Bill To End Hair Discrimination In The Workplace And Schools Passes Senate Vote In California

Sen. Holly J. Mitchell

The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove, is proud to announce the bill they are sponsoring, Senate Bill 188 (The CROWN Act), passed the Senate floor today in California.

Introduced by Senator Holly J. Mitchell, SB 188 aims to "Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair" (the CROWN Act) by clarifying that traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, be protected from discrimination in the work place and in our K-12 public and charter schools.

"Many Black employees, including your staff, members, will tell you if given the chance that the struggle to maintain what society has deemed a 'professional image' while protecting the health and integrity of their hair remains a defining and paradoxical struggle in their work experience, not usually shared by their non-Black peers," said Senator Mitchell shortly before the Senate vote. "Members, it is 2019. Any law that sanctions a job description that immediately excludes me from a position, not because of my capabilities or experience but because of my hair, is long overdue for reform."

The C.R.O.W.N. (Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair) Act will ensure protection against discrimination in the workplace and schools based on hairstyles by prohibiting employers and schools from enforcing purportedly "race neutral" grooming policies that disproportionately impact persons of color. Additionally, while anti-discrimination laws presently protect the choice to wear an Afro, Afros are not the only natural presentation of Black hair. SB 188 will ensure protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the California Education Code.

"Dove has been committed to championing real beauty for women and girls for decades, and believes the individuality of all of our hair should be celebrated," said Esi Eggleston Bracey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever. "As a proud member of the CROWN Coalition, we're overjoyed to see that the California Senate passed SB 188, and look forward to continuing to drive equity and fairness for all women and men, particularly around hair inclusivity."

The CROWN Act corrects an inconsistency in existing anti-discrimination laws by amending the California Government and Education Codes to protect against discrimination based on traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and protective hairstyles. The Coalition, in support of The CROWN Act, aims to put an end to the significant injustices of hair discrimination that has spanned decades across the United States.

The CROWN Coalition

The CROWN Coalition is a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove as sponsors of Senate Bill 188 'The Crown Act'. The CROWN Coalition members believe diversity and inclusion are key drivers of success across all industries and sectors.

For more information on SB 188 'The CROWN Act' click here to see the legislation.

CONTACT:
Motunrayo Tosin-Oni
Motunrayo.tosin-oni@sen.ca.gov
Office of Senator Holly J. Mitchell
Marcy Polanco, JOY Collective

Disney redrawing Princess Tiana after lightening her skin for Wreck-It Ralph 2

Many Disney fans in the black community were outraged last month to find that Princess Tiana’s physical appearance was notably different. The character, who debuted in 2009’s Princess Tiana and the Frog, had a much smaller and thinner nose and skin that was several shades lighter while her previously tight, kinky hair had been smoothed out into looser European curls.

Disney has agreed to redraw their first black princess after outraging fans when they her facial features more eurocentric in the recent trailer and poster for Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.

Disney has reportedly consulted with Princess Tiana voice over actress Anika Noni Rose and Color of Change, an advocacy group who campaign for racial representation in Hollywood movies, to discuss how best to revise the latest Princess Tiana animation.

Color of Change celebrated the move in a statement, released on Thursday, which said: ‘Disney’s decision to restore Princess Tiana’s image to that of an unapologetically black princess with full lips, dark skin and dark hair in Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 is a victory for Color Of Change members, black children and their parents, and black audiences who want to see the variety of shades, shapes and sizes of black characters accurately represented in the arts.’ Wreck It Ralph 2 - Sneak Peek Play Video Loaded: 0% 0:00Progress: 0% PlayMute Current Time 0:00 / Duration Time 1:00 Fullscreen The statement continued: ‘By redrawing Princess Tiana — Disney’s first and only black princess — in Ralph Breaks the Internet as she was in Princess and the Frog, Disney has shown its commitment to addressing the concerns of Color Of Change members and the black community.’

[SOURCE: METROUK]

National Mama's Bailout Day

Money kept them in.
Black love got them out.”

— Pat Hussain, Co-founder of Southerners on New Ground

The week before Mother’s day organizations in Oakland, Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, Montgomery, Memphis, Minneapolis, Durham, Atlanta and beyond will bail out as many mothers as possible who otherwise would spend Mother’s Day in a cell simply because they cannot afford bail.

National Mama’s Bail Out Day will give incarcerated mothers an opportunity to spend Mother’s Day with their families and build community through gatherings that highlight the impact of inhumane and destructive bail practices on our communities!

We will bail out mama’s in all of our varieties — queer, trans, young, elder, and immigrant.

The impact of money bail on our Mamas…

Everyday an average of 700,000 people are condemned to cages and separated from their families simply because they cannot afford to pay bail. Since 1980 the number of incarcerated women has grown by 700%. Black women and Trans women are especially vulnerable to incarcerated. Black women are twice as likely as their white counterparts to be jailed. One in five transgender women have spent time in prison or jail and one in three of them reported being sexually assaulted while there.

Eight in ten incarcerated women are mothers and nearly half are in local jails, locked in cages for crimes they have not been convicted of. Most of the women in jail are accused of minor drug and ‘quality of life’ offenses and are languishing in cells simply because they cannot afford to pay bail.

In addition to the over $9 billion wasted to incarcerate people who have been convicted of no crime, pre-trial incarceration has catastrophic impacts on families and communities. Even a few days in jail can ruin a woman’s life. She may lose her job, her family may lose their housing and some even lose their children.

What we can do…

We can buy their freedom and push against mass criminalization and modern bondage!

In the tradition of our enslaved Black ancestors, who used their collective resources to purchase each other’s freedom before slavery was abolished, until we abolish bail and mass incarceration, we’re gonna free ourselves.

It is going to take our collective effort to give as many Black mamas their freedom this Mother’s Day, as possible. Now more than ever, we must support our people and dismantle this system that destroys our humanity and breaks up our families.

Click Here Donate to National Mamas Bailout Day

Color Of Change PAC launches #VotingWhileBlack

–Color Of Change PAC—the PAC arm of the nation’s largest online racial justice group—is launching #VotingWhileBlack, a first-of-its-kind program that uses cutting edge digital communications tools to engage Black voters in a massive modern-day volunteer effort aimed at getting out the vote in races up and down the ballot in swing states and holding politicians accountable to Black communities after Election Day.

Created and run by Black leadership, #VotingWhileBlack focuses on the issues affecting Black communities that are central to this country’s success—from police violence and an unfair criminal justice system to a changing economy and the lack of investment in our schools and communities—in a way that other groups linked with specific political parties or candidates cannot be. While there are other campaigns focused on bringing Black voters out to the polls, #VotingWhileBlack puts voter persuasion at the center, getting out the vote for specific candidates whose positions matter for Black communities—and collectively impacting races from the presidential race to down ballot races like those for Senate and district attorneys, where the winners will have the power to make important decisions that will significantly impact Black communities.

“This is a truly unprecedented program that’s laser-focused on mobilizing Black voters around the issues that matter most to our community,” said Color Of Change PAC spokesperson, Rashad Robinson. “Down ballot races, like those for district attorneys, often don’t get much attention. But, we know all too well how much the perspective and practices of these local prosecutors impact Black communities. Rather than shoving these races to the sidelines, #VotingWhileBlack puts them front and center in our voter outreach—and we’re doing so by engaging our communities not on the basis of political parties, but based on building independent political power that will be around after the election to hold those we support accountable. We’re translating the presence and visibility of our issues into the power to change the rules.”

#VotingWhileBlack engages voters and communities with text-a-thons, online voter guides, social media activations, digital chase ads, and email engagement, and provides a full suite of digital tools and graphic content to help Black voters and allies reach out to other Black voters. Using cell phones to directly communicate with Black voters, #VotingWhileBlack is driving engagement in down ballot races that are often neglected by other voter outreach programs, including district attorney races in Franklin County, Ohio (Columbus); Orange County, Florida (Orlando); Hillsborough County, Florida (Tampa); and Harris County, Texas (Houston). The program is also targeting key Senate races in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida, where wins could prevent the Senate from coming under the control of far-right politicians.

“A key part of our program is holding politicians accountable after Election Day,” said Arisha Hatch, Director of Color Of Change PAC. “For far too long, elected officials have pursued Black folks’ votes, but then failed to champion our issues once they’re in power. We’re mobilizing Black communities to vote strategically, shape political agendas, move the needle on key issues, and ultimately hold elected officials accountable for the promises they make at election time.”

Already, #VotingWhileBlack has held text-a-thons—virtual or in-person gatherings where highly motivated Black voters come together in a lively atmosphere to text other Black voters about key races—in major cities including New York, Washington, Miami, Oakland, Houston, and Philadelphia, with plans to hold more in states including Illinois, California, and New Jersey. The goal of these text-a-thons is to ensure that 2 million contacted voters go to the polls and that they’re equipped with all the information they need—including local down ballot voter guides and turnout reminders—to make informed choices in races across the ballot. So far, over 1,000 volunteers have sent over 800,000 initial texts to eligible Black voters.

Color Of Change PAC is engaging partners including: John Legend, who’s hosting virtual text-a-thons; and National Nurses United, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., which  hosted or participated in in-person and virtual text-a-thons with their members.

The #VotingWhileBlack campaign follows Color Of Change PAC’s high-profile campaign pressuring corporations to divest from the RNC in protest of Donald Trump’s bigotry, which resulted in companies like Coca-Cola, Apple and HP withdrawing or reducing their financial support of the convention, and cost the Republican Party millions of dollars.

For more on #VotingWhileBlack, visit http://votingwhileblack.com.

Sign the letter to remove Angela Cory and help Marissa Alexander.

The national advocacy group Color of Change is asking Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to suspend State Attorney Angela Corey to halt the second prosecution of Marissa Alexander, the battered mother facing decades in prison for firing a “warning shot” at her abuser.
A letter they are sending to Governor Scott reads: