Rosario Dawson, Don Cheadle, Constance Wu & Extra Stars Urge U.S. Congress To Cross CROWN Act Prohibiting Hair Discrimination

Actors in Hollywood need new protections in opposition to discrimination.

This week, 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members, together with Rosario Dawson, Don Cheadle, Constance Wu and extra, despatched a letter to the U.S. Congress urging the passage of the CROWN Act.

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Standing for “Create a Respectful and Open World for Pure Hair,” the act would prohibit discrimination primarily based on hair types and texture.

“Discrimination primarily based on hair type or texture is a harmful apply that has alienated and triggered irreparable hurt to Black People,” the letter reads, in accordance with Selection.”

The letter continues, “Implicit biases towards Black employees and college students primarily based on their hair texture, type and color are nonetheless the norm in federal workplaces and public training. Black college students are disciplined at a price 4 instances greater than another racial or ethnic group, and analysis has discovered that 70% of all suspension disciplines are discretionary, many stemming from costume code violations that embrace hairstyles.”

The signatories add, “It’s time that federal businesses and establishments take extra steps to make sure the honest and equal remedy of all residents they make use of or who depend on their companies, and this important laws places all employers on discover {that a} panorama through which People may be discriminated in opposition to primarily based on their pure bodily look has by no means been simply and is now not tenable.”

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SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher additionally defined why the passage of the regulation is so necessary.

“The CROWN Act is a big step in ending discrimination primarily based on hair in public training and work areas,” she mentioned. “Folks ought to be at liberty to type their hair how they really feel most snug with out the specter of prejudice and unequal remedy. The CROWN Act will shield and positively influence the lives of many People in school and work, however there may be nonetheless extra work to be finished to make sure non-public establishments undertake the protections the CROWN Act supplies. We must always have fun all hair types NOT discriminate!”

Different signatories to the letter embrace Kerry Washington, Zoë Kravitz, Anna Paquin, Taraji P. Henson, Nia Lengthy, Ruth Negga, Sheryl Lee Ralph and lots of, many extra.