Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) made someone head way in outlawing hair discrimination in the Keystone State.
The governor signed the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, which expands upon Pennsylvania’s Human Relations Act, per Mediaite.
The act covers “hair texture” and “protective hairstyles” by race. This makes any discrimination against hairstyles in schools or the workplace a criminal act — much like discrimination against skin color.
“For too long, many Pennsylvanians have faced discrimination simply for hairstyles that reflect their identity and culture. That ends today,” Shapiro said Tuesday. “Today, when I signed the CROWN Act into law, that will be the next step in making good on that promise of bringing about real freedom for all Pennsylvanians.”
He continued, pointing out how Black Pennsylvanias have been discriminated against.
“Look, we know that this is an issue which disproportionally affects Black Pennsylvanians who wear their hair in protective styles like locks and natural braids or twists and it can manifest itself in a number of different ways, from someone getting fired simply because of how they look, or maybe someone getting passed over for a job because of the way they wear their hair,” Shapiro said. “That’s unacceptable and in a moment, it will be illegal.”
Watch:
Pennsylvania is not the first state to institute the CROWN Act.
The act was introduced in California and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in 2019.
Many other states have signed their own CROWN Acts. This includes New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Michigan.
