California Bans Discrimination Based on Natural Hairstyles

California became the first state nationwide to ban discrimination based on natural hairstyles on Wednesday, June 3rd. Proposed by Los Angeles State Senator Holly Mitchell, who is a member of the state legislative Black caucus, the state legislature in Sacramento passed the bill called the Crown Act and was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The new law, which will take effect on January 1st next year in 2020, will make it illegal for a business or organization to enforce a dress code or grooming policies against natural cultural, racial, and ethnic hairstyles such as afros, braids, twists, and or locks often used by non-White persons of color who are the majority of the state’s population. States, where non-Whites are a sizable portion of the population such as New Jersey and New York, have either passed similar protections or are considering these proposals.