Austin is first city in Texas to pass the CROWN Act

In a unanimous vote, City Council has approved the Austin CROWN Act, which is intended to prevent hair-based discrimination. The CROWN Act – which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair – was first introduced in 2019 as part of a national movement. It was passed by the U.S. House earlier this year and will next be voted on by the U.S. Senate. In Austin, the city code will be amended to protect people with hairstyles such as afros, braids, locs, twists and Bantu knots from discriminatory employment practices. “Austin will be a much better city for the protections we will bring to those who live, work and play here. Too often minorities are judged not only by the color of their skin, but also by the texture of their hair,” civil rights officer Carol Johnson said in a statement to the press. “Across the country we continue to see the harmful effects of racial discrimination due to natural hair and many states and cities are finding ways to address this through CROWN Act legislation.”