Weber Announces Legislation Expanding the Crown Act

Sacramento – Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa) announced the introduction of AB 1815. This bill would prohibit an amateur sports organization from discriminating against any person on the basis of race, inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles in the operation, conduct, or administration of a youth or amateur sports competition, training, camp, or club.

California lead the nation in 2019 by prohibiting discrimination based on natural and protected hairstyles. But when the bill was passed, there were some areas which were not included such as youth sports not affiliated with schools and amateur sports organizations.

“I, along with the members of the California Legislative Black Caucus, introduced AB 1815 which would expand the CROWN Act to include an amateur sports organizations or youth sports organizations. Discrimination does not take place only in schools and the work place but also on the sports field,” said Assemblymember Weber. “The original CROWN Act protected students and employees however many children compete in non-school affiliated athletics such as club sports and adults participate in sports and are not paid to do so. This bill would protect both of these populations from discrimination.”

“As Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, I would like to commend my colleague Assemblymember Weber for introducing this important legislation,” said Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City). “As Black women, we know firsthand that this type of discrimination exists and that it is hurtful. I look forward to working with Dr. Weber to ensure the bill’s passage so that we can enshrine protection against discrimination based on natural and protected hairstyles.”

This legislation is one of the recommendations from 2023 California Task Force on Reparations.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1815, as introduced, Weber. Discrimination: hairstyles: amateur sports organizations.

Existing law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, makes it unlawful to engage in specified discriminatory employment practices based on certain protected characteristics, including race, unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification or applicable security regulations, and prohibits housing discrimination based on specified personal characteristics, including race.

Existing law also prohibits discrimination because of a perception that a person has one of those protected characteristics or is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any of those characteristics. Existing law defines the term race for purposes of these provisions to include traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, as defined.

This bill would prohibit an amateur sports organization, as defined, from discriminating against any person on the basis of race, inclusive of traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, as defined, in the operation, conduct, or administration of a youth or amateur sports competition, training, camp, or club.

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Former Sen. Mitchell discussing the Crown Act in 2019

Editors Note:

The Crown Act was originally introduced in the 2019 legislative session by then Senator Holly J. Mitchell under Senate Bill 188, which bans discrimination based on hair associated with race. The bill passed in a 69-0 vote in the Assembly. The bill also passed the State Senate in a 37-0 vote. It was then approved by Governor Newsom.

Introduced by Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, SB 188 aims to “Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair” (the CROWN Act) by clarifying that traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, be protected from discrimination in the work place and in our K-12 public and charter schools.

The C.R.O.W.N. (Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair) Act will ensure protection against discrimination in the workplace and schools based on hairstyles by prohibiting employers and schools from enforcing purportedly “race neutral” grooming policies that disproportionately impact persons of color. Additionally, while anti-discrimination laws presently protect the choice to wear an Afro, Afros are not the only natural presentation of Black hair. SB 188 will ensure protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the California Education Code.

The CROWN Act corrects an inconsistency in existing anti-discrimination laws by amending the California Government and Education Codes to protect against discrimination based on traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and protective hairstyles. The Coalition, in support of The CROWN Act, aims to put an end to the significant injustices of hair discrimination that has spanned decades across the United States.

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