Bill Text: IL HR0692 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Recognizes 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. Encourages 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.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-07-06 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jonathan "Yoni" Pizer [HR0692 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HR0692-Introduced.html

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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

HR0692 - 2 - LRB101 16781 MST 66174 r
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

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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.