Massachusetts Senate Approves Bill Banning Hairstyle Bias

BOSTON — On Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved a bill aimed to ban discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles in workplaces, schools, and organizations.

This bill comes two weeks after the Massachusetts House approved legislation that specifically prohibits discrimination based on "natural and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, twists, Bantu knots, and other formations."

Supporters of the bill say Black women have faced the most amount of pressure by trying to alter their hair to conform to policies biased against their natural hairstyles.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association was added to the list of school entities banned from implementing restrictions on natural hairstyles as a provision to the House version of the bill.

In 2017, Mystic Valley Charter School in Malden came under fire for having a policy of disciplining Black students for their hair braid extensions. Parents called the policy "blatant racism" and the school abandoned its policy, initiating the start of this bill.

Up next, the bill will take a final vote between lawmakers in the Massachusetts House and Senate before handing it to Gov. Charlie Baker.

This measure is known as the CROWN Act, and if signed into law, Massachusetts will be the fifteenth state to adopt it.