THE
THE CROWN
THE CROWN AT LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING A BILL THAT WOULD
MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST ETHNIC HAIRSTYLES THAT
ARE HISTORICALLY ASSOCIATED
WITH RACE.
WITH RACE. THE ISSUE A VERY PERSONAL ONE
FOR SO MANY IN OUR STATE THIS
MORNING REPRESENTATIVE ROBIN
PORTER WHO INTRODUCED THE BILL
JOINS US AS WELL AS CHRISTINA
JACKSON, A STUDENT AND MEMBER
OF THE YWCA YOUNG WOMEN'S
LEADERSHIP CORPS PROGRAM AND
THEN IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY,
NORMALLY A BIG NIGHT FOR
RESTAURANTS AND THEY'RE HOPING
THAT'S STILL THE CASE THIS
EVENING WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO
THREE RESTAURANT OWNERS IN OUR
STATE ON HOW THEY'RE SURVIVING
IN THE TIME OF COVID CO-OWNER
OF MAC'S DOWNTOWN IN TRUMBULL
KITCHEN, STEVE ABRAM'S OWNER OF
THE PLACE TO BE GINA LAURIE IN
CHICAGO, SAM'S GENERAL MANAGER
BRIAN KELLY
BRIAN KELLY >> GOOD MORNING AND THANKS FOR
JOINING US ON THE REAL STORY.
I'J
JOINING US ON THE REAL STORY. I'JE BERNSTEIN.
I'JE BERNSTEIN. PREVENTING DISCRIMINATION ON A
MEASURE OF HAIR.
IT WOULD PREVENT EMPLOYERS FROM
DISCRIMINATING AGAINT
DISCRIMINATING AGAINT HAIRSTYLES THAT ARE HISTORICALLY
ASSOCIATED WITH RACE.
FOX 61'S BRIAN DIDLAKE EXPLAINS.
>> CONNECTICUT COULD BE THE
EIGHTH STATE TO PASS SUCH A
MEASURE.
MEASURE.
MEASURE. STATE LAW MAKERS SAY THIS PUSH
FOR MORE PROTECTIONS FOR ETHNIC
HAIRSTYLES IS LONG OVERDUE.
>> MANY OF US ARE DISCRIMINATED,
PASSED OVER FOR PROMOTIONS, OR
EVEN FIRED.
EVEN FIRED. >> SAD BUT TRUE.
OFFICIALS HOSTING A ZOOM TO
ANNOUNCE THE REINTRODUCTION OF
THE CROWN ACT.
IT'S SET TO PROVIDE
DISCRIMINATIONN HAIR.
DISCRIMINATIONN HAIR. >> WE CANNOT SAY WE'RE
ATTEMPTING TO DEAL WITH SYSTEMIC
RACISM IF WE DON'T DEAL WITH
BILLS LIKE THIS ON EVERY FRONT.
>> LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE
BILL GOT TO THE HOUSE CHAMBER
FLOOR BUT WAS HALTED DUE TO THE
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. NOW, MANY WOMEN OF COLOR IN THE
STATE SAY THEY ARE BEHIND THE
CROWN ACT.
CROWN ACT. >> KIND OF SOUND THAT IN 2021,
WE EVEN HAVE TO HAVE THIS ISSUE,
BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOUBE
DISCRIMINATED FOR HAL ACCORDING
BLACK WOMEN FELT THEY HAD TO
CHANGE THEIR NAT WORKPLACE.
THIS WOMAN REMEMBERS AN
EXPERIENCE SHE HAD WITH OLD
MANAGEME BEFORE SHE GOT INTO
THE HAIR INDUSTRY.
>> AND SO SHE SAID, WEAR YOUR
HAIR NATURAL, SO I THOUGHT SHE
MEN AFRO, WHEN SHE
WENT RELAX IT.
AND WHEN I SHOWED UP TO WORK,
SHE SAID OH, IT LOOKS LIKE
YOU'VE BEEN ELECTROCUTED.
>> YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE KRISTINA
JACKSON SAY THE CROWN ACT IS
NEEDED FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.
SHE SAID AT AN EARLY AGE, SHE
HAD TO LEARN TO LOVE HER HAIR,
HER CROWN.
HER CROWN. >> YOU'RE THE ONLY YOU, AND YOU
JUST NEED TO BE YOURSELF BECAUSE
YOU BRING SOMETHING UNIQUE TO
THE TABLE THAT MATTERS.
>> THE BILL SO FAR HAS ONLY BEEN
RAISED IN THE LABOR COMMITTEE'S
PUBLIC HEARING.
PUBLIC HEARING. THE NEXT STEP FOR THE BILL IS
FOR IT TO GO BACK INTO SCREENING
WHERE THE COMMITTEE WILL VOTE ON
WHETHER OR NOT TO PUSH IT TO THE
HOUSE CHAMBER.
HOUSE CHAMBER. JOINING US THIS MORNING,
REPRESENTATIVE ROBIN PORTER AND
CHRISTINA JACKSON.
CHRISTINA JACKSON. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SO THE CROWN ACT, SYMBOLIC IN
ITS MEANING, BUT ACRONYM FOR CR
RESPONDING ON WEARING NATURAL
HAIR.
HAIR.
HAIR. REPRESENTATIVE, TO BEGIN
WITH YOU.
WITH YOU.
WITH YOU. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS BILL WITH
YOU?
YOU?
YOU? >>
YOU? >> IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
IT WAS A PRIORITY LAST YEAR, AND
DEFINITELY LOOKING TO GET THIS
OUT OF COMMITTEE AND TO THE
HOUSE FLOOR AND HAVE FAVORABLE
VOTING IN THE HOUSE IN BOTH THE
SENATE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO
SEEING CONNECTICUT BECOME THE
EIGHTH STATE TO PASS THIS LAW.
>> CHRISTINA, WE JUST HE PIECE.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS
LEGISLATION TO YOU AS YOU GROW
OLDER?
OLDER?
OLDER? >>
OLDER? >> WELL, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
TO ME BECAUSE IT ASSURES IN THE
FUTURE I, LIKE, CANNOT LOSE AN
B OF THE FACT I CANNOT
CHANGE MY HAIR.
>> YOU FOUND SOME SELF-LOVE, HOW
DO THAT, AND WHAT DO YOU
TELL OTHER YOUNG WOMAN WHO MIGHT
FEEL PRESSURE OR INSECURE IN
THEIR OWN RIGHTS?
>> WELL, I BASICALLY DID IT --
THERE WAS A TURNING POINT IN MY
LIFE WHEN I HAD TO REALIZE THAT
THIS IS A PART OF ME, AND I NEED
TO BE PROUD OF IT BECAUSE NOT
OTHER PEOPLE -- EVERYBODY JUST
HAS DIFFERENT HAIR TYPES, AND WE
CAN ALL ONLY JUST RESPECT
OURSELVES AND LOVE OURSELVES,
AND IT'S ONLY ONE US, SO WE NEED
TO REALIZE THAT OUR HAIR IS AN
EXTENSION OF US, AND WE CAN ALSO
SHOW YOUNGER PEOPLE HAV
EXTENSION OF US, AND WE CAN ALSO SHOW YOUNGER PEOPLE FROM A YOUNG
AGE THAT YOU CAN LOVE YOURSELF
AND ALL OF YOURSELF.
THERE'S NO REASON YOU SHOULD
DOUBT YOURSELF.
DOUBT YOURSELF. 100%.
100%.
100%. REPRESENTATIVE, I WANT TO REMIND
YOU THAT CHRISTINA REMINDED YOU
OF YOURSELF WHEN YOU HEARD HER
TESTIFY.
TESTIFY.
TESTIFY. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. SO PROUD OF THIS YOUNG LADY AND
WHERE SHE IS MENTALLY AND
PHYSICALLY AROUND EMBRACING HER
CROWN.
CROWN.
CROWN. UNFORTUNATELY, AS YOU HEARD HER
SAY, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE
CASE.
CASE.
CASE. THAT WASN'T THE CASE FOR MY
DAUGHTER.
DAUGHTER.
DAUGHTER. SHE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF WHAT
CHRISTINA EXPERIENCED, AND SHE
DID STRAIGHTEN HER HAIR FOR A
WHILE, BUT SHE'S DOWN TO NATURAL
HAIR.
HAIR.
HAIR. SHE
HAIR. SHE HAS DREADS DOWN HER BACK --
EXCUSE ME.
EXCUSE ME. THEY'RE LOCKS.
THEY'RE LOCKS. THERE'S TRANSGE SOMETHING STIGM
ABOUT DREAD LOCKS, SO I REFER TO
THEM AS LOCKS.
CHRISTINA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
FLUORISH IN PRIDE THAT THEY
HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO SO, AND
JUST LIBERATION.
JUST LIBERATION. WHEN I THIN
JUST LIBERATION. WHEN I THI BEEN A TOTAL VIOLATI.
FOR US, OUR CROWN IS SACRED, AND
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT WE ARE
GETTING THIS THING DONE.
I'M SPEAKING THOSE THINGS
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL
GET THIS DONE.
I'VE HAD WORD FROM MY LEADERSHIP
THAT WE WILL GET THIS DONE, SO I
AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
CONNECTICUT BEING THE EIGHTH
STATE TO JOIN IN THIS MOVEMENT,
NATION MOVEMENT.
NATION MOVEMENT. >> TEL
>> TEL
>> TEL BIPARTISAN SUPPORT?
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT? HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THE
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AT THIS POINT?
>> YES, WE DO HAVE BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT. WE HAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT LAST
YEAR WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO GET
THIS DONE.
THIS DONE. I DON'T, I HAVEN'T HAD A
CONVERSATION WITH THE GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE, BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT
HIS OFFICE WOULD NOT BE IN
SUPPORT OF THIS, AND I BELIEVE
THAT THAT IS TH CASE.
>> REPRESENTATIVE, CAN YOU JUST
TELL ME THE SPECIFICS ABOUT
THE -- WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO A
BUSINESS IF THEY SENT SOMEONE
HOME BECAUSE OF
>> WELL, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
THEY COULD TAKE UP WITH CHRO
BECAUSE IT EXPANDS THE
JUSTIFICATION TO INCLUDE RACE.
IN DOING THAT, IT MAKES RACE
INCLUSIVE OF TRAITS, INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE TEXTURE
OF OUR HAIR AND WE WEAR, AND
PROTECTED HAIRSTYLES THAT
INCLUDES BRAIDS, LOCKS, TWISTS,
ETC., SO IT WOULD BE SOMETHING
THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FILE
A CLAIM WITH THROUGH CHRO.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WE HAVE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING,
THE DIFFERENT PROTECTED
HAIRSTYLES ON TH SO PEOPLE CAN .
I WANT TO CLOSE OUT WITH YOU,
CHRISTINA.
CHRISTINA. I'M JUST AMAZED BY YOU BECAUSE
YOU'RE SO ARTICULATE AND YOU'RE
JUST IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
YOU'RE AMAZING.
YOU'RE AMAZING. SO WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO
KNOW AS WE CLOSE OUT ABOUT THE
CROWN ACT?
CROWN ACT? >> THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT
ACT THAT WILL HELP FUTURE
GENERATIONS FALL IN LOVE WITH
THEMSELVES AND THEIR HAIR AND BE
ABLE TO BE IN PROFESSIONAL
SETTINGS AND FEE
WITH THEMSELVES AND NOT FEEL
LESS THAN AND NOT FALL INTO
STEREOTYPES, SO THIS'LL BE A
REALLY BEAUTIFUL THING IF IT
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS. I'M REALLY SURE IT WILL, AND I'M
JUST REALLY HAPPY THAT IT CAN
HELP OTHER PEOPLE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL END IT THERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON
ANG ABOUT THE CROWN ACT.
PLEASE KEEP US UPDATED.
>> W
>> W
>> W TH
>> W TH FOR HAVING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT.
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT DINNER?
IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY, AND
RESTAURANTS ARE HOPING THAT YOU
ARE GOING TO DINE OUT OR TAKE
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. WE'RE GOING TO HE FROM THEM
ABOUT HOW THEY'RE KEEPING YOU
SAFE.
SAFE.
SAFE. >>>
SAFE. >>> BUT FIRST, IT'S BLACK
HISTORY MONTH, AND WE ARE
LISTENING TO DIFFERENT VOICES IN
THE COMMUNITY. WHEN SLAVERY WA
PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE
BY TRYING TO GIVE PEOPLE
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM. REMEMBER, WHEN PEOPLE WERE
MARCHING, THEY WERE MARCHING IN
CONNECTICUT IN THE 1960s, TRYING
TO GET THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
AND REMEMBER, BLACK PEOPLE IN
THIS COUNTRY, BLACK PEOPLE IN
CONNECTICUT DIDN'T HAVE THE
RIGHT TO VOTE UNTIL 1965.
SO WE'RE NOT TALKING 150 YEARS
AGO, W TALKING ONE
GENERATION.
GENERATION. WE'VE HAD SUCH AN INTERESTING
YEAR IN 2020 WITH THE BLACK
LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT THAT JUST
SHOOK THE NATION, AND WE TALKED
ABOUT HOW THIS HAS BROUGHT TO
LIGHT A LOT OF ISSUES THAT THE
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMU HAS.
DO YOU THINK THAT WE'VE COME A
LOT MORE WAYS FROM WHERE WE ARE?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
>> REMEMBER, THIS IS A JOURNEY,
NOT A DESTINATION.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY FURTHER
ALONG BECAUSE OF A LOT OF THE
PROGRESSIVE THINGS THAT HAVE
HAPPENED IN THE LEGISLATURE.
WE HAVE THE POLICE REFORM BILL,
THE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY BILL.
I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY A STEP
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE
JUST STARTING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
NEGATIVE HISTORY THAT WE'VE HAD,
AND BEFORE WE CAN MOVE ON,
BEFORE WE CAN START THE
HEALING -- EVERYONE WANTS TO
START AT THE WE WANT TO HEAL AND
MOVE ON.
MOVE ON.
MOVE ON. BUT WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
PEOPLE ARE HURTING, THAT PEOPLE
ARE DISENFRANCHISED, THAT THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS NOT
PROBLEMATIC.
PROBLEMATIC. AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE AT THE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STAGE, AND WE
HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE
AREN'T