The House on Monday failed to pass legislation that would prohibit the discriminating of hairstyles based on race.
According to The Hill, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, or CROWN Act, did not meet the two-thirds threshold vote needed in the House to pass because it was blocked by GOP opposition. Although the possibility remains that Democrats will bring the bill up for a House vote in the future.
"Far too often," Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., told the House, "Black people, especially Black women and girls, are derided or deemed unprofessional simply because their hair does not conform to white beauty standards."
"Our natural hair is as innate a quality of Black people as the presence of melanin in our skin," Watson Coleman, who is also the bill's author, added. "Discriminating against our hair is no different than discriminating against the color of our skin."
According to a 2019 study sponsored by Dove under Unilever, 80% of Black women received a formal policy at the office regarding appearance compared to 65% of "non-Black" women.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who opposed the bill, said, "Democrats are prioritizing this legislation, a bill to prohibit conduct already unlawful under our law, for political messaging reasons. This bill does not address any of the serious problems our country currently faces."
© 2022 Newsmax. All rights reserved.