You’ve probably heard that it is illegal for employers and landlords to discriminate against individuals based on things like race, sexual orientation or religion, and now Minnesota is adding another factor to that list – hairstyles.
Earlier this week, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed legislation with bipartisan support that would make it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their hairstyle. The Crown Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair, will add hairstyle and texture to a provision in the Minnesota Human Rights Act that prohibits racial discrimination in housing, employment, education and other areas.
Rep. Esther Agbaje, who authored the bill, said the changes will allow people to be their true selves without fear of punishment.
“At the heart of this bill is the ability to allow more people to show up as their authentic selves in school or in the workplace without fear of repercussions because of their hair,” Agbaje said on the House floor before the Monday vote.
Passes The House Easily
Monday’s vote on the bill passed 104-25, and it will now head to the Senate for approval. Minnesota is one of fifteen states who have enacted legislation to protect against hair discrimination.
Rep. Agbaje said the inclusion of hairstyles to the Human Rights Act was necessary, citing an instance where an employer banned many African American hairstyles, like afros, braids and dreadlocks. The employer took it another step further by firing employees who refused to cut their hair once the policy was in place. The change will also protect hair textures, as there have been times where Black employees have felt the need to conform in the workplace by using chemicals to straighten their hair.
Democratic Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, of Minneapolis, has authored this year’s version of the bill for the Senate. He said he believes the “environment is ripe” for taking positive steps to prevent racial discrimination and inequities experienced by different groups of people.
“I think that we in Minnesota have been through a lot in order to understand that we have to be a much more inclusive Minnesota, whether it was George Floyd, whether it was other well-documented challenges that we have experienced,” he said. “We have always, as Minnesotans, been on the forefront of doing the right thing and we are appealing to that higher calling for Minnesotans — especially in the Senate — to do the right thing.”
Hopefully the bill gains the same amount of traction in the Senate as it had in the House. People need to be able to be their true selves without fear of discrimination from employers or landlords. We’ll keep an eye on the bill as it continues towards Gov. Tim Walz’s desk.
