Bill concerning discrimination over natural hair moves to Senate

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - The Michigan Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee passed a bill Thursday to protect Michigan residents from discrimination in the workplace based on wearing their natural hair.

Senate Bill 90 is also known as the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

“As we continue the important effort to make our workplaces and our state as a whole a more welcoming place, protecting Black Michiganders against hair discrimination is a necessary and significant step,” said Sen. Anthony. “This bill even getting a hearing has been years in the making. But as our new legislative leaders seek to better align our state’s laws with our values and the needs of our people—all people—I am confident this bill will continue to progress.”

Employees of color in the workplace feel their success or reputation is negatively impacted when they elect to style their natural hair texture or wear protective styles such as braids, locks, twists, and knots.

“With Sen. Anthony’s bill passing committee and advancing to the full Senate, Michigan is one step closer to banning racial discrimination based on how one wears one’s hair,” said Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), Chair of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus. “Hopefully, we will get the CROWN Act passed so that everyone is protected from racial and ethnic hair discrimination.”

Sen. Anthony has also launched a website, micrownact.com, to provide additional information and collect stories of people who have been impacted by hair discrimination.

Ingham County passed the CROWN Act protecting public employees within the county in 2021.

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