Democrats reintroduce federal CROWN Act legislation to ban hair discrimination

(CNN) —& Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced legislation that would ban discrimination based on a person’s hairstyle or hair texture, marking the latest attempt in Congress to pass a federal CROWN Act. New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman introduced HR 8191, also known as the CROWN Act of 2024, in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday. The bill, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” currently has 84 co-sponsors. If enacted, individuals& with hairstyles that are commonly associated with race or national origin, like “tightly coiled or tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros” would be protected from discrimination. The law& would prohibit discrimination against anyone participating in federally assisted programs,& housing programs,& employment,& schools and public accommodations, based on their hair. “Being an American is about accepting the wonderful diversity of this country and it is knowing that our society is richer, and culturally and spiritually and economically emboldened because of it,” Watson Coleman said during a news conference on the legislation on Wednesday. “Discrimination against Black hair is discrimination against Black people and we’re going to put a stop to it.” Previous attempts to pass federal CROWN Act legislation have...