Contributed by Diamond Bullock
Virginia has reportedly joined California, New York and New Jersey as the fourth state to ban natural hair discrimination in workplaces and schools. On Wednesday March 4, Gov. Ralph Northam finally signed House Bill 1514 and banned, according to NBC 12, “discrimination based on traits associated with race, including ‘hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists.'”
Gov. Northam released an official statement: “It’s pretty simple—if we send children home from school because their hair looks a certain way, or otherwise ban certain hairstyles associated with a particular race—that is discrimination…This is not only unacceptable and wrong, it is not what we stand for in Virginia. This bill will make our Commonwealth more equitable and welcoming for all.”
House Bill 1514 is directly supporting the national movement CROWN Act or “Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act”, which began after high school students Andrew Johnson from New Jersey and DeAndre Arnold from Texas were targeted at school for having dreadlocks. In December 2018, a video of Johnson’s dreadlocks being cut by a wrestling coach began to circulate. Johnson was ordered to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit the game for no real apparent reason. Referee Alan Maloney was responsible for the discrimination, which was obviously racially motivated due to Maloney’s previous racist actions. In January 2020, Arnold was told that he could not participate in his high school graduation due to his dreadlocks being past his shoulders. He was also told that he could not attend school unless it was in-school suspension until he cut his hair. However, one of the first publicized incidents of hair discrimination was the 1976 case of Jenkins v. Blue Cross Mutual Hospital Insurance, which occurred after Blue Cross employee Beverly Jenkins was denied for a promotion because of her Afro. She sued, using Civil Rights Act of 1964, and won.
House Bill 1514 will take effect on July 1, 2020. According to CNN, “Colorado, Washington and Minnesota are considering passing similar legislation.”
