California Moves To Ban Discrimination Against Natural Hair and Protective Styles

California To Be The First State To Protect Natural Hair and Hairstyles 

A new bill moving through the California legislation aims to protect natural hair discrimination in the workplace and schools, making it the first state to include hair as a motivator for racial discrimination, according to the Los Angeles Times. Increasing the range of anti-discrimination protections found in the California Fair Employment and Housing Act as well as the California Education Code, SB 188 or The Crown Act protects “black employees and individuals from dress codes that prohibit natural hair and protective styles, including afros, braids, twists, and locks.”

Proposed by CA Senator Holly Mitchell, the bill unanimously passed the state Senate in April and has garnered a lot of support, including celebrity stylist Dr. Kari Williams (@drkariwill), who owns Mahogany Hair Revolution in Beverly Hills that specializes in natural, black hair, the ACLU of California and the California School Boards Association. If signed by Governor Newsom, Mitchell’s bill has the potential to set a national precedent for natural hair protections, continuing the movement for inclusion of natural styles. In February, New York City officially banned natural hair discrimination and state lawmakers in New York and New Jersey are proposing new laws modeled after the Crown Act.