SAN DIEGO — The Crown Act is already law in California but today it was also passed by the House of Representatives. The Crown Act, an acronym for "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, bans discrimination based on hair texture and style if that style is commonly associated with someone’s race.
For decades, some people in the Black community have complained of being told their natural hair was unacceptable at school or in the workplace. Now legislators are one step closer to making hair-based discrimination a federal law.
On Friday, the House passed the Crown Act by a vote of 235-189. All House Democrats and 14 Republicans voted for the bill, while 189 Republicans voted against it. Supporters of the bill say there are some legal protections already in place, but the Crown Act is needed for clarification.
“Professionalism is not about fitting into Eurocentric norms. Professionalism is about competency. It's about skill and respect,” said Adam Kent, Employment Attorney for Jeffrey Thorton.
Last December, Jeffrey Thorton and his attorney Adam Kent filed a lawsuit against Encore Global in San Diego. Thorton was also supported by Activist Shane Harris, after he says Encore told him he’d have to cut his dreadlocks if he wanted the job.
“I expected that I was to remove my ear gages. It's not a problem. I'd be willing to trim my facial hair, but I wasn't prepared to be told that I would need to cut my hair in order to comply with Encore’s standards,” Thorton said.
The Crown Act, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination, was passed in California in 2019 and Kent says Encore Global violated that law. Hairstylist Rochele Jones has clients in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas and says the Crown Act will help improve people’s lives.
“So yeah, I have clients that really get upset because they’re not able to do what they want with their hair. There’s someone in a corporate office sitting above saying you can’t wear your natural hair that grew out of your scalp. So, it’s insane. A lot of women have a hard time with that. A lot of women are depressed behind that,” Jones said.
US Senator Cory Booker says current federal legal protections still allow some schools and employers to discriminate against natural and protective hairstyles worn by people of African descent.
Now that the Crown Act has passed the House, it will head to the Senate floor where Senator Booker first introduced it in 2019.
Attorney Kent told CBS 8 he hopes the Crown Act passes the Senate as well.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego man takes legal action against former company for hair discrimination (Nov. 2021).