CROWN Act to be heard in Urban Issues Committee

Rep. LaKeySha Bosley (MHDC)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis, will present the CROWN Act in the House Committee on Urban Issues when it convenes at 4:30 p.m. today. House Bill 326 would prohibit discrimination in Missouri’s publicly funded institutions on the basis of hair texture and certain hair styles, including braids, locs and twists.

Bosley added she had worked with Councilwoman Rita Days of St. Louis County and Alderwoman Shameem Clark- Hubbard of St. Louis City to pass the CROWN Act at the local level in 2021. Now, she wants to see the measure instituted across the state.

“I have proudly sponsored the CROWN Act since 2021 because we know that hair discrimination against Black Americans has forced students out of classrooms and adults out of their places of employment,” Bosley said. “People have a right to be comfortable in their own bodies and that includes their natural hair texture and the protective hairstyles that keep it healthy. Kids deserve to be kids and people deserve to feel comfortable in their workplace.”

State Reps. Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City, and Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson, will also be presenting similar legislation.