Bill Text: IL HR0692 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
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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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The State of California became the first state in | ||||||
3 | the nation to ban discrimination
against Black students and | ||||||
4 | employees over their natural hairstyles with the enactment of | ||||||
5 | the
Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair | ||||||
6 | (CROWN) Act; and
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7 | WHEREAS, The history of our nation is riddled with laws and | ||||||
8 | societal norms that equated
"blackness" with certain physical | ||||||
9 | traits; for example, dark skin and kinky or curly hair could be | ||||||
10 | seen as a
badge of inferiority, sometimes subject to separate | ||||||
11 | and unequal treatment; and
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12 | WHEREAS, This idea also permeated societal understanding | ||||||
13 | of professionalism and is closely
linked to European features | ||||||
14 | and mannerisms, which penalizes those who do not naturally fall
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15 | into Eurocentric norms; and
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16 | WHEREAS, These norms require many minorities to alter their | ||||||
17 | appearances, sometimes
drastically and permanently, in order | ||||||
18 | to be deemed professional in schools and workplaces; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Despite the great strides in American society, | ||||||
20 | hair remains a rampant source of
racial discrimination with | ||||||
21 | serious economic and health consequences, especially for Black |
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1 | individuals; and
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2 | WHEREAS, School and workplace dress code and grooming | ||||||
3 | policies that prohibit natural hair,
including afros, braids, | ||||||
4 | twists, and locks, have a disparate impact on Black | ||||||
5 | individuals; these
policies are more likely to deter Black | ||||||
6 | applicants and disproportionately burden or punish
Black | ||||||
7 | students and employees more than any other group; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Federal courts have recognized that Title VII of | ||||||
9 | the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits
discrimination based on | ||||||
10 | race and therefore protects against discrimination against | ||||||
11 | afros; and
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12 | WHEREAS, The courts do not understand that afros are not | ||||||
13 | the only natural presentation of
Black hair; Black hair can | ||||||
14 | also be naturally presented in braids, twists, and locks; and
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15 | WHEREAS, In a society in which hair has historically been | ||||||
16 | one of many determining factors
in how a person's race is | ||||||
17 | perceived and whether they were a second-class citizen, hair | ||||||
18 | today remains a proxy for
race; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Exclusion from academic spaces and workplaces | ||||||
20 | because of a Black person's hair
or other features leads to | ||||||
21 | reduced access to educational and economic opportunities and
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1 | continues to exacerbate the achievement and wealth gaps between | ||||||
2 | African Americans and
other racial and ethnic groups; | ||||||
3 | therefore, be it
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4 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
5 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
6 | we recognize that continuing to enforce a Eurocentric image of | ||||||
7 | professionalism
disparately impacts Black individuals and | ||||||
8 | excludes them from some schools and workplaces in
direct | ||||||
9 | opposition to the United States' Constitutional values of | ||||||
10 | equity and opportunity for all and is a
form of racial | ||||||
11 | discrimination; and be it further
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12 | RESOLVED, That we encourage state policymakers to | ||||||
13 | introduce legislation that prohibits discrimination against | ||||||
14 | traits historically
associated with race, including, but not | ||||||
15 | limited to, natural hair textures and protective
hairstyles; | ||||||
16 | and be it further
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17 | RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to | ||||||
18 | the President of
the United States, the Vice President of the | ||||||
19 | United States, members of the United States House
of | ||||||
20 | Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal | ||||||
21 | and state government
officials and agencies as appropriate.
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