FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lindy Sowmick
989-289-8593 (cell) or lindy.sowmick@house.mn
February 3, 2022
Rep. Agbaje CROWN Act Passes Out of Judiciary Committee
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – This morning, the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee passed the CROWN Act, HF 1315, authored by Rep. Esther Agbaje (DFL – Minneapolis). CROWN stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair.” If passed into law, it would add a definition of race that is inclusive of natural hair styles and textures to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Fourteen U.S. states have signed into law provisions related to the CROWN Act and protect against hair discrimination. After passing the Judiciary Committee, the bill now sits on the General Register.
“Across the country and in the state of Minnesota, we have had instances of people experiencing discrimination because of how their hair grows naturally from their head. I have felt the pressure to straighten my hair because of the fear of losing a job, or not being able to be taken as seriously. I straightened my hair for most of my life, only recently allowing myself to be natural.
“I’m glad to be carrying this bill to ensure that people have the freedom to show up as they are, in school, at work, and focus at the task at hand, rather than worrying that their hair will cause a loss of an education or an income. Our community needs this bill, so the way that they show up, the way that they present themselves, the way that they are their whole self, is accepted in Minnesota.”
A recording of the February 3rd Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee will be available soon on the MNHouseInfo YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/MNHouseInfo
Rep. Esther Agbaje represents House District 59B in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and recently assumed the role of Chair of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus.