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Dane Co ordinance amendment would ban discrimination over hair styles

DANE COUNTY (WKOW) -- Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair, according to a new study.

The statistic is behind a proposed Dane County Board ordinance amendment from Supervisor Shelia Stubbs that would prohibit discrimination based on traits historically associated with race, including hair styles. 

Stubbs, also a Madison area state representative, is co-chair the newSpeaker’s Task Forceon Racial Disparities. 

According to the study done by Dove in partnership with the CROWN Coalition, 83 percent of Black women also are more likely to report being judged more harshly on their looks than other women. 

According to a news release, the ordinance amendment builds on the work of the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Act, which seeks to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools.

The CROWN Coalition is an alliance of organizations, including founding members Dove, National Urban League, Color Of Change and Western Center on Law and Poverty, that are dedicated to the advancement of anti-discrimination legislation across the United States. 

“We must continue to dismantle barriers that further lead to discrimination practices. We must not allow corporate grooming hairstyles practices to be the standard for everyone.  Braids, loc and twist are an ancient and popular skill in the African American community,” Stubbs said.

There are currently seven states (CA, NY, NJ, VA, CO, WA, MD) and two municipalities (Cincinnati, OH, and Montgomery County, MD) that have signed the CROWN Act into law, which has helped garner support from federal and state legislators in the movement to end hair discrimination nationwide.

The Ordinance Amendment was referred to the Executive Committee for action before it comes before the full County Board.

Agendas for future meetings can be found here: https://dane.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

More at WKOW 27 News


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