CROWN Act of 2024

The CROWN Act of 2024 prohibits discrimination based on hair texture or style commonly associated with race or national origin, specifically protecting natural or protective hairstyles like locs, cornrows, braids, and Afros. It directly affects Black individuals who face discrimination in schools, workplaces, housing, and federally funded programs due to these hairstyles. The bill amends existing civil rights laws (like Title VI, the Fair Housing Act, and Title VII) to explicitly include hair-based discrimination as a form of race or national origin bias. It requires federally assisted programs, housing providers, public accommodations, and employers to comply with these protections under the same enforcement mechanisms as current civil rights laws. The law aims to eliminate policies that disproportionately target Black people through grooming requirements.