Jul 4, 2019

California becomes first state to ban discrimination against natural hair

An African-American woman sits on a bench.

Photo: Robert Alexander/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law Wednesday a bill that bans discrimination over natural hair — making the state the first in the country to outlaw the practice.

Details: Newsom said the Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair (CROWN) Act "protects the right of Black Californians to choose to wear their hair in its natural form, without pressure to conform to Eurocentric norms." The Guardian notes discrimination in schools and at work against people of color for their hairstyles has gained more visibility in recent years, including an Alabama woman who sued after a firm in 2018 that told her to get a haircut for a job.

Go deeper: California Senate passes protections against hair discrimination

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