The City of Covington adopted new measures for its human rights ordinance to forbid race-based hair discrimination that denies employment or educational opportunities because of hair texture, hairstyles, and protective hair coverings.
The city commission voted 5-0 on Tuesday night to add provisions of what is known as the CROWN Act (“Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”).
Commissioner Michelle Williams, who proposed the protection, celebrated its anticipated passage by wearing her hair “natural,” meaning tight curls instead of straightening it.
“I showed up today with my naturally curly hair, just like I promised I would. I’ve put myself out there, on the line here,” she said, laughing.
“Ever since I’ve been in politics, I’ve felt I’ve had to wear my hair straight – that’s the whole ‘fitting in’ pressure,” Williams said. “Culturally, there are all kinds of different types of hairstyles and coverings, but people tend not to accept cultural differences when it comes to hair styles.”
Commissioner Tim Downing said the expanded protections would continue to place Covington on the vanguard of inclusivity.
“We have a unique ability to recognize that the differences that make up our city is one of our strengths,” Downing said. “This will continue to attract people to our city.”
Covington is the first city in Kentucky to adopt the measure.
In October 2019, Cincinnati became one of only a handful of cities in the country to adopt the provisions of the CROWN Act, the signature piece of the national CROWN Coalition campaign co-founded by Dove beauty products.
-Staff report
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