CROWN Act amendment passes, awaits governor's signature

Natasha Lovato, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Updated ·2 min read

An amendment was made to the CROWN Act concerning protection against hair-based discrimination, but not before receiving pushback from some legislators.

Passed on May 3, HB24-1451—Include Hair Length in CROWN Act is an amendment to the CROWN Act of 2020. Colorado’s 2020 CROWN Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of hair texture and hair type, and defines protection of hairstyles like dreadlocks, twists, tight coils or curls, cornrows, Bantu knots, afros and headwraps. HB24-1451 adds hair length as a definition of protected hairstyles historically associated with race.

Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, said the amendment to include hair length was made to prevent those facing potential discrimination based on their ethnic appearance such as Native American men with long hair or Black Americans with dreadlocks.

Another sponsor of the bill, Sen. Janet Buckner, D-Arapahoe, stated that hair length is something that has been historically used to discriminate against people, especially when applying for jobs.

"This bill builds upon the success we’ve seen in addressing this type of discrimination and will add further protections so that every Coloradan can wear a hairstyle that is rooted in their culture and reflects who they are," Buckner said in an email to the Coloradoan.

However, in the final reading of the bill in the House and Senate, it received more than 20 opposing votes from lawmakers.

Harod said that the votes against the CROWN Act stem from "an inability to process that discrimination is real."

Rep. Mike Lynch, R-Larimer and Weld, stated that he voted no because he doesn't like categorizing people.

"When we put people in enough buckets, it clouds the eyes of law enforcement to treat everybody equal," Lynch said.

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According to Herod, others questioned how the act would impact institutions like charter schools or places with uniform standards.

The bill passed both the Colorado House and Senate and now awaits Gov. Jared Polis' signature to become a law.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: CROWN Act amendment passes, awaits Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' signature