ATLANTA — People of color who are rocking their natural hair in the Peach State could soon get protection for their hair. A Georgia senator reintroduced the CROWN act this legislative session.
For Sen. Tonya Anderson, natural hairstyles are a way for Black people to express themselves. She said that it's what is in our minds, not our hair that defines who we are.
"It does not impact our job, what is in our head how smart we are how brilliant we are should not be dictated on how we wear our hair," Anderson said.
The Georgia senator is trying to make sure Black hair isn't discriminated against by introducing the bill to the legislature.
The CROWN act stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. It was introduced, first in California, to protect Black people in the workplace from discrimination against their hair.
Anderson hopes the bill can bring equality to Georgia's workforce and ban discrimination against Black people and their natural hairstyles.
"It does not limit us, it should not limit us as to what we can do where we can go, who we can represent," Anderson said.
She feels it is important to reintroduce this bill after it died during last year's legislative session. The lawmaker also believes that by accepting natural hair in workplaces employers should consider changing their own policies.
"I think it is a slow movement, but (it is a) movement so that people of African descent, Black people can have the freedom to be who they are," she said.
The bill recently got assigned to the Industry and Workplace committee. Anderson said her next step is to garner support for this bill and hopes to have it read on the Senate floor.