State representative discusses bill addressing discrimination based on hair texture, styles

A bill called the CROWN Act passed in the United States House back In March of 2022 that would prohibit discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle if that style or texture is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. 

"We are talking about afros. We are talking about dreadlocks. We are talking about long hair on men especially, and young boys. All of these folks all of these different ethnicities have faced discrimination," said Colorado State Representative and Denver mayoral candidate Leslie Herod. 

It's an issue Black men and women continue to deal with in America. 

"Especially those of us who are people of color, those have different religious affiliations, who have been told all of our lives that if our hair doesn't look a certain way that we're allowed to be discriminated against," Herod said. "Myself, I have faced that type of discrimination for years and so have so many Black folks." 

Herod decided to do something about it in 2020. She sponsored a similar bill in the Colorado legislature. That bill passed, but just 10 days ago the federal bill was stalled by a group of Republican senators, who do not support the bill. 

As Black women and men have protections against hair discrimination in 18 states, including Colorado, there are many Americans who don't. Representative Herod says she is glad that she and her colleagues acted when she did. 

"While I was disappointed, I'm proud to see that Colorado does have protection," Herod said. 

With the delay being a setback for proponents of the federal CROWN Act, Representative Herod says she wants Black and ethnic Coloradans to remember they do have the right to wear their hair any way they want anywhere they want. 

"This type of discrimination is no longer tolerated and no longer legal," Herod said.