HR0692 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0692 LRB101 16781 MST 66174 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of California became the first state in the nation to ban discrimination against Black students and employees over their natural hairstyles with the enactment of the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act; and

WHEREAS, The history of our nation is riddled with laws and societal norms that equated "blackness" with certain physical traits; for example, dark skin and kinky or curly hair could be seen as a badge of inferiority, sometimes subject to separate and unequal treatment; and

WHEREAS, This idea also permeated societal understanding of professionalism and is closely linked to European features and mannerisms, which penalizes those who do not naturally fall into Eurocentric norms; and

WHEREAS, These norms require many minorities to alter their appearances, sometimes drastically and permanently, in order to be deemed professional in schools and workplaces; and

WHEREAS, Despite the great strides in American society, hair remains a rampant source of racial discrimination with serious economic and health consequences, especially for Black individuals; and

WHEREAS, School and workplace dress code and grooming policies that prohibit natural hair, including afros, braids, twists, and locks, have a disparate impact on Black individuals; these policies are more likely to deter Black applicants and disproportionately burden or punish Black students and employees more than any other group; and

WHEREAS, Federal courts have recognized that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race and therefore protects against discrimination against afros; and

WHEREAS, The courts do not understand that afros are not the only natural presentation of Black hair; Black hair can also be naturally presented in braids, twists, and locks; and

WHEREAS, In a society in which hair has historically been one of many determining factors in how a person's race is perceived and whether they were a second-class citizen, hair today remains a proxy for race; and

WHEREAS, Exclusion from academic spaces and workplaces because of a Black person's hair or other features leads to reduced access to educational and economic opportunities and continues to exacerbate the achievement and wealth gaps between African Americans and other racial and ethnic groups; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize that continuing to enforce a Eurocentric image of professionalism disparately impacts Black individuals and excludes them from some schools and workplaces in direct opposition to the United States' Constitutional values of equity and opportunity for all and is a form of racial discrimination; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage state policymakers to introduce legislation that prohibits discrimination against traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, natural hair textures and protective hairstyles; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.