SB 188 was introduced by Senator Holly J. Mitchell and was recently passed into law.
The The C.R.O.W.N. Coalition, a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove, is proud to announce the bill they are sponsoring, Senate Bill 188 passed the Senate floor in California.
Introduced by Senator Holly J. Mitchell, SB 188 aka The The C.R.O.W.N. Act aims to “Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair.
The bill states that traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, are protected from discrimination in the work place and in our K-12 public and charter schools.
“Many Black employees, including your staff, members, will tell you if given the chance that the struggle to maintain what society has deemed a ‘professional image’ while protecting the health and integrity of their hair remains a defining and paradoxical struggle in their work experience, not usually shared by their non-Black peers,” – Senator Mitchell.
C.R.O.W.N. is an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair.
The new bill prohibits employers and schools from enforcing purportedly “race neutral” grooming policies that disproportionately impact persons of color.
Additionally, while anti-discrimination laws presently protect the choice to wear an Afro, Afros are not the only natural presentation of Black hair.
SB 188 will ensure protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the California Education Code.
The C.R.O.W.N. Coalition is a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove as sponsors of Senate Bill 188 ‘The Crown Act’.
The C.R.O.W.N. Coalition members believe diversity and inclusion are key drivers of success across all industries and sectors.
