16 February 2023
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNW) – Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill called the CROWN Act. It would ban discrimination based on hairstyle and texture.
Michele Watley has spent years championing the bill at the statehouse. She says one of the obstacles has been educating lawmakers on why protections for natural hairstyles need to be established.
“I think it needs to be in statute because of the history of our country and the rules that we have had in place again where the conscious and unconscious that have perpetuated racism by a proxy. It’s a rule on its surface looks like it applies to everyone, but because there’s only one group of people wearing these hairstyles, codifying it in law allows employers to be proactive,” Watley said.
Supporters of the bill say one of the main roadblocks is how the proposal would protect people who have to wear specific styles for works such as construction sites.