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CROWN Act Unanimously Passes In Kansas City, Banning Hair Discrimination

Kansas City Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw is behind legislation that would ban discrimination against workers for wearing Black hairstyles like dreadlocks or braids.
Lisa Rodriguez
/
KCUR 89.3
Kansas City Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw is behind the legislation that bans discrimination against workers for wearing Black hairstyles like dreadlocks or braids.

"The CROWN Act is a very necessary step in ensuring equity and addressing the silent but very real barrier of implicit bias,” says Kansas City Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw.

After eight months of effort, the Kansas City Council voted to pass the CROWN Act last week, which stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair. Now, CROWN Act advocates are hoping it gets passed in Kansas and Missouri.

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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.
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