CROWN Act Passes in the House, Banning Race Based Hair Discrimination

In a landmark vote Friday (March 18), lawmakers in the House passed the CROWN Act, which prohibits race-based hair discrimination in the workplace, school, and more. The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act passed in a 235-189 vote, with only 14 Republicans supporting the legislation. The bill failed last month after Democrats put the legislation on a fast-track vote typically used for pieces of legislation not considered controversial. Supporters of the bill have tirelessly argued that banning hair discrimination is necessary for Black people who are far too often told our hairstyles are “unprofessional.”