CROWN Act Fails in West Virginia, Depressing Supporters

Despite pressure from black hair advocates and politicians who support it, West Virginia’s CROWN Act has failed. Republican lawmakers have rejected a bill banning discrimination based on hair.

The most up-to-date version of the bill, SB 496, sought to ban discrimination against certain hairstyles and textures “historically associated with a particular race.”

NBC News reports that Republican Senator Eric Tarr sent the bill to the Senate Finance Committee in a successful try and stop it. While overseeing the commission himself, he argued that potential hair discrimination lawsuits can be too costly for the state, a claim that was overturned by the Human Rights Commission.

Versions of the CROWN Act have been introduced or enacted in the overwhelming majority of states, and 20 of them currently have laws on the books. His push in West Virginia was, too initiated by has its own cases of hair discrimination, as ABC4 WOAY reported in 2019 when a highschool basketball player was benched on account of the length of his game.

“It was definitely a slap in the face. I was very disappointed because I felt like this year was going to be the year to get it done (in the Legislature),” said Veronica Bunch, 44, one among the state’s supporters of the CROWN Act. “We have the leadership and the state itself. I just feel like we have regressed in our opinions and views. When it comes to African Americans, we tend to get pushed to the side.”

Retiring Democratic senator who introduced the bill, Mike Caputo, also spoke out against its short-lived development.

“We hear horror stories all the time about how women of color, especially, are treated differently because of their hairstyle, whether natural or traditional,” the lawmaker said. “In America, we must move forward, not backward. It’s a pity that we still have such discussions. “I’m ashamed that we can’t do at least this much in West Virginia.”

Supporters may have to attend until next yr for one more legislator to sponsor the CROWN Act.