Agenda - 04-06-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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11 1 2 a. Resolution Supporting the CROWN Act and Amending Chapter 12 of the Orange 3 County Civil Rights Ordinance 4 5 The Board considered voting to approve a resolution supporting local, state, and federal 6 laws that prohibit discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle if that style or 7 texture is commonly associated with a particular race, religion, or national origin; and also 8 adopting an amendment to the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance prohibiting this 9 discrimination and authorizing the Chair to sign the resolution amending the Code of 10 Ordinances. 11 Annette Moore, Human Rights and Relations Director, stated the term "discrimination 12 because of sex" includes sexual orientation and gender discrimination. She said in the 13 ordinance, Section 12, 54-c, this resolution will make it unlawful to discriminate on the basis of 14 hair texture or hairstyle, if it is commonly associated with race, national origin, or religion. 15 Chair Price said the ordinance pertains to men and women. She read the resolution: 16 17 BACKGROUND: 18 The Resolution and Amendment support local, state, and federal laws that prohibit 19 discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle if that style or texture is commonly 20 associated with a particular race, religion, or national origin. Specifically, if those laws prohibit 21 discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyle when participating in federally, state, and local 22 assisted programs, housing programs, public accommodations, and employment. 23 24 While a wide range of hair textures are typical among people of African descent, the decision to 25 wear one's hair in a particular style is highly personal. The reason behind the decision may 26 differ depending on the individual. Some wearers adapt styles designed as "protective" to 27 maintain hair health, or as part of cultural identity, and or a variety of other personal, financial, 28 medical, religious, or spiritual reasons. There has been a widespread belief that Black 29 hairstyles are not suited for formal settings, maybe unhygienic, messy, disruptive, or unkempt. 30 In 2014, the U.S. Department of Defense generally prohibited Black hairstyles. After a backlash 31 by Black women serving in the Armed Forces, the ban was reversed in 2017, and the terms 32 "matted and unkempt" were removed from the appearance regulations. These changes 33 reflected a reevaluation of longstanding bias and discriminatory impact and the harms they 34 caused on the military troops. 35 36 A 2019 Joy Collective Study CROWN Research Study found that discrimination based on 37 hairstyles has a real, measurable social and economic impact on Black women. The Crown 38 Study also found that Black women were 80% more likely to agree with the statement that they 39 had to change their hair from its natural state to fit in at the office than White women. Wearing 40 one's hair in a natural or protective style may also have significant physical and psychological 41 harm to those who have to choose between maintaining their livelihood and education or their 42 cultural identity and hair health. Black women have faced significant socio-economic pressure 43 to conform to white or European beauty standards by straightening or relaxing their hair, which 44 can cause emotional distress, including dignitary and stigmatic harm. Because of this stress, 45 Black women are likely to spend more money on their hair, spend more money on professional 46 hair styling appointments and products, and experience anxiety related to hair. These 47 experiences highlight the consequences of being compelled to conform to the standards of 48 White and European beauty standards or stigmatized for wearing one's hair in a natural style. 49 50 The North Carolina Supreme Court, in 2003, declared the employment law section of the 51 Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance (the Civil Rights Ordinance") unconstitutional. Later that