TAMPA, Fla. — Legislation to prevent discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture is one step closer to becoming law. The CROWN Act of 2021 (H.R. 2116) is headed to the U.S. Senate after it passed a vote in the House of Representatives on Friday.
Mimie Madison has been in the beauty industry for more than 40 years, and owns Mimie’s House of Beauty in Tampa.
She says, it looks like times may be changing for the better for future generations.
“I’m so happy for them, and they will be able to embrace themselves and feel proud,” she said. “It’s just giving us a lot of acceptance.”
The House passed the legislation with a 235 to 189 vote, in a push that would ban discrimination based on hairstyle and texture associated with a particular race or national origin.
But, that vote didn’t go without criticism.
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said other legislation already covers discrimination, and that there are other issues to debate.
“This is what the Democrats are focused on,” he said. “14 months of chaos, and we’re doing a bill on hair.”
Representative Michele Rayner of the Florida House of Representatives says, protection provided by this bill impacts much more than just hair.
“Until you have a lived experience of what it is to be discriminated with regard to your hair, so much so that it affects your income, it affects your housing...your ability to live your life, I don’t think you should weigh in,” she said.
Whether it’s braids, locs, relaxed, or a natural look, hair experts like Madison are just hopeful that future generations will be able to sport their hair without consequence.
“We come of various cultures, various textures, and we’re embracing it more,” she said. “Now that it’s being accepted, it makes it easier for us to look like what we’re supposed to look like and be proud of it.”
14 Republicans joined Democrats in support of the legislation. The bill is now heading to the Senate.