. This isn’t just an issue of ending discrimination that has existed for too long. Enough is enough.”