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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The State of California became the first state in
3the nation to ban discrimination against Black students and
4employees over their natural hairstyles with the enactment of
5the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair
6(CROWN) Act; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The history of our nation is riddled with laws and
8societal norms that equated "blackness" with certain physical
9traits; for example, dark skin and kinky or curly hair could be
10seen as a badge of inferiority, sometimes subject to separate
11and unequal treatment; and
 
12    WHEREAS, This idea also permeated societal understanding
13of professionalism and is closely linked to European features
14and mannerisms, which penalizes those who do not naturally fall
15into Eurocentric norms; and
 
16    WHEREAS, These norms require many minorities to alter their
17appearances, sometimes drastically and permanently, in order
18to be deemed professional in schools and workplaces; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Despite the great strides in American society,
20hair remains a rampant source of racial discrimination with
21serious economic and health consequences, especially for Black

 

 

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1individuals; and
 
2    WHEREAS, School and workplace dress code and grooming
3policies that prohibit natural hair, including afros, braids,
4twists, and locks, have a disparate impact on Black
5individuals; these policies are more likely to deter Black
6applicants and disproportionately burden or punish Black
7students and employees more than any other group; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Federal courts have recognized that Title VII of
9the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on
10race and therefore protects against discrimination against
11afros; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The courts do not understand that afros are not
13the only natural presentation of Black hair; Black hair can
14also be naturally presented in braids, twists, and locks; and
 
15    WHEREAS, In a society in which hair has historically been
16one of many determining factors in how a person's race is
17perceived and whether they were a second-class citizen, hair
18today remains a proxy for race; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Exclusion from academic spaces and workplaces
20because of a Black person's hair or other features leads to
21reduced access to educational and economic opportunities and

 

 

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1continues to exacerbate the achievement and wealth gaps between
2African Americans and other racial and ethnic groups;
3therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
5HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6we recognize that continuing to enforce a Eurocentric image of
7professionalism disparately impacts Black individuals and
8excludes them from some schools and workplaces in direct
9opposition to the United States' Constitutional values of
10equity and opportunity for all and is a form of racial
11discrimination; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That we encourage state policymakers to
13introduce legislation that prohibits discrimination against
14traits historically associated with race, including, but not
15limited to, natural hair textures and protective hairstyles;
16and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
18the President of the United States, the Vice President of the
19United States, members of the United States House of
20Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal
21and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.