California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation into law on Wednesday making his state the first in the nation to ban discrimination against natural hair.
Senate Bill 188, which was recently passed by a
unanimous margin in both the California State Assembly
and Senate, will officially add
hair-based discrimination associated with race to the state's anti-discrimination law.
The bill's text states that "the history of our nation is riddled with laws and societal norms that equated 'blackness,' and the associated physical traits, for example, dark skin, kinky and curly hair to a badge of inferiority, sometimes subject to separate and unequal treatment."
"This idea also permeated societal understanding of professionalism," the bill continues.
"Professionalism was, and still is, closely linked to European features and mannerisms, which entails that those who do not naturally fall into Eurocentric norms must alter their appearances, sometimes drastically and permanently, in order to be deemed professional."
The bill, dubbed the CROWN Act, also states that workplace policies prohibiting natural hair "including afros, braids, twists, and locks, have a disparate impact on Black individuals as these policies are more likely to deter Black applicants and burden or punish Black employees than any other group."
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