Congresswoman Gwen Moore and Colleagues Lead Re-Introduction of CROWN Act

Today, Reps. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Maxwell Frost (FL-10) reintroduced the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair or CROWN Act in the House of Representatives. The bill would prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair texture. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced companion legislation in the upper chamber. Twenty-seven states and dozens of cities nationwide have passed their own CROWN Acts, designed to outlaw race-based hair discrimination in schools and workplaces, removing a barrier to educational and economic opportunity facing many Black Americans and people of color. Despite this progress, inequities remain, making the need for federal legislation clear. For example, Black students are disciplined at a rate four times higher than any other racial or ethnic group, and research has found that 70 percent of all suspension disciplines are discretionary, many stemming from dress code violations, including “unapproved” hairstyles. Meanwhile, in workplaces, bias against ethnic and natural hairstyles reduces opportunities for job advancement, especially among women. More than 20% of young Black women report being sent home from work because of their hair. Fully one-third of Black women under 34 believe they have been denied a job interview because of their hair. The CROWN Act passed the House of Representatives in 2019 and 2022 but was blocked in the Senate.

“Far too often, hair discrimination locks people of color out of opportunities – at school and in the workplace,” said Rep. Gwen Moore. “We can and must build more inclusive spaces where everyone can truly be themselves. As a member of Congress with my own hair journey, I am proud to wear my sister locs and help lead efforts to end hair discrimination through the CROWN Act.”

“We cannot control the way our hair grows out of our head any more than we can control the color of our skin,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “Discrimination against hair texture is racial discrimination, plain and simple. Nobody deserves to be denied the opportunity to thrive in the workplace, excel in school, or contribute their talents to the world simply because of their hair. I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation with my House colleagues and Senator Booker. I strongly encourage House leadership to take up this bill, which has passed in 27 states, led by both Republican and Democratic governments.”

“Everyone, regardless of their race or background, should be able to show up every day to school or work or life and embrace their cultural identity without fear of prejudice or bias,” said Senator Booker. “Numerous states have already enacted legislation to prohibit hair discrimination, and the CROWN Act is a bipartisan federal effort to ensure that Black people can wear their hair freely in a natural or protective hairstyle.”

“Grooming policies that reinforce Eurocentric standards of beauty and myopic notions of what constitute professional hair remain problematic. The statutory protection the CROWN Act provides remains critically important, perhaps even more so, in the current climate. Since 2018, I have worked tirelessly to pass the CROWN Act and shift culture to mitigate the physical, psychological, and economic harm caused by race-based hair discrimination,” said Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah, who leads the CROWN Act Coalition and is the scholar and strategist championing the nationwide movement. “Redressing the longstanding history of racial discrimination against natural hair and protective styles requires our collective efforts, and I am grateful for the partnership and leadership of Congresswoman Watson Coleman and Senator Booker.”

“The CROWN Act is personal for so many of us,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar. “It tells our children they don’t need to change who they are to belong. It tells our workers they shouldn’t have to choose between their cultural identity and their paycheck. Black and Brown people deserve the freedom to exist as their authentic selves without facing bias in schools, workplaces, or any other space. I’m proud to co-lead this legislation because our laws should protect diversity, not penalize it.”

“With diversity, equity, and inclusion under attack, we need the CROWN Act more than ever to protect against race-based hair discrimination. To this day, Black women are more likely to be perceived as unprofessional because of the style and texture of their hair. This must not continue,” said Rep. Summer Lee. “I am proud to reintroduce the CROWN Act with my colleagues and continue bringing this fight from Pennsylvania to the federal level.”

“Racial discrimination can come in many different shapes and forms, with hair discrimination chief among them,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost. “No one should be discriminated against because of the color of their skin or the texture of their hair — but that’s exactly what’s happening in our country. In schools, in places of business, and beyond, folks with textured hair, mainly Black men and women, are finding themselves with the doors of opportunity closed to them simply because of their natural hair. Enough is enough. I’m proud to help introduce the CROWN Act alongside Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman to help us bring an end to this discrimination.”

“For generations, wearing our natural hair has been a symbol of culture, a practice of tradition, and a right to self-expression for Black folks,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “With race-based hair discrimination remaining a constant barrier to Black folks’ opportunity to succeed and show up as their authentic selves, the time to meet this moment is now. I am honored to join Congresswoman Watson Coleman, Senator Booker, and my sisters-in-service in reintroducing the CROWN Act to put an end to race-based hair discrimination nationwide.”

The CROWN Act would:

• Prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s style or texture of hair by including an individual’s style of hair that is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, Afros and any other style of hair commonly associated with a race or national origin in the definition of racial discrimination.
• Provide research, statistics, and precedent to support a sense of Congress that there is a need to define and prohibit hair discrimination in the workplace, schools, and housing to enforce the protection of civil rights.
• Provide clear definitions that describe the enforcement mechanisms of the bill.

The CROWN Act is endorsed by EdTrust, The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, SAG-AFTRA, and the NEA.

“Black hair has long been a powerful symbol of identity and resilience, yet it has also been a target of discrimination, respectability politics, and unjust punishment for generations. Across the country, Black students continue to face discipline and discrimination simply for wearing their natural hair—an expression of their cultural heritage. Nearly 90% of Black youth report experiencing hair discrimination by age 12, and more than half of Black mothers say their daughters have faced racial discrimination as early as five years old,” said Denise Forte, president and CEO of EdTrust. “Punishing and harassing our students—some as young as toddlers—for their natural hairstyles is both unconscionable and deeply harmful. This kind of discrimination contributes to the growing mental health crisis among Black students and reinforces systemic inequalities that should have been dismantled long ago.

“Sadly, racial discrimination in schools is not a new phenomenon. With the rise of anti-DEI sentiment and policies, the isolation of Black students and their cultural identity is becoming further entrenched in mainstream systems. We are witnessing an ongoing and relentless effort to dismantle diversity initiatives in our schools, classrooms, and beyond. These attacks do nothing to address the racism, harassment, and discrimination that students of color face—instead, they exacerbate disparities and deepen the injustices that have plagued our education system for far too long.

“We applaud Representative Watson Coleman, Senator Cory Booker, and other congressional champions for standing up for students of color by reintroducing the CROWN Act, which would help bring an end to race-based hair discrimination and allow for a more supportive school environment for students of color — particularly Black students, who bear the brunt of hair criminalization.”

“As an advocate for equality and fairness in all aspects of society, APFA proudly endorses the CROWN Act, or the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act,” said Julie Hedrick, National President of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants. “The CROWN Act aims to end race-based discrimination because of hair texture or protective hairstyles. While already passed in some states and municipalities, the bill would provide critical federal-level protection for individuals who might otherwise be judged or penalized based on their natural hair texture or style.

“Flight Attendants, like all individuals, deserve a work environment free from bias and discrimination. APFA commends Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, representing the 12th district of New Jersey, for introducing the CROWN Act and we look forward to advocating for its passage. Together, we can work towards a future where everyone, regardless of their hairstyle, can feel valued, respected, and accepted in both the workplace and beyond.”

“Our nation has a long and unfortunate history of using hair as a means to discriminate, including present-day workplace and school policies that unfairly target people of color,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. “This shouldn’t be a controversial issue. Let’s get the CROWN Act passed so we can start ‘Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,’ just as the act states.”

The CROWN Act is cosponsored by Reps Nikema Williams, Jennifer McClellan, Adam Smith, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Delia C. Ramirez, Emanuel Cleaver, Lloyd Doggett, Alma S. Adams, Shontel M. Brown, Steve Cohen, Rashida Tlaib, Terri A. Sewell, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Al Green, Sara Jacobs, Lauren Underwood, Timothy Kennedy, Cleo Fields, Kevin Mullin, Frederica S. Wilson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Morgan McGarvey, LaMonica McIver, Joyce Beatty, Mark Pocan, Robin L. Kelly, Mikie Sherrill, Emilia Sykes, Bennie G. Thompson, Marilyn Strickland, Gregory W. Meeks, Bill Foster, Raúl Grijalva, André Carson, Adriano Espaillat, Yvette D. Clarke, Dwight Evans, Michael Quigley, Steven Horsford, Sylvester Turner, Julia Brownley, Haley Stevens, Paul D. Tonko, Mark Takano, Ritchie Torres, Danny K. Davis, Juan Vargas, Valerie Foushee, Herb Conaway, Don Davis, Gabe Amo, Glen Ivey, Stacey Plaskett, Jonathan L. Jackson, Jahana Hayes, Pramila Jayapal, Robert Menendez, Troy Carter, Janelle Bynum, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lucy McBath, Wesley Bell, Maxine Waters, Marc Veasey, Kweisi Mfume, Nydia M. Velázquez, and Hakeem Jeffries.

The text of the CROWN Act can be read here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.