New Jersey Senate Bill SJR61

New Jersey 2024-2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/24
• Refer: 1/9/24

Caption

Designates July 3 of each year as "CROWN Act Day" in NJ.

Impact

The establishment of 'CROWN Act Day' serves as a yearly reminder of the challenges faced by African-Americans, particularly women, regarding grooming policies that impose unfair standards related to natural hair. This initiative seeks to foster a greater understanding of how pervasive hair discrimination limits opportunities and perpetuates biases in professional settings as well as in schools, combating stereotypes that unfairly label natural hairstyles as unprofessional.

Summary

SJR61 is a joint resolution introduced in New Jersey to designate July 3 of each year as 'CROWN Act Day'. This resolution aims to raise awareness about hair discrimination, particularly impacting African-American communities. It acknowledges the passage of the CROWN Act, which prohibits racial discrimination based on hair texture or protective styles in both workplace and educational environments. The CROWN Act was originally signed into law in New Jersey on December 19, 2019, recognizing the need for lawful protections against such discriminatory practices.

Contention

Despite being a step forward, the resolution emphasizes that significant work remains in addressing underlying biases and advocating for systemic changes that support inclusivity. The statistics cited in support of SJR61 reveal alarming trends, such as high rates of African-American women feeling pressured to alter their natural hair. This highlights ongoing societal issues surrounding the acceptance of diverse hair textures and styles, a challenge that is often underestimated in terms of its impact on equal opportunity in various spheres of life.