The U.S. just took a major step forward in the fight against hair discrimination.
The House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act on Monday (Sept. 21), which would make it illegal to discriminate against an individual’s hairstyle or texture nationwide. The House Judiciary took to Twitter to announce the good news, writing: “FACT: The #CROWNAct will explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of natural hair as a form of race or national origin discrimination.”
Following the CROWN Act’s passing, many legislators were quick to share their excitement online.
“For far too long, Black women have been penalized for simply existing as themselves — that ends today. The House just passed the CROWN Act to end hair discrimination,” Congresswoman Ilhan Omar wrote on Twitter. “This passage is long overdue, but an important step forward to combat racial discrimination.”
Representative Barbara Lee also weighed in on the matter, writing on Twitter: “Today the House passed @RepRichmond @RepMarciaFudge, @RepPressley & my bill to prohibit natural hair discrimination. No one should feel forced to change their natural hair. I’ve been rocking my crown for decades & everybody should feel empowered to rock theirs too. #CROWNAct
In December 2019, the act was first introduced into Congress by Rep. Lee along with Rep. Marcia Fudge, Rep. Richmond, and Rep. Pressley. Now that it has passed in the House, the CROWN Act — which stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair — will head to the Senate for consideration, where at least 51 of the 100 Senate members must vote for it to pass. It is only then that the CROWN Act can be signed into law by the President, ending hair discrimination nationwide.
Advancing the Crown Act, in order to work towards ending race-based hair hate, is an important part of the fight for racial equality. While the House’s passing of the act is definitely a feat worthy of celebration, there is still much more progress to be made. Currently, the CROWN Act has only been adopted by seven states including Colorado, New York, Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, and California (where over a year ago, the act was first introduced by State Senator Holly Mitchell). To help support the passing of the act in the Senate, contact your state senators to encourage them to pass this legislation.
For more information about the Crown Act, be sure to visit their website here or follow them here on Instagram.
