Because the interest groups which run the party care about this stuff, and, they need to patronize their base
House Democrats Vote on Alleged Anti-Hair Discrimination amid Ukraine Crisis, Rising Inflation
House Democrats voted on legislation on Friday that would combat alleged anti-hair discrimination while there remains a war in Ukraine and Americans grapple with soaring inflation and gas prices.
The House passed H.R. 2116, the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act of 2021, 235-189.
Democrats overwhelmingly supported the legislation, and Republicans opposed the bill.
The legislation would prohibit alleged discrimination based on a person’s hair texture or hairstyle that is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin.
As Republicans pointed out, federal law already prohibits discrimination, but, you know, Democrats Are Serious People. The best part is “alleged discrimination”, which actually appears in the text of the bill. In other words, all it would take is someone having a feeling. They wouldn’t need to prove anything.
“Black women are 1.5X more likely to be sent home from work because of their hair. Discrimination against Black women and girls because of their natural hair is far too common in our workplaces and schools. I’m proud to sponsor the #CROWNAct, which would ban this racist practice,” Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) wrote.
Well, if they aren’t in compliance with company policies, yeah.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) said on the House floor ahead of the vote that the CROWN Act may prevent employers from regulating hairstyles for safety purposes.
It may mean that employers will pass on hiring women who’s hair could be a problem within existing corporate policy.
SEC. 6. EMPLOYMENT.
(a) Prohibition.—It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee controlling apprenticeship or other training or retraining (including on-the-job training programs) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against an individual, based on the individual’s hair texture or hairstyle, if that hair texture or that hairstyle is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin (including a hairstyle in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros).
But, they’ll have to prove it. It’ll mean lots of black women will be passed over for jobs.
