Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) signed a bill banning discrimination based on one’s hair.
“Real freedom means being respected for who you are — no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or who you pray to,” Shapiro said in a statement. ”For too long, many Pennsylvanians have faced discrimination simply for hairstyles that reflect their identity and culture — that ends today. I’m grateful to Speaker McClinton, Representative Mayes, and the advocates who worked to get this done. We’re building a Commonwealth where everyone is welcomed, respected, and protected.”
The bill, HB 439, also called the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, amends the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to expand the definition of “race” to include hair texture.
According to the bill, “The term ‘race’ includes traits historically
associated with the individual’s race, including hair texture
and protective hairstyles.” The term “protective hairstyle” includes hairstyles such as “locs, braids, twists, coils, Bantu knots, afros and extensions.” The term “religious creed” includes “head coverings and hairstyles historically associated with religious creeds.”
The new law makes Pennsylvania the 28th state to prohibit discrimination based on hair.
Earlier this year, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced a bill to protect against racial discrimination based on hairstyles.
“Everyone, regardless of their race or background, should be able to show up every day to school or work or life and embrace their racial identity without fear of prejudice or bias,” Booker said in February. “Numerous states have already enacted legislation to prohibit hair discrimination, and the CROWN Act is a bipartisan federal effort to ensure that Black people can wear their hair freely in a natural or protective hairstyle.”
